Newsagents may empathise for US Real Estate Agents and their concerns that they could become redundant if Zillow really takes off. Zillow allows home buyers to get rough valuations and access some services previously only available through real-estate agents. Liz Gannes at GigaOM last month reported on enhancements at Zillow which take their offering further:
Tonight, the company is announcing it will provide real estate agents and individuals tools to advertise a home for sale within the excellent Zillow map and home price estimator web interface. And, in a twist, home owners will also be able to attach a “Make Me Move†price to their homes as a casual way to explore putting their houses on the market. Everything continues to be free to users and supported by ads.
Zillow empowers consumers. Aggregators like real Estate Agents don’t like that. It happened in travel. Mainstream media companies rely on Real Estate Agents for advertising revenue. A Zillow type model in Australia could impact them as well as Real Estate Agents. The reality is that competition from a new model makes the incumbents improve their offering. Consumers win.
I am interested in Zillow on two fronts: We are offering better quality lower cost real estate ads at our Find It online classifieds site (in partnership with newsagents) to Real Estate Agents and individuals. Second, newsagents are experiencing the disruptions Real Estate Agents are worried about – the bypassing of their business by consumers who want a more direct relationship. This is what disruption is about.
My wish is that newsagents would engage in this discussion about their future and soon.
Real Estate Agents DESERVE it, newsagents don’t … because newsagents don’t:
know there is a scorpion in a magazine and fail to tell you.
quote one price for a magazine and then charge a higher one
etc etc
Brownie, Now sure what you;re on about. Magazine prices are on the cover except, possibly in some stores, overseas titles. Newsagents are heroes. Mark
Newsagents HEROES get a grip. You just insulted the true heroes with your throw away remark. That is as bad as IGA supermarkets saying they are heroes. The word is getting devalued by people proclaiming they are heroes. In the old days you said another person was a hero, not yourself. Newagents are just small business people making a dollar. Some work hard, but heroes, no.
No worries Clem, you’re entitled to your view. From the inside looking out I’d say as a small business channel putting up with a lot of crap, newsagents are heroes. Work in one for a week and see if you disagree.