If you’ve started daydreaming about a new place to call home, you’re probably already looking at Utah real estate on popular websites. Of those websites, Zillow is one of the most popular. Zillow boasts millions of home listings that are available and accessible immediately. But is Zillow the best place to look when searching for homes for sale in Utah?
Here are some of the pros and cons.
Zillow Pros:
Getting Started Early
Zillow is easily accessible to everyone. If you are getting close to the home-searching process, Zillow is a great way to look at homes in your area. It can help you get a better idea of what kind of home and area you’re interested in. Plus, it allows you to narrow your home wish list before you actively search for a home.
Realistic Expectations
Zillow can help you set up realistic expectations. For example, as you scroll through listings, you can see what a typical 3-bedroom home costs in your area. Although the home prices aren’t often completely accurate (more on that later), Zillow can still give you a good idea of the kind of home you can afford and whether you’re ready to buy or still need some time to save up.
Website Features
Zillow’s website is very user-friendly! You can share homes directly with a partner, save homes you love, and narrow down your home search through Zillow’s many filters so you can look at listings you’re genuinely interested in. Zillow can also email you updates on the trends of your local housing market or home suggestions that are close to homes you’ve saved on your account. Its mortgage calculator is one of Zillow’s most handy features, which can get you an idea of what you would pay per month based on the price of a specific home.
Zillow Cons:
Zillow’s Home Valuation
Zillow’s biggest drawback is its property valuation tool, Zestimate. Zillow bases Zestimate on an algorithm, but because there are so many different factors that play into a home’s value, Zestimate is notoriously inaccurate.
Zestimate gets its valuation from home tax records. An in-person realtor can pull recent comparisons for homes recently sold in the area. In-person realtors can walk through the house and show you things that may not have been on the original listing such as new upgrades or even extra rooms.
Zillow may be able to get you into the ballpark of an estimate, but when we are talking about homes and mortgages, even $5,000 makes a big difference in what you may pay monthly. Nothing can truly compensate for an in-person appraisal and walk-through.
Advertised Agents
An unfortunate part of Zillow is that real estate agents can pay for advertisements for more exposure. If you connect with a real estate agent linked with a listing, you could talk to someone who knows very little about the property. Finding the right agent for you (or even a good agent) can be difficult, as you’ll only see the agents who pay to advertise on Zillow.
Outdated Information
Zillow can also list out-of-date information, especially if you live in a fast-paced housing market. Realtors have the connections and resources to know the status of a home (whether it’s still on the market, accepting offers, or under contract), but Zillow doesn’t. With Zillow, you could be looking through listings that aren’t even available anymore instead of looking at listings you could actually tour.
Find Your Dream Home with Harvest Park Group
Artificial intelligence can be helpful, but it can only carry you so far. Nothing can compare to a personal agent who interacts with you face-to-face and has your best interest in mind. When looking at homes for sale in Utah, you’ll want an agent who can give you a more customized approach to finding your perfect place.
