Local Real Estate Websites vs. Zillow and Trulia

BATON ROUGE, La. - Jan. 12, 2014 - PRLog -- "At least once a day I get a call from a homebuyer who has found a listing they want to see that is not on my website" says broker CJ Johnson, owner of 3Chix Realty. "I hate breaking the news that the home they are asking about sold months or even years ago." Johnson says that two of the biggest national home search and home valuation websites are full of misinformation and very old data. "On the REALTOR side of this, it's very frustrating to pay for a dynamic, real-time website that has every home for sale, every price reduction, every new listing available to consumers and then have them go on a shopping spree in a fantasy land full of homes that aren't even for sale."  Besides outdated listings, both companies use information from RealtyTrac, which is a company that sells forclosure, short sale and pre-foreclosure information to consumers. "The problem with that is that many of those pre-foreclosure homes never hit the market. The home owner will catch up on their mortgage payments or have a loan modification with their bank and it will never be available."

Zillow's CEO Spencer Rascoff has Tweeted, "Even a lead on a stale listing is a good lead..." admitting that they publish outdated information to suck in home buyers.

Johnson says, "In my first meeting with homebuyers and sellers, I am very clear about the fact that searching on these sites is really no different from picking up an old print real estate magazine. It's a crap shoot. Some are still on the market, some are not." She adds, "Your local real estate company website is going to be the best source of information for a home search. My websites update several times per hour, the information is current, and you can also find information about other homes that have sold, and drill down to more specific amenities you are looking for."

"Zillow and Trulia do provide nationwide exposure to listings, but always remember, they are paid advertisers. They make their money from agents and other companies who advertise on their websites. Local companies make their money from selling homes." says Johnson.

3Chix Realty is a full service real estate brokerage, serving Greater Baton Rouge and Greater New Orleans and the North Shore. http://www.cj.searchbatonrougehouses.com and http://searchhomesinneworleans.com are their websites.