Our mls does not have a contract with Zillow and we do not syndicate to them. However, I still post all my listings myself to Zillow and Trulia. The public expects it... I've found they just don't care about all the reasons we give them. They want to see their home on the big portals. No skin off my nose. If another agent picks up a lead on Zillow from my listing, I don't believe it's all that likely I'd have gotten this lead myself from another source.

Well. my main marketing is my MLS, my custom property websites and  my database of clients, Realtors and investors. That sells my homes in less than 2 weeks the last 5 years.

However, I allow my (partial address) listings to populate all the FREE sites & classifieds too, as I'm not relying on them, but I am:

1. showing my seller I've turned on the megaphone to the marketplace and

2. I do get sign calls off these sites too, which occasionally produces a valid, unrepresented buyer I convert.

So, I'm not sure it hurts to allow GodZillow  to have your listing, but I'd make it the "salt" not the "steak" in my presentation & plan. Sellers are Zillowfied, so they believe it's a necessary billboard and since I give 3 seconds of my pan, I don't care. I just do not support Zillow by purchasing anything from them.

as a broker we syndicate all our listings through ListHub, they probably go out to 60 other sites including Realtor.com and yes Zillow.

All your superior marketing tactics are going to be used regardless of whether your broker withholds the listing from Zillow.

If your job is to cast the broadest net to expose the property how is that a selling tool to take it off a site that every one of your competing listings is on.

I can't imagine that sales tactic being a big winner.

It's hard to control where listings show up with all the syndication that goes on. Many buyers use Zillow for searching, so I don't care if my listings show up there. Zillow doesn't charge me anything for it. My listings get syndicated to close to 1000 differnet sites. Newspapers and magazines aren't licensed to sell real estate, but agents can advertise their listings there. I wouldn't use that appraoch in a listing presentation. The sellers might love Zillow. I would explain why the info on Zillow is not always 100% accurate.

David,

I have no prediction or reaction to this.  Many of the top agents in Santa Barbara buy their listings on Zillow for $400 a month and they are limited to a certain # of listings.  That way, they are the only ones who appear on the listing...I think that it is ridculous to buy your own listing that you have worked many years for.  I am looking forward to hearing what happens!

A

I expect that they would prefer to have their listing on Zillow.

I agree with Nina. People want to see their property on the Z and T because that is where they go to look. If that makes them happy, who am I to not comply with that expectation? Z is not selling real estate, they are selling advertisement to those who choose to pay for it. 

Mt listings are on over a hundred sites.  My clients listings deserve the most exposure and that is what I give them.

David, 

The reaction will depend upon the client. Personally I syndicate my listings as broadly as possible. I don't care what causes my phone to ring or my colleagues phone to ring to find my listings, only that it be seen.  My competition will be syndicating too, so I don't know why I wouldn't want to. These sites are like the newspapers of yesterday.  They don't sell homes, they advertise them. Only a licensed agent can bring an offer.  If the public comes directly to me, all the better for my seller. 

For some sellers, this may be like heresy as they see just how popular Zillow is.

Aint tru, put your listings everywhere and explain to them that until robots can solve all your problems then you can rely on me.

David,
IMHO, that requires the seller to think about things they don’t have a good basis to evaluate. That falls to close to “thinking or talking yourself out of a sale.” I have no problem using Zillow and other sites in ADDITION to what I do. I respect if you think otherwise.

I wish I could do that...our mis screwed that up

I'm in agreement with Nina.  Our board doesn't put listings there either, but sellers expect it because that is the site they are on.  I take steps to make sure anyone who sees the listing knows it's mine and how to reach me.  Plus Z does list you as the first agent for people to contact and IF memory serves, requires that you be contacted (checkbox is checked and cannot be unchecked).

We market on Zillow and the like. It works in our market. Most people are looking online and it's just easier to use it then to devote precious time to doing it ourselves. That being said, I always tell my clients I don't care what Zillow said their home was worth. Zillow doesn't sell houses. 

I don't think that it would go over well with Mr Seller.  If I were the seller, I wouldn't believe that you could get better internet exposure than a national website.

This is only from comments I have received during a listing and after home was listed. One of the things my sellers have said was look how many people are liking or following it on Zillow. As well as that they Googled their address and their listing was everywhere.   What may work in your favor if your mls automatically IDX's to them is to let them know that is does so every agent can do this. Let them know what you can do in addition to this so they see it as a benefit to assist you in standing out. 

As Alexandra said I'm one of those agents that pays $350 for Zillow and $80 for Trulia to buy my listings back. Even though Local Sothebys locks at a brokerage level I want full control.

Our MLS does not syndicate to Trulia or Zillow due to not having a signed contract to remove old listings.  I explain this to my Sellers, and have not had any push back.  But, we are in a VERY strong market, and homes are going UC quickly. 

As Zillow does not work in Canada, it would not make sense to put a listing on Zillow.

David, while I'm not a fan of Zulia, it's not a bad idea to post listings there.

I can only tell you as a homeowner I wouldn't hire that agent.  Because buyers ARE using zillow

Fortunately, I work mostly with sellers who know Z isn't effective marketing. And for those sellers who don't, you should be able to demonstrate superior ways to market their property that makes it a non-issue.
That Z skews and misinterprets and bastardizes info about so many properties should TERRIFY sellers. Especially of unique, special homes.

Hi, David.  Greetings from a fellow Venetian (I was born in Venice, Florida).

    I hate Zillow.  99% of Agents hate Zillow.  But that's where the Buyers are... or those Buyers are on Trulia, or Realtor dot Murdoch dot com, or some other website.  And those websites are not going away, they will only grow larger and stronger. Therefore, I am going to let my Board syndicate my listings, via List Hub, to all of those sites.

     (No, I will NOT pay the extortion fee to "buy my listings back").

David,

I have found it more effective to discuss the peril and hazards created when the owner loses control of their homes data.....FOREVER.

The peril and hazard to the seller does not end when the home sells.

The words I've heard is 'creepy' when they finally realize what is already there.

My prediction, regarding Zillow, is my approach will be more readily embraced that a 'do it better myself' declaration.

Agents who, in their advertising state, '90% of home buyers begin their search online" undermine the 'better' argument in regards to the EXPERIENCE of the consumer. If EVERYONE uses Zillow and you are eliminating Zillow, you are contradicting their experience and logic.

If one wants to use Zillow or Trulia to showcase the listing it is their perogative. This being said if an agent puts it in they should also go back and show it expired, sold or whatever to keep it from being a false listing.

If the client goes to a site and cannot find the listing they will be pointing the finger at the listing agent. 

The company I am with now does not like the properties on those two sites.

What Jeffrey Jones said - it's not under our control as Associate Brokers...

Buying a listing to block the premier agent to show homes.....Coldxu^% has been doing it for a long time.  Not sure how these sites operate on mobile....

S.