Money Magazine: Think Twice About Trusting 'Zestimate'

Americans love the Zestimate, but Zillow's latest business problems suggest you should think twice before using the popular home value algorithm to make any big real estate decisions...


Zillow has maintained that the figure is a place to start and does not replace a professional appraisal — while also claiming high accuracy rates and eventually using the Zestimate in its offers to buy homes. “We leveraged the Zestimate in our Zillow Offers operations the same way we encourage the public to use it: as a starting point,” said spokesperson Viet Shelton...


According to Ryan Lundquist, an appraiser in Sacramento, California, the Zestimate is “really hit and miss.” Sometimes it is spot on with value and others it’s off by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

y second hand, and the counters are just plywood for the most part. 


Read the entire Money Magazine article >

NY Times: "Never heard of a tax assessor relying on Zestimate"

June 14, 2026
Can I Trust the ‘Zestimate’ for My Home on Zillow? | New York Times Real Estate Q&A Pretty remarkable statement in the middle of this short article: A Sotheby's agent is quoted as saying, "He has never heard of a tax assessor relying on a Zestimate." Don't rely on algorithmic valuations for your property's value. These estimates are interesting, but anything but the final word. Read the paywalled article on NYTimes.com >
3 reasons online home value estimates fail

"Discover the 3 reasons online home value estimates fail"

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?
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