In the Bakersfield real estate market, a property was listed on Zillow for $50,000 but was realistically worth $200,000. Every Realtor in town was fielding calls about that property, however, the “listing agent” could never be reached. For several weeks, calls continued to waste everybody’s time until the listing was finally removed. God only knows why it was on Zillow in the first place, but it clearly wasn’t about selling a property.
The moral of the story is that national real estate websites and apps are not equivalent to Bakersfield websites and apps that pull data directly from the MLS and are maintained by Bakersfield Realtors. The national websites are largely open platforms without regulation, so distinguishing between a good deal or a scam can be a challenge.
A common scam is when a fake real estate listing is created for a property that is not actually for sale. The scammer will ask for a deposit or other payment in order to secure the purchase, but once the payment is received, they will disappear.
Another common scam is when a real estate listing is used as a way to gather personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. The scammer will ask for sensitive information, such as a social security number or banking information, under the guise of processing a loan or rental application.
Let’s examine more closely the reasons why you should rely on a local property search app or website for your home sale or purchase.
Beware of Advertisements
Follow the money! Financial incentives drive behavior so be wary of apps and websites that may be more concerned about ad revenue than providing accurate real estate information.
Most local real estate websites are managed by local Realtors who are motivated by communicating with people who are interested in local real estate information – and people who they may eventually meet face to face! To that end, the best local websites will be filled with relevant data and topics about your geographical area.
When advertisements sully a real estate app or website, the motivation may hinge on web traffic to support high advertising costs. Given a choice between a real estate website that has advertisements and one that doesn’t, go with the latter.
In that same vein, when you contact a Realtor through a national real estate website, that Realtor has paid to be listed there. Yes, real estate agents are willing to pay thousands of dollars every year because the websites do indeed drive traffic. However, that further underscores the primary motivation of the national real estate apps, which is to rank high in the search engines.
Bakersfield Real Estate Apps Have Superior Data
The national real estate websites pull huge amounts of data from various sources on an irregular basis. In contrast, Bakersfield websites pull data directly from the Bakersfield MLS via an IDX (Internet Data Exchange) service. This enables real estate agents to provide the most comprehensive and current property listing data on their own real estate websites.
Perhaps the most common problem with the national apps is outdated listing statuses. Under normal circumstances, homebuyers often miss out on homes simply by waiting to see them when they first hit the market. Waiting a week to see a newly listed home is a common mistake.
That same problem is amplified when information from a national website is delayed by even a couple days. Additionally, Realtors regularly field calls from buyers who see a great home that shows available online, but it’s already under contract. Everyone feels the frustration!
The Home Value Proposition
Determining a home’s value takes a human touch. A Bakersfield Realtor will take the time to review all relevant comparable sales and make adjustments for differences in amenities and condition. Even then, a listing price cannot be nailed down until after visiting the home.
Then there’s the “Zestimate,” Zillow’s automated home valuation (AVM). The algorithm pulls recent home sales and current listings to calculate the estimated resale value of a home. The Zestimate and other similar automated values can be accurate when there are recent sales of very similar homes in close proximity to the home in question. As those variables change, so does the reliability of any computer generated value.
It may be interesting to look up a home value online, but also try to compare values from several sources like PropertyWonk does!
If you need the most timely and accurate property information, your best resource will be a local real estate app or website that is maintained by a top local Realtor. It could make all the difference between success and frustration.
Bakersfield Realtors Always Have the Inside Scoop
Top Bakersfield Realtors who live and work in a certain geographic area know it intimately. Chats by the watercooler may be less common, but information is still shared amongst clients and colleagues about local market data, market trends, neighborhood updates, and the daily transaction process.
Finding the right home involves insight and experience, so always seek out the guidance of a reputable, Bakersfield Realtor. You can find employment data, crime statistics, and school ratings online, but you can’t get feedback on which areas have the best amenities, resale history, or details only known by a local.
Using a good local real estate website is not only smart, but it also helps support a Realtor who invested a lot of time and effort in generating useful content. It’s safe to assume that the same amount of effort would be harnessed to provide excellent service to a client. That personal touch and motivation can never be matched by a national, faceless real estate website.
The Local Advantage
Most Bakersfield Realtors can set up online searches within their portal to the MLS, so that property listings are coming directly from the source. Given a homebuyer’s specific parameters, the most current and accurate data can be instantly delivered. Moreover, most homebuyers can be sent a link to set up their own searches.
So get the most accurate and up-to-date property information from your trusted, Bakersfield Realtor!
We highly recommend a local property search app focused solely on the Bakersfield market. You can dowload the app here.
