Cramping Everyone’s Style
By: Diane Tuman, Content Manager | February 24, 2006
When you commit to working at a startup, you sign up for long hours, often lower pay and the possibility of being shoehorned into cramped working conditions. At Zillow, we currently have 75 folks working in a space suited for 45. Let’s put it this way: You get to know each other (and everyone’s smelly lunch food) pretty quickly. I worked at another ground-floor startup in my so-called career –- Seattle Sidewalk, which is now CitySearch.com. I remember working in a closet –- literally -– elbow-to-elbow with two other people. I couldn’t get out of my chair unless the person behind me got out of their chair. It was like having a window seat on an airplane; if I needed to move, everyone needed to move. It’s not that bad here at Zillow, yet.
Despite the close quarters, the upside is that from the 41st floor some of us have pretty cool views of Elliott Bay, or Mt. Rainier… that is, unless we’re flirting with Seattle’s recent run at a 33-day rain record. The office I share with two Presentation Layer guys faces Mt. Rainier. It’s also in line with Qwest Field (home of the Seattle Seahawks) and Safeco Field (home of the Seattle Mariners). From our window, we’ve seen guys parachuting into Qwest Field, a seagull being attacked by a raptor – in mid-air - military helicopters flying in formation over Qwest Field for Seahawks’ halftime entertainment, always an assortment of balloons floating up, up and away (like a life-size one of Santa Claus), planes flying by with messaging streaming from their tailfin (“I Love You Stacy, Please Marry Me. Brian”), traffic jams along I-5, and then news of a tugboat sinking in the port. We didn’t see it, but we feel like we’re in a perch to see it all.
The designers’ office has a telescope set up – usually to spot birds and whatnot, but sometimes we borrow it to look at the buildings of our downtown office buddies Amazon and Starbucks, where some of us have friends.
- Stumble it!
- Categories: Zillow
Comments
11 Comments so far
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Jim Putnam on February 25, 2006 6:28 am
My address is 35 fox hill road. The arrow is one lot off. When I look at the lot it is off by nearly 1/2 acre. The estimate is the lowest of other houses on the street by significant amount. It should be around $150k higher. I actually have the newest house on the street with a pool. If the incorrect amount is used on your site and I try selling my house and perspective buyers use your information, I will sue your company.
By the way how are you going to be able to handle liabilities due to incorrect information?
Jenal Pollard, REALTOR on February 25, 2006 8:15 am
I think the site is brilliant, it’s a beta test, and when it’s out of the beta stage, I’m sure it will be outstanding! This site should be used as an estimate only, thus Zestimate, if buying or selling a property. As most of us EDUCATED buyers and sellers know, the appraiser is the one who determines the accurate fair market value/price of a property and it’s location not http://www.zillow.com. So far my properties are pretty accurate. Why would someone sue someone for information displayed on a “guesstimate” site…ah the beauty of living in a litigious society. Read the Terms of Use page before using http://www.zillow.com.
“7. NO WARRANTY. ZILLOW.COM PROVIDES THE SERVICES “AS IS,” “WITH ALL FAULTS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” AND THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO SATISFACTORY QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, ACCURACY, AND EFFORT IS WITH YOU. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ZILLOW.COM AND ITS SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. ZILLOW.COM AND ITS SUPPLIERS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS, EXPRESS, STATUTORY AND IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION (A) WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WORKMANLIKE EFFORT, ACCURACY, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, NO ENCUMBRANCES, NO LIENS AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, (B) WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS ARISING THROUGH COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE, AND (C) WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE ACCESS OR USE.
“8. LIABILITY LIMITATION; EXCLUSIVE REMEDY. IN NO EVENT WILL ZILLOW.COM OR ANY SUPPLIER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF, BASED ON, OR RESULTING FROM THESE TERMS OF USE OR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, EVEN IF SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH IS INDEPENDENT OF YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND SURVIVES IN THE EVENT SUCH REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OR IS OTHERWISE DEEMED UNENFORCEABLE. THESE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY WITHOUT REGARD TO WHETHER THE DAMAGES ARISE FROM (A) BREACH OF CONTRACT, (B) BREACH OF WARRANTY, (C) NEGLIGENCE, OR (D) ANY OTHER CAUSE OF ACTION, TO THE EXTENT SUCH EXCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS ARE NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY PART OF THESE TERMS OF USE, OR YOU HAVE ANY DISPUTE OR CLAIM AGAINST ZILLOW.COM OR ITS SUPPLIERS WITH RESPECT TO THESE TERMS OF USE OR THE SERVICES, THEN YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE SERVICES.”
Art Freeman on February 26, 2006 6:23 pm
I agree mostly with Jim Putnam’s post. However the appraiser does not determine market value. Like http://www.zillow.com he or she provides their opinion of market value. For residental properties of one to four units this done by the comparable method. That is, the appraiser looks at similar houses in the neighborhood with similar amenities. Within this framework they will check houses that recently sold (usually within six months to a year), properties under contract, and properties listed on the MLS. By comparing these the appraiser makes an educated guess as to what buyers are willing to pay. Obviously this value can be different depending on which properties are selected for comparison and the appraiser chosen.
In the final analysis the market value is whatever the seller and buyer agree on.
t humphrey on February 27, 2006 10:21 am
Great site and it will get better. I’d love it even more if I could see more detail of houses and yards in the greater Lafayette, Indiana location.
Keep up the good work.
Ted
W. Barker on February 27, 2006 11:18 am
Please explain what the construction quality number is under the “Home facts” section.
thanks
Diane Tuman on February 27, 2006 12:17 pm
Construction quality is a value provided by the assessor’s office in local jurisdictions. Assessors give homes a rating from 1-10, with 1 being poorest quality and 10 the best. It is their assessment of how well the building was built. Also, homes are rated relative to each other within a county; therefore, one county’s value might not correlate to another county.
Roy Blom on February 27, 2006 2:41 pm
” The Changing Culture”
The information age has created easily accessible information and knowledge for todays consumers.
i.e. Edmunds.com car pricing; Expedia.com travel pricing; Schwab.com - securities pricing etc.
The Realtor’s purview has been priority/sequestered real estate data heretofore not readily available to the consumer. This data is now readily available to the savvy consumer through the internet. The initial Real Estate Brokerage Concept was that the real property was marketed at no cost, much like an attorneys “contingency fee”,
NO costs were incurred by the seller until a ready, willing and able buyer consummated the sale. What is somewhat missing in the “Discount Format” is the Hand-Holding, Options Counseling, Guidance and Specific Expertise of the product. Properly and Ethically done a Realtor would function with integrity and as the clients knowledgeable advocate. However, much of a Realtors time was spent “prospecting for buyers and sellers” time that would only be compensated for by the actual sale and consummation of the listed property.
Analogy- since GOLD was hard to mine, the product once extracted brought a premium price. Today’s technology makes the mineral somewhat easier to process.
The issue of a fixed % fee for Brokerage Services has become somewhat antiquated and out-of-line, given today’s inflated real estate values. “The Tipping Point” has been realized in consumer goods, securities, travel and other services for hire.
A New Equitable Concept of Fees for Services needs to be derived, where Buyers and Sellers would each pay for their own representation. Thus, rather than being “Results Driven” the outcome would be “Time Driven”.
Motivated Buyers and Sellers would derive value at a much lower FEE and “lookie-loo buyers” and “unrealistic sellers” would pay for the time they now extract for FREE.
1. Create a Qualified Source of Buyers and Sellers.
2. Require that Realtors be “The Wiser Advisor” vs. The Sage on the Stage”.
3. Educate the consumer public and standardize the process.
4. Forget the “critique” remove the “mystique”.
Anonymous on February 27, 2006 3:34 pm
My experience with Zestimates has been that they are accurate when available. Of course, I have found some areas where no Zestimate is available. For example, La Salle, IL, which admittedly is not a bustling metropolis.
Wernicke on March 1, 2006 11:05 am
The site is very, very impressive. Well laid-out, easy to use, and uncluttered. My question is, how will you begin to profit from your great service? Advertising?
From my own experience, home-sellers (and sometimes buyers) can be irrational and shockingly ignorant of market trends. Now that we’re starting to see year-over-year price declines in some markets, my fear is that home-owners and sellers will be very angry over the improved accessibility of comparable sales information. The threatened suit above may be just the beginning. That being said, I doubt anyone could successfully sue a company for compiling information that is already considered public.
Anyway, kudos to you. A great idea, and great design, and I hope you get more office space, and I hope you don’t get too much trouble from used-home sales-people.
mike wetz on February 26, 2008 6:50 pm
how do I discontinue my add please.thank you for everything.
Diane Tuman on February 27, 2008 9:50 am
Mike: I assume you’re talking about EZ Ads? If so, please e-mail ezadsupport@zillow.com for assistance.