Zillow is a popular Internet marketer that "gives" "z-estimates" that purport to figure the ideal price of each and every home in the United States. Zillow tries to accomplish this task by using a complicated algorithm that crossreferences factors which affect property values, but here's a typical story I have heard from real estate sellers in Northern Virginia:

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 many testimonials by angry homeowners and skeptical property buyers who have discovered the hard way just out inaccurate Zillow's pricing can be. Many people in Riverwood say that Zillow's estimates have a margin of error of about 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 ideal price. If the margin of error is an improbable 5% that means that a z-estimate is only within $25,000 of the asking price.

Yet Zillow (for now) remains popular with some real estate shoppers. Real estate sellers and real estate shoppers should know that there is not a single community in Riverwood where either a bank or tax collector uses Zillow for tax assessment or appraisals. Our professional advice is to take estimates from any computer with a grain of salt. Putting too much stock into a computer can cause a great deal of irration.

Phone Nesbitt Realty today for a free comparative market analysis of your property's worth. We promise that a computer won't set the value. Rather, your friendly neighborhood Nesbitt Realty Realtor will account for the complicated variables which make up your home's value.