Baron Briefs » zestimate http://blog.realtybaron.com Real estate news and commentary from RealtyBaron.com Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:57:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 MyZillow Opens Door to Refi Spam? http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/09/21/myzillow-opens-door-to-refi-spam/ http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/09/21/myzillow-opens-door-to-refi-spam/#comments Thu, 21 Sep 2006 16:56:47 +0000 realtybaron http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/09/21/myzillow-opens-door-to-refi-spam/ Zillow launched MyZillow earlier this week allowing anyone to save a list of favorite homes and track their Zestimates after signing up for an account. It didn’t take long for mortgage brokers to figure out how to profit from it:

Every time a broker does a refi, they can use the appraisal to work up the estimate to match the real value. Then you can save that estimate in MyZillow. You get a monthly report on that homes value. Now you know about how much the home has appreciated, and how much of the mortgage is likely paid off. With this data, you have a pretty good idea of your existing client base’s equity, and can market to them accordingly.

Based on this information, you could send out reminders that they may have reached 80% LTV, and should look into getting their MI dropped. Or, you could send out offers on HELOC’s, or Cash Outs.

Not only do I fail to see how Zillow can possibly prevent this, but it’s also an end run around Zillow’s core business model–advertising. How long before we see a website using Zillow’s API to help manage marketing campaigns on behalf of mortgage brokers?

FYI, I’m not Zillow-bashing here. I’m hoping someone–Zillow or otherwise–can debunk this because the last thing I or anyone wants are more mortgage offers in the mail.

CORRECTION: False alarm. Somehow I skimmed over the fact the broker was referring to a previous client…not a prospective client as first thought. Not so sinister after all.

]]> http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/09/21/myzillow-opens-door-to-refi-spam/feed/ 2 The Zestimization of RealtyBaron.com http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/07/the-zestimization-of-realtybaroncom/ http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/07/the-zestimization-of-realtybaroncom/#comments Mon, 07 Aug 2006 16:31:46 +0000 realtybaron http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/07/the-zestimization-of-realtybaroncom/ As of this morning, RealtyBaron.com is now using Zillow’s API to help homeowners estimate the value of their home when performing a Listing Auction. It’s the first in a serious of integration points we see possible between Zillow and RealtyBaron.

To see the API in action, enter your home address from our homepage and continue to the next page (FYI, we don’t capture any of your information until you reach the end of the wizard). If you entered an address Zillow has in its database, the next page should have a Zestimate pre-loaded in the form. Here’s an example:

Zestimate via Zillow API

Once again, kudos to Zillow for making it possible!

]]> http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/07/the-zestimization-of-realtybaroncom/feed/ 3 Zillow API (Alpha): It’s Alive http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/04/zillow-api-its-alive/ http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/04/zillow-api-its-alive/#comments Fri, 04 Aug 2006 20:48:39 +0000 realtybaron http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/04/zillow-api-its-alive/ I received an invitation to join the Zillow API Network on Monday as an “Alpha” tester, but didn’t get a chance to begin work on anything until yesterday. Since then, I’ve assembled a small “toolkit” using nothing but the finest in Java open source to make integrating Zillow’s API easier. After getting past two roadblocks late this afternoon, I was able to successfully request my home’s property details and Zestimate via Zillow’s API. Woohoo! Anyone else working on integration with Zillow’s API?

]]> http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/04/zillow-api-its-alive/feed/ 5 Zillow_API.contains(Property_Specs) = false; http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/01/zillow_apicontainsproperty_specs-false/ http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/01/zillow_apicontainsproperty_specs-false/#comments Tue, 01 Aug 2006 19:36:10 +0000 realtybaron http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/01/zillow_apicontainsproperty_specs-false/ I received an email this morning from Zillow Business Development saying the API does not currently include the data I was most excited about when it was announced:

At some point, it is very likely that the API will be able to pull [lot size, square feet, number of bedrooms, bath, etc], but we have not currently developed this functionality.

Bummer.

UPDATE:  False alarm.  Greg from Zillow set me straight in the comments.  Thanks, Greg!

]]> http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/08/01/zillow_apicontainsproperty_specs-false/feed/ 2 Zillow Opens Up at SF Connect http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/07/26/zillow-opens-up-at-sf-connect/ http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/07/26/zillow-opens-up-at-sf-connect/#comments Thu, 27 Jul 2006 01:03:26 +0000 realtybaron http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/07/26/zillow-opens-up-at-sf-connect/ Seen as the big, bad wolf of the real estate industry by some, Zillow just announced they’ll be opening their services in the fall in the form of an application programming interface (API). Basically, it means websites like RealtyBaron.com can ask Zillow.com…programmatically speaking…for things like Zestimates, Zindices, and specs on a home such as square footage, number of beds and baths. This is great news for small operations (i.e. unfunded) like ours. Kudos, Zillow.

]]> http://blog.realtybaron.com/2006/07/26/zillow-opens-up-at-sf-connect/feed/ 2