What's My Home Worth?: Why Zillow Doesn’t Actually Know

 GET YOUR FAST & FREE HOME VALUE HERE

We’ve all done it—typed in our address on Zillow and instantly seen a number pop up that says, “Your Home’s Value.” It’s fast. It’s free. It’s also... notoriously inaccurate.

If you're considering selling—or even just curious about your home's true value—you might want to take that Zestimate with a grain of salt. Here’s why:

---

📉 How Far Off Are Zestimates?

Zillow itself admits that Zestimates can be off—sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars.

According to Zillow's latest public data:

• National median error rate for on-market homes: 1.9%

• Median error rate for off-market homes: 6.9%

Let’s break that down:

• A $400,000 off-market home could show a Zestimate $27,600 too high or too low.

• That’s the cost of a bathroom renovation, or worse—a deal-breaking price mistake.

Zillow doesn’t walk through your home. It doesn’t know:

• If you renovated your kitchen last year

• If your roof needs replacing

• If your neighbor’s house just sold to a relative for under market value (skewing the comp data)

---

🤝 Why a Realtor's Home Value Report is More Accurate

As a licensed real estate agent in the Greater Baton Rouge area, I don't just pull numbers—I analyze your home's features, condition, location, and local trends.

What I consider when pricing your home:

• Recent nearby sales (within the past 6 months, same school district, similar square footage)

• Upgrades and renovations

• Curb appeal and lot size

• Buyer demand and market velocity in your zip code

This approach is called a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), and it’s far more tailored than an algorithm could ever be.

🆓 And yes—it's free for homeowners curious about their equity.

---

💰 Sellers Using an Agent Make More—Here’s the Proof

Some homeowners think they’ll save money by skipping the agent and listing For Sale By Owner (FSBO). But the data tells a different story:

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):

• In 2023, the median FSBO sale price was $310,000.

• The median agent-assisted home sold for $405,000.

That’s a $95,000 difference.

Even after accounting for agent commissions, that’s a significant gap—often caused by poor pricing strategy, limited marketing exposure, and lack of negotiation power.

YOUR HOME VALUE HERE

---

🧭 The Bottom Line: Don’t Let an Algorithm Decide Your Future

Zillow is a great tool for browsing homes—but when it comes to deciding what yours is worth, a custom report from a local professional is the way to go.

If you’re in Greater Baton Rouge, I’ll prepare a free, no-pressure value estimate based on actual local sales and buyer behavior.

If you're a homeowner in Baton Rouge, Prairieville, Denham Springs, or surrounding areas, and you're wondering, "What is my home worth?"—skip the guesswork. As a top-producing real estate agent in the Greater Baton Rouge area, I provide accurate, up-to-date home valuations that Zillow can’t match. Let’s talk before you make your next move.

TYLER TERREBONNE REALTOR: WEBSITE