Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate, is a unique and previously impossible look into the home buying market by two Zillow insiders. Author Spencer Rascoff is Zillow’s CEO. While coauthor Stan Humphries is Zillow’s Chief Economist. Utilizing the company’s vast information about home values, the authors debunk common real estate assumptions. This data driven research also uncovers previously unknown patterns or rules about today’s home values that aren’t always intuitive or obvious.
The Good: As an architect I was surprised to learn what the data reveals. For instance, more value is added when remodeling bathrooms than kitchens. Contrary to popular wisdom, buying the worst home in the best neighborhood doesn’t pay off. However, owning an older home near an urban center is a good investment. The text overflows with real estate investment tips like these. Information every homebuyer, realtor and investor should know.
Of special interest for buyers and realtors are chapters about how to write an effective listing based on “magic words” that are proven to increase sales. Also covered in detail is how to set the right price and what time of year to list. Simple rules aren’t dictated, instead the authors present more reasoned strategies.
The Bad: Perhaps the authors try overly hard to avoid sounding like data nerds. I say wear the pocket protector with pride. Instead, the first chapters are full of useless personal stories. Paragraphs flip confusingly back and forth between authors. You won’t miss much by skimming the introduction and first chapter. Instead go straight to the good stuff, starting with chapter 2. These later chapters are full of quality information written for non-technical readers. However, this book would benefit from more in-depth analysis at times.
The Bottom Line: Buildwise highly recommends this book for both homeowners and pros. Buy this book to maximize value and avoid costly real estate mistakes based on data driven research.
Full Citation: Rascoff, Spencer & Humphries, Stan
Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate.
New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2015. Hard Cover.
288 pages, 6.25×9.25 size, mostly text with a few diagrams. One image per chapter of famous television & movie houses.
Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate
Pros
- Easy read
- Unique perspective
- Data driven information
Cons
- At first tries too hard
- Could be more indepth