Once known as the top house-hunting app, Zillow skewed buyer and seller perceptions with a recent home-manipulation scandal. In September 2021, Zillow Group Inc was exposed “pulling off a convoluted scheme to manipulate housing prices in his home market” in a viral TikTok video. While Zillow received immediate backlash following the discovery, the overall housing marketing was side-eyed.
For National App Day, Village Premier Collection Maryland Realty Owner & Broker Leisel L. Taylor reinstates our faith and trust for digital applications supporting Real Estate Brokerage. Surprised herself, she recalls “Zillow definitely hurt the industry and confused buyers and sellers. For buyers, they will look at a $400,000 property and think that their monthly mortgage payment will only be $1500. Buyers did not realize that key numbers such as mortgage interest, insurance and property taxes were not being included with these numbers.” She continues, “For Sellers, Zillow gave a false indication as to what the property is truly worth. Most people don’t realize that Zillow was using algorithms to calculate these estimates. Zillow has no idea what the condition of the property truly is.”
Instead, Taylor recommends Homesnap, “the real estate industry’s national search portal, featuring the same accurate, real-time information that agents use.” She loves the Homesnap, Inc. Rental and House Finder, “as the properties that are listing on there have the most updated information. Also you can connect directly with the realtor that is listing the property for sale.”
Never hesitate to schedule a consultation. Working directly with a Broker; such as, Leisel L. Taylor or connecting with any of the Realtors at Village Premier Collection Maryland Realty may ease your frustrations and answer any upfront questions you may have regarding the current climate of the market whether you’re selling your home or in the position to purchase/rent a new one.
For more information on or to connect with Leisel L. Taylor directly, visit and follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram.