This is the sequel to my GodZillow post of yesterday. Another 30 minutes of my life is down the tubes as I was again unsuccessful in getting a listing loaded onto Zillow. It seems to keep freezing during the photo upload stage. I’m cooked and will now save this challenge (it shouldn’t be this hard!) for another day.
So as I retreated from the upload task at hand, I decided to check the zip code of the home on behalf of which I had been battling to see if anyone in my area had enjoyed success. Unfortunately, all I got was a bunch of “sold” homes, and one immediately jumped out at me.
11331 Belladonna Way, San Diego, California 92131
Zestimate: $1,614,990
SOLD 09/15/2006: $1,623,000
Watch out, Zillow. Somebody is going to come looking for their money. You see, this home did indeed sell on September 15, 2006. Sale price: $811,500. Oops!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kris Berg is Co-Owner and Designated Broker of San Diego Castles Realty. If not-so static web sites are your thing, go here at once where you will find loads of real estate information including homes for sale, market trends, floor plans and more. Kris's hobbies include fencing and spot welding. She likes kittens. 
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
They have a bug that hits somewhere. The wrong sold price is x2 the actual sold price. Same thing happened on my own house. I asked about it on Zillowblog and David G said it was a nasty but known bug. The trouble is it screws the zestimates for the neigberhood.
My guess is user error. My Realtor had no problem along with the other 3000 listing they received in the first 24 hrs. Anything that brings down the MLS is music to our ears. We don’t need middle-men pointing out a high ceiling and lovely fireplace.
Stan,
If you are suggesting that your Realtor has superior button pushing skills, that very well may be. Or it could be a roll-out glitch. Given that I have heard other agents complaining about the same issues I have been having, and since I have had issues on four separate occassions now, I suggest the latter. You certainly can’t blame user error on a home being shown on Zillow with a sale price and corresponding Zestimate 100% too high.
If pointing out transparent home features is the only value you see in having buyer side representation, then you may indeed be better off without a “middle man” (but I seriously doubt it).
Athol,
Just retrieved you from my spam folder AGAIN. Thanks for the info. It makes sense and scares me at the same time.
You know what’s funny…
I work in computers and I’ve seen markets change in the blink of an eye.
1. Stock Broker (gone)
2. Computer Support (gone to India)
3. Software QA (gone to india)
4. Development (gone to India)
Along the way there were very vocal people stating that changes will NEVER affect them. Or that they were indespensible. Surprise Surprise when they found out that reality wasn’t quite what they thought it was.
Moral of the story…
Adopt the new developments and use them to make yourself a better worker. If you don’t you’re (gone)…
Shadash,
Already left you a comment under the GodZillow post. (Seems you duplicated your comment, although it is good enough to warrant duplication.
)
Shadash:
Here are things that are largely unchanged since the advent of computers:
1) Fast food. Food needs to be where people are. You can’t go to India just for dinner, even though it may be cheaper to eat once you get there.
2) Plumbing. Plumbers are still needed to fix pipes.
3) TV Stars. Most of the existing bimbos are still Americans.
4) Stock Broker (guess what, there are still people doing that).
5) Development (I’ve worked in software both before and after the market changes you’re fond of).
6) Real estate. When Zillow/Trulia/Google/Amazon.com can call a seller up or get you into a property where the agent on the other side was stubborn enough to install a non-MLS-compliant lockbox, hold the buyer’s hand through the transaction, and close it, I’ll lose sleep.
Moral of the story…
New developments are something to be afraid of if you’re not a professional.
I wonder if they are getting the sold prices from the county records, which would not show concessions paid. I wonder if each county across the nation show the sold prices or if some only show liens (loan amounts)?
Kris & Athol,
We’ve looked at both houses, and are almost certain we have found the source of this problem, though we don’t have a solution yet. I’ll be back with an update when I know more.
Kris,
WOW – if the site does not work for you again, please e-mail me immediately [davidg at z.c]. Can you tell me what browser type & version you’re using? And, is there any way you can send me your listing detail to upload to your Zillow account for you – even one to test the error you are getting would be very useful?
Kris, I entered mine while running out to the dentist on opening morning in about 15 minutes
I just went back and edited the data. It appears that the OWNER must do that, so I didn’t do it on the first morning, but found it very easy to do without needing the owner to be with me.
Cathy seems to be having a problem too. So maybe it’s not “Seattle that has a problem”, just AZ and CA. LOL
Thanks, David and Ardell. As I commented on Bloodhound, I think I have isolated the problem (my problem, anyway). The photo upload stage is my undoing. Am I attempting to load too many, are the files too big, etc…? I plan on tackling this again over the weekend. I’ll start with just a couple and see if that helps. Now as to the issue of why the Zestimate on this particular home is unjustifiably more than $100,000 lower than the list price, hmm. Guess I’ll have to get the seller working on that one.
It’s official. Zillow hates me. Here is my latest message during Step 2 – Ownership Verification: “We’re Sorry, there is a problem with the site”. Back to the Charger game and vowing to try again later.
I downloaded the photos from the mls and used them for the Zillow upload. Figured anything the MLS could handle…Zillow could handle. That worked for me. Are you using the large files that weren’t resized for the mls upload?
It’s official! Kris, I had the exact same experiences with Zillo. I tried to upload my listings and 30 minutes later, I was watching Dallas lose to the Saints instead (Giants fan). I’m curious to watch Zillo into the future and determine how their market share is going to actually affect anything that hasn’t already been disturbed in our industry. Oh, I also included a link to you in my blog…as you know from the other day, I am not one of those agents that are “wondering about getting on of those things” (website). Good luck with Z and I’ll let you know if my account activation means anything over at Zillo!
John Lockwood,
Here are things that are largely unchanged since the advent of computers:
1) Fast food. Food needs to be where people are. You can’t go to India just for dinner, even though it may be cheaper to eat once you get there.
* Not true many fast food companies have been testing outsourcing the drive up window transaction conversations.
2) Plumbing. Plumbers are still needed to fix pipes.
* Then be a plumber, or a lumber jack, or a professional swimmer
3) TV Stars. Most of the existing bimbos are still Americans.
* American actors speak English and are “generally” good at what they do. Culturally as an actor you have to reflect what your audience expects to see. One more word “Bollywood”.
4) Stock Broker (guess what, there are still people doing that).
* Lets see… Thousands and thousands of stock brokers in the 80’s. Now the only true stock brokers left are handling huge customers only. Also I’m willing to bet the stock brokers left know how to use a computer as well.
5) Development (I’ve worked in software both before and after the market changes you’re fond of).
* I’ll bet you kept up with the newest changes over that time and adopetd your skills to them. This is the point I was trying to make.
6) Real estate. When Zillow/Trulia/Google/Amazon.com can call a seller up or get you into a property where the agent on the other side was stubborn enough to install a non-MLS-compliant lockbox, hold the buyer’s hand through the transaction, and close it, I’ll lose sleep.
* Price will motivate a buyer to work with with a seller that has put a mine field in the front yard. It wouldn’t matter if they listed on Zillow/Trulia/Google/Amazon.com or whatever.
Either get in step with the times or go sit on the bench and let those that are in step make all the money.
Thanks, everybody for the moral support. I’m in! I finally got two of our nine listings uploaded yesterday, pictures and all.
Ardell, when I take photos, I always resize a batch of twelve or so for the web, saving the whole batch of thirty to forty in full-res format for the visual tour. Once I slowed down and allowed one to upload before starting the next, I seemed to have more success. I was still bounced a couple of times on various screens, but perservered. Aside from the Zestimate issue and the absence of visual tour, I really do like Zillow’s display format. Like you, I find the “pick an owner” drop down box a little curious, however.
Vince, thanks for the link!
WOOOOOHOOOOO
That’s by far the best news I’ve had all day. Thanks for persevering Kris and for your letting us know how it went. I am still working on the sales transaction and will get back to you once we have that solved.
Congratulations Kris! I also could not get photos to upload either when I tried earlier. Today, take two, I was able to get some photos in after giving out my credit card info again (ugh). After filling out all the info AGAIN, I hit the done button and …. nothing. The home listing was again nowhere to be found.
Checking for my listing I discovered that Armada, MI is one place that Zillow has not found yet. No homes, no Zestimates, no kidding.
Richard,
I share your pain. I had to give Zillow my credit card twice as well and was ready at one point to throw my computer and myself out the window. One thing I stumbled on that you might try: When I enter my listing initially with bare-bones information only, I seem to have more success. I never experienced bouncing in edit mode, so I am subsequently able to go back and edit (add photos, description, etc.) after the fact. I am for the time being, until Friday at least with two more listings coming, fully “loaded”. Whew.
David, thanks for monitoring our progress here.
Thanks for the tip. I think the fact that zillow has little or no home data in my area may be causing the problems I’m having.