Pros and Cons of Zillow and Trulia

There are many great Anchorage area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (907) 865-6404 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Pros and Cons of Zillow and Trulia

Today we are discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using websites like Zillow and Trulia in the home buying and selling process. Let's start with the advantages:

• Easy to use
• Ability to get access on both mobile and desktop devices
• 24/7 Availability

The disadvantages are a bit more numerous. Not to say that these sites don't work well, there are just some things that neither they, nor any other web-based program, can do. One big disadvantage is that they use tax records as comps. Since Alaska is a non-disclosure state, the tax assessed values can be anywhere from 70-110% off. So when you get your estimate from them, it will likely be pretty inaccurate. 

Another disadvantage to Zillow and Trulia is that they are not live links. If you're a buyer and looking for a property, by the time you get it to your agent, it may already be sold. They also do a good job of getting high quality images of homes, but nothing compares with doing an actual walkthrough of a home with a Realtor. 

While Zillow and Trulia are great sites, it's still in your best interest to have a Realtor involved. Realtors have knowledge of local markets, school districts, resale value, and many other areas that these sites don't offer. Realtors are also expert negotiators, and can get you more money for your home than you could without them. Although a website is a good place to start, we can do so much more. 

If you have any questions about Zillow, Trulia, or real estate in general, don't hesitate to call us or send us an email. We'd be glad to help answer any questions you may have.