Zillow Becomes a Lead Vendor
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, those Zany folks at Zillow are at it again.
First they borrow HomeGain’s concept of the web-based instant Home Values tool, a product HomeGain first launched back in 2000.
From HomeGain’s March 9, 2000 press release: “HomeGain’s highly popular valuation tool, for example, gives home sellers an estimated home price value range of their home for free in just 10 seconds, including comparable sales figures for homes in their neighborhood.”
Six years later Zillow introduces “the Zestimate” and wraps it in a big “Z” to much fanfare, press notices and blogging adoration.
Today we learn that Zillow has taken another page out of HomeGain’s book with their launch of the Zillow Mortgage MarketPlace.
Take a look: the concept looks suspiciously like HomeGain’s AgentEvaluator program originally launched in 1999. The major difference being that Zillow’s lead generation program is for mortgage lenders.
Thank you, Zillow, we are truly flattered….. (as I suppose the people over at Hot or Not are about your “new” dueling digs feature, too).
What’s next for Zillow?:
- A move of their corporate headquarters to Zemeryville?
- The creation of BuyerZink?
- Or the adoption of a corporate mascot – perhaps they can call him Zach the Zilla Gorrilla!
Try the HomeGain Instant Home Prices tool.
Unless you copyright something or get a patent on something, its free game unfortunately….
I have a lot (80′ X 250′) located at lakewood ranchettes lot 743 Rocky Ridge CT. It does not have utilities. It is wooded. I not been out to see it in years. Do you have any ideal what it would sell for.