Why Your Zillow Search Is Keeping You from Finding Your First Home

Be honest—how many times have you refreshed Zillow today?

Here’s the harsh truth: if Zillow is your only home search tool, you’re already behind other buyers.

• Listings are outdated. Homes that show “available” may already be in contract.

• You’re seeing what everyone else sees. If it’s on Zillow, thousands of other buyers are eyeing it too. Competition = bidding wars.

• The best deals never make it online. Many homes sell through agent networks, private listings, or word-of-mouth.

💡 The Advantage of a Realtor:

• Access to off-market and “coming soon” homes.

• Insider knowledge of what’s really happening in the neighborhood (not just what Zillow’s algorithm says).

• Guidance on realistic pricing—because those “Zestimate” numbers? Usually wrong in NYC and Long Island markets.

👉 Buyer Tip: Use Zillow as a starting point, not your finish line. The real gems are found by working with someone who knows the market on the ground.