Zillow.com says “MAKE ME Move”
[photopress:logo.gif,thumb,alignright]LOL, it’s going to be one of those fun days on the Internet. It really has been way too quiet, except for Greg’s Bubble War, so I’m glad for a little excitement.
At 9 p.m. PST, Zillow is unveiling their newest major upgrade which allows both consumers and agents to upload their homes and listings…apparently, whether they are for sale…or not! This is going to be fun.
I’m planning to be one of the first to get a house in there before the East Coast wakes up. Let’s see how easy it is and whether or not it works yet.
There will be For Sale by Owners side by side with Agent Listings and a place for what we in the industry generally call “Pocket Listings”. People who might move, if you offered them a price that would make it worth their while to get out. That’s the fun part. Not that Zillow.com hasn’t already been a lot of fun as it is.
One interviewer today from L.A. asked me if the “Make Me move” category would really be of value to anyone who didn’t have a very expensive and unique property. I think it will be a great opportunity for people who cannot list their home for sale right now, but are planning to move sometime in the near future. People who are going to list their home in the Spring. People who are going to move when their child graduates from high school in June. People who will be listing their home when they reach their two year ownership requirement to avoid capital gains taxes. Pretty much anyone who is not quite ready to move right now, but would like to say to the public at large “Make Me move!” at x price, and then we’ll talk about when I’m willing to actually get out 
So it should be a very exciting day. I’m off to see if I can upload a listing.
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Not live yet…I’ll try again before bedtime.
[...] Ardell at Rain City Guide [...]
Cathy’s racing you to see if she get one or two in tonight.
For me: Two words: Galen Ward. I would love to see extended thoughts on this upgrade.
Greg,
I emailed Galen for you and told him you were “calling” him
Ardell: How late are you willing to wait up? I think the East Coast has an upper leg on you in all of this,
I know it’s hard, but remember, when it’s 3 AM PST, it’s 6 AM EST. Oh, wait, when it’s 2 AM PST, does that make it 4 PM CST? Arrgghh. My head hurts!
Elizabeth,
I’m thinking they were asleep when the announcement came out at 9 p.m. I have to get it in tonight, because I have a dentist appointment at 8 a.m.
Hey Greg, No Fair! Making Cathy stay up to do it.
> Hey Greg, No Fair! Making Cathy stay up to do it.
It’s all yours now. She’s gone to sleep. I want screen shots if I can get them, but I have a walk-through in the morning, so I’m down at 00:01 PST, Zillow or not.
[...] Instead of trying to explain what is happening I want you to visit Bloodhound Blog and Active Rain and TechCruch [...]
I may have to take a nap and set my alarm for 2 a.m.
Just when I was about to go to sleep and call it quits…I got IN!! Well, almost. It’s acting a bit whacky, but I did get the “”What’s New” screen that says “It’s free! Post a home for sale, Set a Make Me Move price on your home and Real Estate Wiki: a guide for you, by you.
I think I’m going to like that wiki part.
The first time I did it the browser had an epileptic seizure. But wait a minute…looks like it’s working now.
11:54 p.m. Going deeper…
Good luck, Ardell!
OK. The browser stopped having a fit and I got to the page where I entered my info and uploaded my photo. So far so good.
I entered the listing address and it gave me a drop down menu from which to pick the owner’s name. Wondering who all those other people are in the drop down, but about six names down was the real owner’s name.
Then it made me swear to God and all mankind that I AM in fact the listing agent of the property. Says the system depends on “honesty”. Oh well, looks like we may have run into a problem
When I hit enter after I promised that I wasn’t someone pretending to be the listing agent…the browser started having another fit. It’s kind of having the hiccups. I’ll hit the back button and see what happens. It is 12:09 p,m.
This is a blow by blow of what I’m hoping will be the first ever “for sale” property listed on Zillow.com
[...] 2006 is the Year of Zillow… (BloodhoundBlog) by Greg Zillow Says “MAKE ME Move” (Rain City Guide) by Ardell [...]
David G here.
Thanks for the blow-by-blow. The shaky browser has me stumped. I’m going to go put a make me move price on a property I own and will report back.
I’m getting a screen now that’s telling me to wear my hardhat if I’m going to go any deeper into the “under construction” site. Oddly enough, I actually do have a hard hat here in my office to put on. It’s Irish Kelly Green and says C.E.R.T. for Certified Emergency Response Team…of which I am a member here in the City of Kirkland.
OK…have my hardhat and reflector vest on…going back in. It’s 12:36 p.m.
If you don’t hear from David or me within the next ten minutes, send in the paramedics.
David G from Zillow again,
It’s 12:39 AM — we just had to take the the site down again for a major fix. I’m going to get some rest and suggest you do the same – I’ll be back with an update in the morning.
OK…I’m past where I was last night. Asking for price now…doubt I’ll be able to upload the photos before my dentist appointment at 8 a/m. though. Maybe I’ll bring the laptop to the dentist again and posit it from the dentist’s chair.
Woohoo! I think I got it in. I’m ten minutes late for the dentist already. Will have to clean it up when I get back.
[...] You can read the news and analysis of what people in the industry think on this. I would suggest that Greg at Bloodhound Blog be your first stop. Then, take the minute to read Kevin’s take at 3 Oceans and Ardell at Rain City Guide. [...]
Zillow sharpens its sword…challenges the status quo…
The significance of this might well be to make every MLS obsolete, realtor.com irrelevant, Google Base old fashioned, Craig’s list history and significantly transform the role of a real estate agent as a central figure in the transaction to one of a r…
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I’ve had our rental up for about 6 months now and haven’t heard anything – not that I expected to. As you mentioned, it’s fun and ideal for someone that wants to sell one day but it’s not a section that screams deals!!
If I was shopping, I’d look at the homes in this section if I didn’t really care about the money I spent. I wonder if they share any stats of sales from this section?
Jayson,
Seems to me the value of that section is to agents. It’s a “warm” lead list of people who may want to move soon. Have you noticed any increase in the number of agents contacting you to ask if you may be interested in putting it on the market?
I haven’t heard from any agents about listing the home. It is a great opportunity or agents to get new leads of potential sellers, but I haven’t been contacted. It may be that it’s priced too high, by a thousand or two, maybe the real estate agents in Arizona got lazy! I’d expect a phone call from Jay at least.