Most people think Zillow’s Zestimate is the best way to value a home. The truth is, it’s not.
Zillow stalking: The new national pastime
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Confession time: I Zillow people. All the time.
Someone casually mentions they just bought a house in Aspen? I’m on it. I’m already hunched over my keyboard like a Nancy Drew reboot.
New neighbor moves in with a Mercedes-Benz and suspiciously good patio furniture? You better believe I’m typing that address into Zillow before their moving truck finishes unloading.
Zillow knows if they’re legit or just really good at faking it for the ’gram.
🏠 Putting the real in real estate
You probably already use Zillow to dream-shop for your next home. But here’s the real power move: using it to fact-check people’s financial lives.
Millions of people are doing the same (paywall link). Zillow isn’t just some real estate listing site anymore, it’s a national pastime.
In just the first quarter of 2025, Zillow clocked a mind-blowing 2.4 billion visits. That’s not a typo. 227 million unique visitors show up every month. We’re all snooping, and the data is just sitting there waiting to be explored.
📍 Zestimate is close
When you plug in an address at Zillow, the first thing you see is the Zestimate. That’s Zillow’s home value estimate. It’s calculated from public records, recent sales, tax data, local MLS listings, updates from homeowners and spidey senses.
Zillow says it’s accurate within 2% of sale prices for homes currently on the market and within 7% for off-market homes. I know, it’ll likely be too low for your home and too high if you’re buying.
You’ll also find the price history (what they paid and when), estimated rent, tax assessments, square footage and even neighborhood details. It’s like a financial X-ray.
This Zillow update makes home shopping easier
© Phairin Theekawong | Dreamstime.com
This was a rough year for Zillow. The company wanted to flip homes to make big cash, so its algorithm bought up properties like hotcakes — but the whole affair flopped.
On Nov. 2, Zillow reported a third-quarter net loss of $328 million. On the bright side, that means many of its homes are selling for low prices. Tap or click here for Kim’s guide to home shopping.
🏡 Zillow bans hidden listings: Into real estate? You need to know that Zillow now blacklists home listings that agents publicly market (think “For Sale” signs or Instagram posts) without first putting them on a local MLS database. It’s the real estate equivalent of “pics or it didn’t happen.” Compass, a major brokerage, is suing, calling the move anti-competitive.
Virtual makeover: Easy way to redecorate your rooms online
For many of us, remote work has become the new norm. A year into the pandemic and we are getting used to balancing our home and work lives.
Tax season is here and you may have questions about how to file this year. Who is eligible for a work-from-home tax deduction? Can you claim home office expenses on your return? Tap or click here for answers to these questions and more.
🏠 Zillow’s new rule: If a home is advertised anywhere online, it now has to be listed on Zillow, too, or they’ll blacklist it. Why? Some brokerages have been posting homes on their own sites first to give their clients early access. Harsh. Long story short: If you’re selling, now you know, thanks to me.
How to get the highest Zestimate
Looking to maximize your home’s value on Zillow? Getting the highest estimate isn’t just about luck; it’s about knowing how to play the game.
Get photos of your home off Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com
Are there pictures of your house online? Here’s why that’s a real danger and how you can remove them from listing sites.
How to get photos of your home off Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com
You sold your house, but why are pics of it still up on listing sites? In this one-minute podcast, I’ll tell you why this is a privacy no-go.
Secrets to getting the highest Zestimate on your home
Did you know your home is on Zillow — even if it’s NOT for sale? Here’s what you need to do, in 60 seconds.