Are "Zillow's" Rent Estimates Inflated or Padded?!?!

[Daniel F. Harb]

Question: Are you finding when you check the rental estimate on "Zillow" that they are over the actual estimate? Whether checking, California, Indiana, Kentucky, or anywhere, USA, are you seeming to find the estimate "Off"? I have found out about actual rents from "Boots on the Ground" and it seems more often than not, the rents are estimated as higher. Sometimes way higher.

Not good when doing a property analysis and it is critical to get an "Actual" rent value.

Have you found this? What are your thoughts?

Thank you in advance!

Daniel F. Harb

[Brie Schmidt]

Originally posted by @Daniel F. Harb:

Question: Are you finding when you check the rental estimate on "Zillow" that they are over the actual estimate? Whether checking, California, Indiana, Kentucky, or anywhere, USA, are you seeming to find the estimate "Off"? I have found out about actual rents from "Boots on the Ground" and it seems more often than not, the rents are estimated as higher. Sometimes way higher.

Not good when doing a property analysis and it is critical to get an "Actual" rent value.

Have you found this? What are your thoughts?

Thank you in advance!

Daniel F. Harb

 Zillow is always off and I would never use it to determine rents.  A vintage 800 sq foot 2 bedroom vs a new rehabbed 1500 sq foot 2 bedroom are going to get very different rents and zilow can't tell the difference