With regards to aggregator sites doing a disservice to consumers, I must disagree. These sites have pushed the envelope in online real estate, and home shoppers now have access to more data and tools than ever before, and as confusing as it might be at times, it allows them to have more control over their home search. Though there are a few nice MLS/IDX sites in large metro areas, completely cutting off listing access from sites like Trulia, Zillow, HomeFinder, and other listing aggregator sites and relying solely on MLS sites or broker IDX sites will be a slap in the consumer’s face – taking them back to the nineties in terms of transparency, and web site usability and design.

Hey Zillow, English is a great language, use it.

How about “Zillow Computerized Estimate of Current House Value” or “Zillow’s Estimated Value.”

It’s as if Zillow is intentionally trying to mislead or confuse people by using nonsense words.

(I know this is off the beaten path a bit, but suffer me for a moment)

I think a simple disclosure, “I work exclusively on behalf of the seller to arrange a property sale in their best interests” should establish who you work for (which has been a practice I’ve followed for 10 years – and why I’ve made it a “Terms of Service” condition on our website when customers request appointments.

Consumers have made the decision a long time ago that if they want to see a property without worrying how to arrange 3 parties schedules (listing agent, buyer agent and customer) then they’ll cut to the chase.

Buyers aren’t as “weak and defenseless” as some have may them out to be in the comments in their advocacy for buyer representation … isn’t it the buyer’s decision to be represented by an agent?

And as @J Philip Faranda pointed out, your business practices with how you deal with customers will largely depend on the state you’re licensed in .. and one more reason why Brokers who represent Sellers should care how listing data is being presented on TruZillaRealtor.com because of their fiduciary obligation to their client.

After all … don’t let industry practices blind you to the business requirements your state expects from licensed professions (esp. real estate agents)