Can Zillow be trusted?

[Kevin Izquierdo]

I've heard on the podcast that you should take what zillow offers ( zestimates, prices and such) with a grain of salt...can anybody clarify or expand on this? Are the prices on this site quality? Are they negotiable? I know there are other sites to check out houses, but so far, Zillow is the first I've checked.

[Mark Gallagher]

@Kevin Izquierdo

Zillow is first and foremost a marketing site. 

Zillow takes market data and puts it in a neat and marketable format for consumers.

Zillow has never seen inside of any home and is a computer. 

If house A and house B are on the same block and house A is remodeled and house B is run down, it will essentially say house B is worth way more than it is, and it will undervalue house A. 

If house C is on the same block and in average condition, house C will likely have the most accurate Zestimate. 

Regarding are they negotiable, I'm not sure what you mean.