Take control of your home, your homeownership, and your data online -- today! Take ownership of your home on Zillow!
Whether you're thinking of selling your home soon or you're planning to stay there long-term, claiming your home on Zillow is a good idea.
Here's why: When you claim your home on Zillow, you can edit the property details for your home. You may find that the number of bedrooms or bathrooms or the square footage is listed incorrectly or that some of the features of your home - like the fact that you have hardwood floors, a fireplace, a security system, or other upgrades - have not been included.
Zillow says, "The Zestimate (pronounced ZEST-ti-met, rhymes with estimate) home valuation is Zillow's estimated market value, computed using a proprietary formula. It is not an appraisal. It is a starting point in determining a home's value."
Zillow can only pull the information about your home from public records; you can provide the rest and confirm the accuracy of the information that Zillow has obtained. Additionally, when you are ready to list your home, your home information will be more accurate, as will your Zestimate, which buyers will definitely be reviewing.
"The Zestimate is calculated from public and user submitted data; your real estate agent or appraiser physically inspects the home and takes special features, location, and market conditions into account."
Waiting until you are starting to think about selling your home means you will be waiting weeks (or maybe longer!) for your Zestimate to readjust and correct itself, rather than knowing that the information is correct from the beginning. A Zestimate history on a home claimed by its owner will be more indicative of the market over the long-term, rather than showing a sharp increase when you or your REALTOR® correct your information at the time of listing, which might cause buyers to question your home's value.
Finally, claiming your home on Zillow means that you can have a positive influence on the values in your neighborhood. When buyers look for homes available to purchase, they are also looking for the values in the neighborhood, and Zillow, without a doubt, the most popular tool for today's buyers during their home search.
Of course, even Zillow warns that their tool is not perfect - not a substitute for an opinion of value by a licensed real estate appraiser or a market analysis by a REALTOR®. They also warn that there is a distinct margin of error in their formula, which varies by state and market area. For example, the Metro Atlanta area only receives 2 of 4 stars for accuracy from Zillow with a 9.2% Median Error in Zestimates.
If you are thinking of selling your home or just want a professional market analysis to compare your home to others in your neighborhood and area, please contact me - I can provide you with up-to-date comparable sales and help you view your home through a buyer's eyes in this, at times, confusing real estate market.
ARE YOU READY TO CLAIM YOUR HOME? HERE'S HOW:
STEP 1: Go to Zillow.com and search for your home address in using the search box.
STEP 2: Unless Zillow has difficulty locating your home based upon the address you entered, you should automatically land on your home's page. If not, double-check the address you entered and make sure that you entered the street address in its entirety, as well as the city and state (Zillow can be a little sensitive and finicky sometimes).
STEP 3: Use the "More" drop-down menu at the top of the page (near the top right-hand side) and select "Claim Ownership" from the menu.
STEP 4: Zillow will ask you to certify that you are the true owner of the home. One of the names displayed on the page should be yours. Click the box next to your name and then click the agreement box at the bottom to continue. If you don't see your name listed, there is an option to verify your identity with a phone number.
STEP 5: Refresh the page (this is important!), and then go back to the Edit drop-down menu and begin editing your home by choosing Edit Home Facts, Edit Home Description, or Add/Edit Photos.
Your Zestimate may change (increase OR decrease) as you correct the information. Every time your Zestimate adjusts, you will get an email.
BUT PLEASE REMEMBER: Your Zestimate is not an appraisal, a formal price recommendation, an indicator of fair market value. More than anything, the best reason to claim your home on Zillow is simply to have more control over your data online.
For a true idea of value or a market analysis, call me at 404.994.2181 or email Maura(at)BuySellLiveAtlanta(dot)com.
