Our home was recently appraised for 650K. Zillow estimates the value at 521K. The estimate makes us one of the lowest priced homes in the subdivision. We have all upgrades in our home and it is the largest of the homes that were originally built in this subdivision. It was appraised at 750K before 2009. Our home has a basement. Neighbors do not have basement on one side and you appraised higher. Really? -- James E. - Fort Hunt

If you Google the Internet for the phrase "Can I trust Zillow?" or "Can I trust Z-Estimates" you'll find countless testimonials by angry homeowners and skeptical property purchasers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Fairlington report that Zillow's valuations have a margin of error of around 20%. Even if we assume the margin of error is only 10%, in Northern Virginia that means a "z-estimate" is only within $50,000 of the actual value. If the margin of error is an astounding 5% that means that a z-estimate is only within $25,000 of the asking price.

Yet Zillow still remains popular with some buyers and sellers. Home sellers and home buyers should understand that there is not a single community in Fairlington where either a bank or tax collector uses Zillow for tax assessment or appraisals. Our professional advice is to take estimates from any computer at arm’s length. Putting too much trust into a website can cause a great deal of unnecessary anxiety.

Call us today for a free comparative market analysis of your property's worth. We promise that a computer won't set the value. Instead, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty real estate pro will measure the many variables which make up your home's ideal price.