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...ive been using their site.. its very well made and I'm using some of the searches ive made there to pinpoint houses i will be looking in Jan.
But ZipRealty are clearly brokers of the brokers. they publish houses from other realty companies yet they rep themselves as realtors. and theyre pushy as hell.
so anyone has had any experience with them?
Good, bad?
I like their website... But it's annoying when the agents contact you.
I never respond to the agents but...
Very annoying... I had one agent that was calling me up to 4 times a day in response to the listings I was getting and just hounding me about buying through them. I admit there site is nice and how they do there listings, but I don't like how they constantly contact you about buying and when you are going to buy.
Zip Realty was one of the first national rebate ( where legal) brokers. The original concept was that the agents were employees on salary with some basic benefits and eligible for bonus money if clients were satisfied. They had a web site showing all listings, way before most other brokers. This is no longer the case. Almost all real estate web sites now show other agent/broker listings.
Generally speaking, Zip attracted new(er) agents or those agents who were unable to handle the costs and risks associated with being independent contractors, as is the norm at most brokerages.
Generally speaking, Zip agents cover substantial geography and work in areas they do not necessarily know, let alone well. For the most part, they are not a part of the local real estate scene.
Having said all this, no doubt there are some fine agents who happen to be affiliated with Zip Realty. What it always comes down to, is the individual agent, not the broker. That you encountered an aggressive agent does not mean all the agents are aggressive.
I bought/sold 30 properties before getting licensed. Like most consumers, I had choices. I always chose a full service brokerage and a seasoned agent, who added value and saved me money.
I strongly preferred working with people who knew the dirt and were connected to the community, who knew where the best values were, regardless of the market, at any time. I wanted someone to look out for my best interests ( as a consumer), be hands on to the transaction and help me compare and contract and separate emotion from facts and anticipate and solve the problems that are so common in real estate trancastions. I found their experience and guidance to be priceless.
Now that I am on the other side of the fence, I strive, every day, to be as good or better than the agents I have worked with, across the country, over time. I welcome working with discount/rebate agents because I know the dirt and facts better than they do and use it to my client's advantage.
Consumers have so many choices when it comes to real estate and it almost always comes down to the spefic agent, not their broker affiliation.
I've worked with Zip a fair amount. When I had a house to sell in Arizona, I invited the Zip agent I was assigned to do a sales presentation on why I should hire her (I invited three others to do the same as well). The agent didn't answer her phone during the day and wasn't around much, so that obviously didn't work out.
After moving to Seattle, I gave a Zip agent a list of six or seven houses I wanted to work with. I drove 40 miles to meet with her and she had she only was going to show me 3 but I could come back tomorrow and see the remaining ones. I was a bit grumpy about that because I spent almost $20 in gas to meet with her and surely wanted to see all six.
They assigned me a different Zip agent, and this one I scheduled an appointment to look at a house that I liked a lot but I don't think my agent was very skilled. She was more direct with the property owners, didn't shoo the property owners away when we went to tour, and is also foreign (Chechesolvokian or something) so she's hard to understand.
All in all, I love their website but am not impressed with the agents. I don't think the small refund is worth the extra hassle of dealing with them.
There's another service called Redfin that is similiar but in fewer markets. I've worked with them and think they're much more professional and good to deal with. They also refund 2/3 of the commission instead of 1/5 that Ziprealty does.
I like the website and used it to view homes before purchasing.
When the agent contacted me, I just told her we were casually looking and researching.
She emailed me a few times, every couple of weeks, but didn't call or get pushy.
As middle-aged mom sez, it's the agent you work with that counts, not the brokerage.
I worked with a Zip agent in central Texas for over a year and have an extremely high opinion of that agent's professionalism, skill and competence. Would recommend his services with no reservations. So look a little deeper and don't be afraid to cast aside the wannabe's who don't meet your expectations.
As middle-aged mom sez, it's the agent you work with that counts, not the brokerage.
I worked with a Zip agent in central Texas for over a year and have an extremely high opinion of that agent's professionalism, skill and competence. Would recommend his services with no reservations. So look a little deeper and don't be afraid to cast aside the wannabe's who don't meet your expectations.
Good luck
I agree! It depends on what you are looking for. Shop around several companies to find the right agent. If you are interested in a rebate from Zip Realty then find an agent and express your concerns and let your voice be heard. Real Estate agents are in the business to earn your business. Most don't receive a salary. Many people in sales (unfortunately) do not know how to earn your business. So communicate communicate and communicate your exact needs or find someone else. They want to earn that commission but may not be an effective communicator. Hope I've helped.
I have used zip several times. Twice I used their agents - one was just right for the market and my needs; the other was not so great.
I've also used zip to search when I either wasn't buying or was using a non-zip agent. I did not find the zip agents to be pushy. When you sign up for an area, an agent sends you an email. Just thank them and tell them that you aren't looking for an agent but are just doing some research. They might contact you again at some point. Thank them again and say you aren't looking for an agent right now. End of problem.
...But ZipRealty are clearly brokers of the brokers. they publish houses from other realty companies yet they rep themselves as realtors. ...
They are Realtors. As mentioned by MAM above, most agent and broker websites have all MLS listings available for search, not just their own, and can assist you with purchasing any of them.
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Zip Realty Agent
