Why is the Zillow number different from what my agent says my house is worth?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
Because Zillow has never been inside your house. An algorithm prices from records and patterns — square footage, beds, baths, nearby sales. It can't see the kitchen you renovated, the water stain in the basement, the busy street, or the light. Everything that makes a buyer lean in or walk out is invisible to it.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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Chris's video answer is on its way. Until then, the short answer above says the same thing.
The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
Use it as what it is: a rough opening range. It's most reasonable on a typical house in a uniform subdivision. It's least reliable exactly where Minneapolis is most interesting — old housing stock, block-to-block variation, one-of-a-kind homes. An agent's number comes from inside your house and from the last 90 days of sold comps, adjusted by hand.
The part worth saying out loud: a high Zestimate can cost you real money. Anchor to it, overprice, sit, and cut — that arc nets less than pricing right on day one. When the two numbers disagree, don't ask which is higher. Ask which one can defend itself.
The next department over
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From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.