Zip Realty (Ziprealty.com) Sucks

TJ did you buy an reo or resale? often the bank owned homes wont come down very much, while it is a "buyers market" the banks sit on the homes and generally wont drop much. Also the banks change the commission structure in the counter with the addendum very often, what starts as a 3% buyer broker commission may be lowered with a counter and the broker has to suck up the lesser amount in order to put the clients best interests first. Yes there are Agents who don't put their clients interest first just as their are crooked cops and lawyers and rotten priests and there are clients who use agents time and knowledge and then use there own agents.
Most agents, Zips and otherwise are just trying to make a living in a business they love that deals with people of all different types. And yes I am a Realtor.Every state is different in the licensing requirements also.Good luck in the future with your purchase. Also dont forget, the sellers agent has a fiduciary duty to the seller not to the buyer.So be careful if you go on your own.

"Yeah I now I realize I was expecting too much from my agent. What I learned you should really only use the agent for the home searching phase and you can't really depend on them for support or for other parts of the home buying process. You can't expect them to get you the best deal on a house or recommend a good inspector because it's not in their interest. So if I needed to find a house quick and don't know the area I'm purchasing well then maybe I'll need to use one."

Again it depends what state you are in. California and Arizona have very stringent licensing requirements where as Illinois and Wisconsin do not have as much.

We are using Zip in Texas and have nothing but good to say about our Zip agent. He has even offered to come and help paint just to get the house on the market quicker. He is helping plan every detail of our sale , building and moving process. I have dealt with realtors numerous times throughout my life and yes there has been some shady ones and there are ones that bend over backwards to help. to sum it all up do your research on facts and not opinions. The internet is both dangerous and advantagous. It all depends on what you read and how you use it.

Glad to hear you had a good experience with your Zip agent. As you stated and has been stated many times in this thread there are the good agents and the bad agents and lucky for you it looks like you found a great one, so congrats on that! My biggest concern with Zip is it is big a company that has formed connections with a lot bankers, inspectors, and lawyers to make the transaction go smooth as possible. This may not in the best interest of you, however, as it gives them the ability to cut corners. But again, you take this risk hiring any agent and it's best to hire these other people yourself under any circumstance when buying and selling, and not to use any of the gent's recommendations. I just think because Zip Realty is so big the risk is greater. Are you using the same agent for buying and selling your home?

I however strongly disagree with you that you should only be looking at "facts" when doing research. Where are you getting your facts? From the person selling the service/product? Since corporations spend millions of dollars on advertising each year to make their products look great it might be a bad idea to look at only the facts. They will tell you all the facts you want to hear to sell their product but not the stuff you don't want to hear. For this you need opinions either from published reviewers, friends or family, or ordinary Joe's.

I purchase everything online from electronics to clothes to groceries and I have saved myself from purchasing many of bad items by simply searching the internet before making big purchases. Some of the product looked great from reading the "facts" but once you find people who have first hand experience with the product you hear the horror stories. It's easy as typing into Google the company name, brand name, or product into google and adding the words "Sucks" or "review" to see what comes up. The more reviews you find the better. I'm not the only one who searches for reviews online before using a service though. This is the popular keywords people use to find this post:

• zip realty sucks 135
  
• ziprealty review 24
  
• ziprealty sucks 21
  
• zip realty reviews 20
  
• zip realty review 18
  
• review zip realty 7

Yes, you are missing a lot. Agents build up relationships with other agents. No we do not go for the higher price, we go for the best deal for the client. Being an agent is a lot more harder than looking for listings and showing homes. That is what amatures like you do. We do extensive research and get updated on information about our trade. We do training and classes to be a resource and consultant to our clients. We are Realtors.

RE: Don Jordan

How are you able to speak for all agents? I mean how is it possible for you to know the intentions of all other agents? It's not and I find that only a amateur would post something like that.

Instead of just stating that I'm missing a lot, tell me what I am missing, because I don't think your convincing anybody (definitely not me) yet with those incoherent statements you made.

I am sorry TJ, no matter what I say or do will change your mind. I do not speak for any other agents except the ones that work hard everyday to make a difference and to serve our clients to the best of our ability. Zip is not a large corporation. We have been in business since 1999 and grow by striving to provide superior service, great web site, and our great reputation. You site 215 unhappy clients out of the thousands of transactions we do every month. We are not even in every state yet, but doing more transaction than a lot of other well known companies. Zip is the fastest growing real estate firm in the nation right now, because of service. We are not perfect, but every day we work hard for our clients.

I really wish I had found this blog before I listed our home with Zip Realty in FL. We did our homework for months and then interviewed 3 real estate companies. After about 5 weeks on the market, I find the listing agent to be difficult to work with - doesn't let me finish my point before interrupting, becomes argumentative on every issue, has not responded to requests for proof of marketing efforts other than the website/photo tour. The bottom line is consistently that we lower the price, which, as suggested is 10% lower than asking price. BUT, there is no consideration or exposure (in the ad on-line) that the asking price is now 10% below the formal appraisal last year! This is our 3rd home on the market, so, we are not new to this. There seems to be reliance on the MLS listing alone - and there is no assurance as to how extensive that really is, because an MLS can be built in various categories but may be limited. In any event, I could apply my recruiting (work) techniques and find buyers with better success. With obvious challenges in today's economy, it takes lots of work and ingenuity to get sold!

Every seller thinks their home is special. An appraisal from last year is very much out of date in this declining market. Like any marketable product, it is only worth what someone will pay for it. If you want to sell, you have to be competitive with the local market, which is demonstrated from the reports of the local MLS. To think that most buyers will pay for your upgrades is not realistic. When selling, you have to think like a buyer and price according ling. If you don't want to list realistically, wait for the market to improve.

The fact is, the internet is is a great place for information; and lies and disinformation at the same time.
Most sites merely give breath to someones dissatisfaction unless there is an open forum like this for all sides to air their views. To claim that a some comments (good or bad) truly represent a company is shallow and shortsighted, when the number of transactions number in the hundreds or thousands every month. TJ didn't get what he expected..gosh too bad, the whole diatribe is based on the fact that he(?) thinks the agent didn't get his price low enough. maybe his expectations weren't realistic.

"In any event, I could apply my recruiting (work) techniques and find buyers with better success. With obvious challenges in today's economy, it takes lots of work and ingenuity to get sold!" then you should have tried to sell it For Sale By Owner and saved saved the commission." Again, think like a buyer..are you going to pay what the seller wants or what you think the home is worth compared with whats down the block. 95% of buyers are on the internet. Zips website is the best (better than Realtor.com because it is more real time) out there. That make it the best marketing tool for home in that area.
As I said it is an open forum which includes people who are actually professionals and and deal with this market and not just disgruntled buyers and sellers that think they know better. Just Sayin. And no, I am not a big ZIP fan as a company, but the Agents, bankers and inspectors are partners because of their knowledge,abilities and expertise and not because of any sinister payback scenario.

RE: Zed

I really am starting to think you are trying to fill this thread up with garbage so people have trouble comprehending stuff that actually pertains to the discussion. Some of the stuff is good but other stuff is no related to the discussion and just a bunch of words that doesn't really get a point across. Do you read the thread before making a reply?

It's really confusing when your replies have nothing to do with what's posted in the thread so far. I also mentioned several reasons I was dissatisfied with Zip Realty not just one. I am considering deleting these post or trimming them. For starters I deleted the search terms you reposted from the beginning of the thread as you didn't even explain why you posted those

Do you post a lot of this pro-realtor stuff in other websites too? Are you paid to do it? Or you just trying to protect your career? Just curious of your ambitions.

Also there are plenty of better website's for real estate searching then Zip Realty. Zip's website is okay but you really only should use their website if your going to use them as a realtor as their open forum could be bias since it is realtors trying to sell houses. Here's an article Top 10 Real Estate Search Tools with links.

TJ, yes I have read the entire thread.It is your thread and you have the right to edit or delete anything you deem fit.

I will quote items I am addressing so they don't seem to be a stream of consciousness blathering. I know it does seem like that some times.Sorry.

"Do you post a lot of this pro-realtor stuff in other websites too? Are you paid to do it? Or you just trying to protect your career? Just curious of your ambitions."

No I don't post on other sites and am not paid.This one came up when I punched in "Ziprealtysucks" I saw some items on an open forum that i wanted to address.

I have no ambition other than to try and give good and balanced info(oops starting to sound like FOX news there). having bought and sold app 20 homes and condos in my life personally and worked as a Realtor on the buyer side mostly, I believe I have a better insight to the R E market, than just your avg buyer or seller.

I don't like Zips business model for the agents, however it is a free country and they can get used and abused for the leads they receive as long as the think its worthwhile.

TJ, bottom line, people have to understand that real estate is one of the most Economics based exchanges there is. The product is only worth what others think its worth, and that changes by the week. It also is affected by what the banks are willing to lend.
Buyers think they are getting screwed with the multiple offer environment that drives up prices and that the Realtors are not protecting them, and sellers think their homes are worth what they paid for them 1 or 2 years ago years ago and the Realtors just want a quick profit.

Where most Agents are looking for win-win, most buyers and sellers act like they are ok with compromise but blame the agent for not working hard enough.

The main thing Agents are responsible for is get a buyer into a home that is for sale and protecting the Fiduciary interest of their client.

Many times, when the transaction goes smoothly nobody considers the many hours of training the Agent and Broker go through for their licenses to make that happen.
Thats what keeps the sale smooth.

Again, the only reason I ended up here was your site title.

In some ways I agree, but to smear an entire group of professionals because you felt wronged without any proof was something I wanted to show another side to.

I thank you for your forum.

Hey Zipseller,

Couple of honest questions...and for the record, I do not work for Zip Realty and I am not defending them in any regard. The exposure you are getting from Zip, if your home is listed on the local MLS, is as much exposure you would get regardless of the company. But you don't want to hear that.

Open Houses <1% of home sales result from Opens.
Print Advertising <3% of home sales result from print ads.
Internet ~80% of all buyers start on the internet.

Where do you want your home listed?

Also, what else should the agent be doing to get your property sold that he/she is not doing?

Have you ever been compelled by anyone to purchase the property you have purchased in the past?

Have you ever purchased a home from advertising materials?

Have you ever had a Realtor® knock on your door to let you know that a property is for sale in a particular neighborhood which made you runout to see it or tell all your friends about?

Do you really care that Jane Realtor just sold 123 DownTheStreet for $20,000 than your's is listed for?

Oh, but yours has all these upgrades...right? it's worth $20k more than the other property.

(whispering....) It's your price. i know you don't want to hear that but that is very liekly the problem. You are dirven by the net sheet and that is why you chose ZipRealty.

You see, my point is this. This is a much different market than many people have ever experienced. Sellers always think that there homes can be sold by an agent. I have never sold a home. It's true I point out all of the features and benefits to the prospective buyer but it is they that make the ultimate decision. There is nothing I can or ought to do to try and compel them to buy. Would you want me to do that to you?

I can tell you this. In this market, it is all about price. But you see, sellers don't want to hear that. They think we can wave a wand and make a buyer buy your house because it is your house and why, isn't that what you are paying for?

Price, Price, Price. If your home is in a good neighborhood and in good condition and you aren't getting activity (or you are getting activity but no offers), then it is your PRICE!!! What else could it be? That is all it could be.

It is not the agent...while, it's true, there are agents who know how to make your home present better and make recommendations to you to help, they are better and more experienced in managing the list price and convincing you to lower it. They continue to lower it until the property sells.

The agent in your area with the most transactions isn't necessarily the best agent, he or she simply has the most listings because it is perceived that he/she is the best.

The are the best...the best at controlling the sellers.

Lower your price, sell your property, and stop blaming the agent who is giving you 95+% of the same service Rhonda Realtor would be giving you. He just doesn't know how to get you to lower your price.

Sorry for all the typos...i didn't proof it before submitting.

RE: 94Nole

So Nole, after all that are you just saying all realtors suck and people should learn to deal with it?

TJ,

I'd appreciate you not putting negative words in my mouth.

If you go to the beginning of the thread, it is you who is the negative one throughout.

Buyer's Remourse occurs when one goes through a process for which he pays for only to have the "Aha!, I could have done this myself and saved myself lots of money" but didn't have the guts, work ethic, knowledge to figure that out beforehand. Hindsight as they say is crystal clear. Did you know that most legal documents are pretty standard? You can do those yourself too. Do you know people of significant means who draft their own trusts, wills, etc.? You can download wills from most county websites...change the names, record the document and you are done. Right? Heck, WebMD will help you diagnose most ailments...do you ever go to a doctor? Why? You can do it yourself can't you?

I am sorry that you had a bad experience purchasing real estate. Although real estate agents do often certainly reflect the attitudes of the brokerage, you should do not judge a company by a single person. Question, are you indicative of your employer or your company if you are self-employed? May I judge that you work for or operate a negative company based on your posts here?

Now, to answer your question...

No, not all realtors suck (to use your ever uplifting language). Many of us go to great lengths to go well beyond the call of duty. However, when a seller has a property overpriced for a given market condition (be it location or condition or otherwise), NOTHING an agent is going to do will sell the property short of buying and overpaying for the house themselves.

In fact, I will not take such a listing unless I enter into a pre-agreed price reduction strategy (the price is reduced by 2.5% every two weeks until we reach $XXX or we go under contract.)

You seem to have all the answers...what do YOU think real estate agents should do to sell property?

RE: 94NOLE

I really had trouble understanding your points you were making and that is why I asked that question. Note that I never suggested you should not use a selling agent in any of my post. I never sold a house so never had the experience going through that. I think a selling agent may be useful because it adds your listing into the MLS and they also meet with prospective buyers and show them the house. What I had trouble finding useful was a buyers agent. I thought a buyers agent would benefit me by getting the best deal on a house and help make the most important decisions with the buying process. I was wrong in that agent was really only interested in selling a house and provided barely any help along the way except for showing houses. The fact that "There are good agents and bad agents" must be posted about 5 times in this thread and I well aware of that. The trouble is spotting them. You can't just hire an agent and expect them to create synergies you really have to do your own research and be on top of your game when buying or selling real estate. I provide my experience so people can read and hopefully learn not to make the same mistakes I did.

Comparing doctors and lawyers to real estate agents is a very bad analogy. In some states you can become a licensed real estate agent in 1 semester at a community college. It takes generally more than 7 years of college to become a licensed lawyer or doctor.

TJ,

I was not comparing realtors with Drs and attorneys...I was comparing do it yourself with a paid service after the fact and buyer's remorse. Believe me, there is no barrier to entry into the real estate business and 14 hours of continuing education every two years is a joke. As a CPA, I have a minimum of 80 hours every two years to keep my license active.

A buyer's agent, if doing his/her job, would, in fact, do all the things you mention. It's obvious you got a slug and it's unfortunate...mostly for you as the customer...but for us too because it reflects on the rest of us.

In FL, most agents work as a transaction broker. What that means is that I won't tell the buyer anything that will be to the detriment of the seller or vice versa. if I knew the seller would take $50k less, I couldn't tell you. Now, single agency, is a different story but I can only be the single agent for one of the parties. FL outlawed dual agency some time ago.

It's true that with the online tools (some are good and some are not so good) that buyers can do alot of the shopping themselves. The need for an agent is to gain access to the properties and then in the contract and contract to close process.

Anyway, I am sorry that you had a bad experience. Use that knowledge next time...not to be unreasonable but to be educated and informed as to what an agent should do for you regardless of which side you are on.

Good luck.

RE: 94NOLE

To more specifically answer your question in your first post:
"do you ever go to a doctor? Why? You can do it yourself can't you?"

I go to a doctor because they have 7 years college experience and additional years in practice where as a realtor may have only 1 semester of college and additional experience.

With a little research on the internet you can learn everything a realtor was taught through their training. If you decide to skip on hiring an agent when you sell/buy you won't have to worry about the inept Realtor and would probably end up saving money in the long run.

We had a similar experience. The Realtor was totally in it for himself and prided himself on behaving more like a "friend" than a business partner. As a result, we lost out on the professionalism that we deserved with such a large transaction. When confronted with the idea of official negative feedback, he asked that we not so it because it would "impact him financially."

Never again.

Oh, and a week after we closed on our house, Zip deleted our online .account access