CNET: What happened at Zillow? How a prized real estate site lost at iBuying

The company says algorithms are to blame for its market missteps.


Zillow, the popular online real estate marketplace and daydream fuel throughout the pandemic, is having a tough time. 


The company turned heads earlier this month when it announced it would be shutting down Zillow Offers, the algorithm-fueled home-flipping arm of its company. It also said it would try to offload more than 7,000 homes and exit the iBuying -- or "instant buying" -- business completely. That's $2.8 billion worth of homes. 


The announcement came as a major surprise, especially given the scale of Zillow's massive investments in its iBuying efforts in recent years. Its exit was precipitated by a series of missteps, including an overbuying fiasco that resulted in a glut of overpriced inventory...

"Discover the 3 reasons online home value estimates fail"

By Lawrence Schoeffler • April 13, 2026
Why Your Zillow Estimate is Wrong | What Your Home is Actually Worth | Pauly Campanaro Discover the 3 reasons online home value estimates fail: they can't account for condition (your $40K kitchen remodel), they lag behind the market (using 60-90 day old data), and they don't know your competition (what's hitting the market this week). Learn why pricing right matters: homes priced correctly sell 19 days faster and for 3.8% more ($15K+ on a $400K home). Excerpted from this video posted by Pauly Campanaro:
Screenshot of a Twitter post by Ryan Lundquist, discussing a property's Zestimate history and price changes.

"Zestimate at $349K despite comps being above $600K"

September 15, 2023
@SacAppraiser | Ryan Lundquist Zestimate history. This property in Roseville listed at $349K, and the Zestimate matched the list price at $349K despite comps being above $600K. After 11 days the price went to $699K (sold $638K). Today's Zestimate shows no history of $349K. Maybe a brief Zestimate gets erased?

"The Zestimate Was Actually 25% Lower"

August 16, 2023
How Accurate Is My Zestimate Home Valuation? | The Jill Biggs Group Have you ever wondered just how accurate Zillow's Zestimate really is when it comes to estimating the value of your home? 🏠💰 In this video, we delve into the world of Zestimates and break down the factors that influence their accuracy. 🔍 What is a Zestimate? The Zestimate is Zillow's proprietary home valuation model that provides an estimate of a property's market value. By utilizing a mix of public records, Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data, and user-contributed information, Zillow's formula calculates an estimated value. The model also takes into consideration various factors such as property details, location, and current market trends. 📊 How is a Zestimate Calculated? Discover the intricate details behind the algorithm that powers Zestimates. We'll explain the data sources used, including publicly available records and user-generated data, and how these inputs are processed to generate an estimate. Uncover the role of MLS data and how it contributes to refining the accuracy of the Zestimate...
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