With each conference that Zillow participates in, we hear more and more stories about agents who are generating business from the site, and the annual NAR conference in Orlando was no exception. Check out this great story from Angie in Flint, MI who got a buyer after posting to Zillow for the first time!
The range of questions we heard at the booth varied widely, but here are some of the most popular ones:
1) Just how accurate are Zestimates anyway? This greatly depends on the amount of information we get from sources such as the public records. Nationally, we have a median margin of error of 11.7% (we update accuracy statistics quarterly). You can view the accuracy rate for your specific county — or any other county that we cover — by visiting our Zestimate accuracy page. After seeing this, many agents agreed this is useful data to help explain differences in their numbers and the Zestimate to their clients.
2) How can I use Zillow as an agent? Many agents did not know that they could post rich listing data to the site for free, or that a syndication service such as ListHub or Point2 was already doing this for them. When their listings were on the site, the next thing agents should do is to register for a free profile. Make sure to use the same email address when registering as what is coming to us in the feed — doing this will ensure that your photo shows up on all of your listings. Also important is to have a profile page with links to your website, blog, or videos and to be included in our new Professionals Directory. Oh, and all this is for free!
3) How do I get my profile or listings to come up first in a home search? Today the profile is weighted based on how much you participate on the site. If you want to move higher up in the list, we suggest you do things like upload more photos on your listings (or practice Zestifarming) or participate in our discussions area. We have a ton of ways to get free exposure, but we also have advertising products for those who want even more exposure. Showcase Ads, which are targeted by ZIP code, are a great way to bring more exposure to a particular listing, open house, or your business. You can select if you would like to be seen in your target ZIP code(s) 25, 50, 75, or 100% of the time, based on your budget.
Finally, we had a lot of people ask about listing presentation materials. Download a Zillow specific piece here to communicate with sellers where you are advertising their home.
Thanks again to everyone who made the trip to Orlando and stopped by our booth. We are always excited to hear your feedback about the site, but we were especially excited to hear your success stories!