I Dig Dueling Digs April 1, 2008
Zillow, which seems to produce new features almost daily, has birthed something totally unique. As a member of Zillow’s board of directors, I usually get previews into what’s coming through the pipeline, but with this release, I hadn’t seen too many of the details.
Dueling Digs is like nothing I’ve ever seen on a real estate site. It’s pretty simple, really: You are presented with two photos, and click on the picture that you like better. After ten “duels,” Zillow tells you how many pictures your final photo has vanquished. It also provides you with a link back to the Home Details Page for the home from which the photo was taken, so you can see more of what that property looks like.
For example, I’d like the pool in my backyard:
rather than the picnic table:
Not surprisingly, 72% of voters agreed with me (the other 28% are either gaming the game, or they’ve actually had to maintain a pool!).
Where do these photos come from? Well, from you of course. These are photos that have been uploaded by users to Zillow. So you might see YOUR kitchen there. But with thousands (zillions?) of photos, you likely won’t see how your kitchen does in head to head combat quite yet – wait for the next upgrade.
And here’s what I think is really neat: If you like a particular kitchen, you can right-click, save the photo, and print it out for your own personal house planning. For several years before we built our home I subscribed to Architectural Digest and Fine Homebuilding magazines, among others, for the main purpose of clipping the things we liked and putting them in our scrapbook of features we’d like to incorporate into our new home. Of course not all of what we saw was feasible (read: affordable), but it all helped us to clarify what we did want in the finished product.
So if you’re thinking about remodeling, or just are one of those that loves to flip through “Better Homes and Gardens” to see different home designs, this is for you. If you haven’t already checked out Dueling Digs, it’s worth a minute. Or an hour. It’s a little addictive.
Check out these related posts:
- Consumer Benefits of a Statewide MLS?
- Photo Friday: Understanding Place
- I interrupt the regularly scheduled programming…
Article Tags>> digs | real-estate | remodel | Zillow | Zillow-Q&A
- Posted in : Technology
- Author : Gordon
Comments»
It’s quite entertaining… if only for a few minutes. I just wonder how Zillow benefits from this sort of thing.
Zillow gets all of its revenue from advertising…when you’re playing DD, you’re also being exposed to targeted advertising (e.g. when I was looking at those backyards, John Deere was showing me its lawnmower and tractor selection). More page views = more ad inventory to sell.
And anything that makes users engage and use the site helps to drive traffic. Click away!
I too am a big Dueling Digs fan. I’m using it to help me with ideas on my bathroom remodel right now. It’s a great way to figure out what you like and what you don’t.
- Spencer (from Zillow)
So, here is one of my questions, and major concerns, that I see about this situation. For agents who hire professional photographers to create photos for marketing our listings the licensing agreements that typically come with those arrangements do not allow for them to be used outside of the marketing of the home, or the services of the agent. This DD “product” of Zillow doesn’t meet either of those criteria because my guess is that the agent or photographer aren’t getting credit or marketing within the context of DD. Does Zillow cause a licensing infringement by using photos in this way? Is the choice of photos random?
Will the company have to defend itself in a class action lawsuit if professional photographers band together to stop the practice unless they are given appropriate credit or payment for the use of their image? Or, is it buried somewhere in the sites user notices that if an agent posts a listing that they lose the right to claim the photo - even if that photo was paid for via a pro who has a licensing agreement with the agent only.
People might think I’m being paranoid here but I’ve worked in enough fields where licensing is a big issue (think software, media, etc) that it’s worth wondering about.
I don’t believe they’d be using listing photos. That would be a violation of NWMLS rules and maybe the rules of other MLS’s. Presumably they only use photos uploaded by the public, and uploading a photo comes with disclaimers of some sort, saying this photo is now the property of Zillow.
Anyone concerned about privacy issues?
I suspect all the photos being displayed are from listings feeds. I further suspect that everybody who has submitted a feed has agreed to the Zillow Listings Feed - Terms.
It’s a fun feature - reminds me of Hot or Not.
How about libel?
Reba — the terms and conditions, which one agrees to when they upload, give Zillow the right to use the photos for this and other purposes. I know when I hire a photographer to shoot my listing, I get authority to do whatever I want with those photos, including put them online and “out there” for the world to see. That’s the point of it.
As for privacy..well, what can you do? You’ve uploaded that picture of your master bedroom closet, warts and all. It’s out there. I think the horse is out of the barn.
And libel? Unless the photos are somehow altered. I don’t think it’s libelous if your ugly green carpet doesn’t win all of its head to head encounters. The photo don’t get altered in this process.
My wife has been so active on “digs” since I showed it to her, that I couldn’t resist giving the idea a shot on our blog, PhiladelphiaRealEstateHub.Com. The result is “Space-Off” a play on our company name. I’d be interested to here if anyone else out there is brainstorming ways to implement Zillow’s cool concept on their sites…
[Also want to mention that the links to the project pages feature a custom engenu (http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=3006) skin in action.]
Dueling Digs is definitely fun, and I can see it being addictive. And it has some interesting features to drive continued usage. You forgot to mention (or maybe it is a new feature) that it will tell you your style as well.
Gordon, I find it interesting that one of the uses you see is being able to print out examples of the rooms you like for use in planning a future remodel or new home. Your scrapbook sounds much like the binder that launched HomeSavvi. But rather than ideas for a new home it was for a full house remodel. HomeSavvi offers an online binder for saving pictures of inspiring remodels, gathering remodeling professionals information and more. Definitely for more for people who are decided on the remodel side of move or remodel, or who just bought a new house with the intention of remodeling it.