What's the deal with Zillow?

Zillow has been in the news a lot lately, and not just because of this raunchy SNL skit that went viral last week. (Who can relate to loving "Zillow porn"?!)

If you don't work in real estate, you probably haven't heard too much about all the big moves the tech behemoth has been making.

From allowing buyers to self-tour homes for sale, to making multiple real estate tech acquisitions, to becoming a brokerage, Zillow—which also owns Trulia—is hellbent not only on dominating the real estate industry, but on redefining it.

Why should you care? Because chances are, if you've ever looked at homes on the internet, Zillow probably has your data. And there's a lot of debate in the real estate world on whether Zillow has consumers' best interests in mind. (We'll tell you straight-up what we think: no.) We're all for innovation in the industry—in fact, it's been lacking in a lot of ways thanks to "old school" agents and brokerages stuck in their ways, which is partly why Zillow has been so successful. 

But if you've noticed how Zillow Zestimates and other data are wildly detached from reality, or if you can imagine all the ways in which a self-guided house tour could go wrong for buyers or sellers alike, or if you think real estate advisors becoming mere door-openers sounds questionable, then it's worth taking a critical look at a company whose #1 goal is to turn you into their customer.

?We could talk about this AT LENGTH. But ?the bottom line? A qualified, experienced, and ethical agent will always work harder on your behalf than a faceless corporation. And when it's your biggest asset at stake, it's worth questioning what the company with deep pockets ?tells you what's best for you.