Zillow “pre-foreclosure” homes… what you may not know!
Zillow is Evil!
Do me a favor … stop using Zillow!
I know Zillow makes it easy to search for homes. I’ve heard from marketing gurus that buyers like to use their portal because it is “sexy” and super user friendly, but I’d love to share a little more about Zillow that you may not be aware of.
I get calls every single week from someone inquiring about a home they found on Zillow. Occasionally, the home is for sale and I can get more details with our REALTOR® MLS system, but most of the time, the home has already been sold months ago and Zillow has been lazy about updating their site. Often the home is marked as a“pre-foreclosure” on Zillow and the buyers get excited and think they may be able to pickup a sweet deal on a great home. With some research I typically find these “pre-foreclosure” homes are currently not for sale! Zillow has pulled public mortgage records and found that the owner is simply behind on their payments!
How evil is that? A homeowner may have had a setback in their life and gotten a little behind with every intention to get caught up and here is Zillow, advertising to everyone in the world that payments have been missed and eluding to the fact that their home is in foreclosure when it simply is not! Frankly this info is public record, but you have to search long and hard… and very specifically to find homeowners that may be behind.
More often times than not, the homeowner gets caught up with the mortgage company and they goes on with their life, but how quickly do you think Zillow removes that label on their property from their website? Could be months, could be never!
If you are searching or you know of a friend or family member searching for homes online, please give me a call. I can set you up with a window directly into the MLS the REALTORS® use. It is the most comprehensive and always up to date list of available homes you can find currently for sale. My system will even email you minutes after a new home comes onto the market that fits your specific home buying needs.
The MLS is where Zillow gets their new listings as well, but it sometimes takes days to see the new listings and they seem to forget to update their system when homes are no longer for sale.
I promise my Collab Center search tool is way better! Never hesitate to call on me with any of your real estate needs.
John became a top real estate agent by using systems and setting goals. He has developed his business into a successful real estate machine. With his knowledge of technology in real estate and his patience and understanding of daily real estate issues, John is using that knowledge to provide excellent service and a high level of value to his customers and clients.