Shopping for a home now is much different from the way our parents did it. Today, it occurs mostly online. And that’s why we’ve seen the advent of big websites as marketplaces where buyers and sellers can come together for ease of marketing and transactions. Convenience, obviously, is the main reason so many people use Zillow or Trulia to sell a house. But should they really? Let’s examine the downfalls of using Zillow or Trulia to sell your house in Northwest Arkansas.

The Big Sites

The major players among real estate sites have some very attractive features that may entice you to use Zillow or Trulia to sell your house in Northwest Arkansas.

ZILLOW

Zillow is the most popular real estate site with a monthly average of close to 229 Million unique visitors. The biggest draw is the Zestimate feature, a home valuation tool. It is said to be the key ingredient in Zillow’s success and uses a proprietary formula based on public and user-submitted data. Each property gets a page that includes both price and tax history.

TRULIA

Trulia claims to have more neighborhood details than any other real estate app. Users can browse 34 neighborhood heat overlay maps such as crime, schools, amenities, and commute.  Learn about everyday life with the What Locals Say feature, ranging from whether people feel it is safe to get packages delivered to if neighborhoods are friendly.  Draw your own map boundaries to focus on the neighborhoods you care most about. Users can also research schools in the neighborhood with trustworthy reviews from parents.

Downfalls of Using Zillow & Trulia to Sell Your House in Northwest Arkansas

INACCURACIES

The sad fact is that many of the listings on Zillow are not up to date or just inaccurate. Listings that show as active may actually be sold or even be listed with a different agent. In addition, the Zestimate tool can be highly inaccurate. Statistics show (and Zillow admits) that Zestimate is accurate only to within 20% of the final sale price and that only 83.1% of the time.

ONLY A MARKETING COMPANY

Another one of the downfalls of using Zillow (and Trulia) to sell your house in Northwest Arkansas is the fact that Zillow is a marketing company, not a real estate broker. Real estate is simply the vehicle the company uses to make its marketing money. They have tons of buyers searching for homes and sell these leads to agents and brokers.

NOT LOCAL

Real estate is really a local phenomenon, where local markets are the most important. Zillow, however, misses that mark because it is not local, being a nation-wide database and marketing service. Zillow and Trulia simply connect people with a local agent when they request local information.

Use a Local Agent

While you can use Zillow or Trulia to sell your house in [markets_city] – many people have done it successfully and satisfactorily – most experts advise against it. The main reason is that only your qualified local agent really knows the local market, which is what really matters. Knowledge of local trends, the current buyer pool, and a more accurate price opinion all make a huge difference to your bottom line.  So if you want a local agent who will work aggressively for your best interests, contact me today!

Learn more about using a multitude of other tools in addition to Zillow or Trulia to sell your house in Northwest Arkansas!

You can book a FREE Strategy Session with me Here.

Or Watch my “Pre-Listing Price Accelerator” Guide Here to see How To Maximize Your Home Sale and Prepare it for the Market.