“Not All that Glitters is Gold.” When searching for Real Estate, accuracy will save you time, lots of time. So how do you find accurate information when shopping for your next Real Estate purchase? Cruising the internet for properties for sale can be a very confusing venture. Properties that are for sale online are not always currently for sale. Unless you are on Realtor.com or the local MLS site run by the local Association of Realtors, you are not on an accurate site. Take for example, Zillow who’s tagline is “Your Edge in Real Estate.” For Realtors, it should read, “Your Reason for Jumping off the Edge in Real Estate.”  There are several reasons that make this bold statement true. I’m going to focus on two today.

1. You found the perfect property and it looks as though it’s under priced! Wow, your searching skills have paid off! Call your Realtor and get a showing scheduled. After a confusing search for your Realtor, they find that the property sold last year at last year prices. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received a phone call, email or text message from a client about a property that is no longer on the market. Sometimes these properties have been off the market for a year or more. How can that be you may ask? Websites like Zillow and Trulia(recently merged with Zillow) have tried to become the gold standard in real estate searches. They offer advertising for Real Estate agents and a spot for clients to review their local Realtor so it appears to be the most accurate up to date site to search. In fact, it is not the local MLS, run by the local Association of Realtors and therefore, their site is not accurate at all. Take a look at the Gallatin Association of Realtors website here… You will find the most up to date Real Estate listings for Bozeman and surrounding areas on this site, no more time wasting searches! You are so welcome.

2. I googled my address and the Zillow Zestimate shows my property is worth $50,000 more than I thought it was. Too good to be true? It probably is. Zillow’s zestimate is highly inaccurate especially here in Montana. We are a non disclosure state, actual sold prices of properties are not leaked to the public in any way shape or form. Zillow has no way of knowing how much a property actually sold for. Sometimes properties sell for more or less then their asking price. The only way to know what your home is worth is by contacting a local Realtor and requesting a complimentary CMA (Comparable Market Analysis).

For everyone who is searching for Real Estate on your own, I ask you PLEASE call Everdawn or your local Realtor to help you. We work for you, use us! There’s no need for you to do all the work on your own, we are here to help!

That is all for today, next blog might just be on how to drive in Montana with an emphasis on four way stops! Curing what ails us one blog at a time.

Call Everdawn Charles today for all your Bozeman Real Estate needs.