Until recently Zillow was read-only. But now Barton, Frink and their 133 employees are introducing new features to keep people coming back and, in the process, protect the site from downcycles in the real estate market. In September, Zillow opened the site to enable visitors to edit home records for everyone to see.In December the site began accepting listings from homeowners and agents, and unveiled an intriguing feature called Make Me Move. Everyone has heard the heartwarming tale of the newlyweds who luck into a dream home while driving through an idyllic neighborhood. They get out of the car and slide a note under the door: "If you're ever interested in selling, we can offer you x. We promise to love your house. Please call." Two days later an elderly woman phones to tell the couple their timing was impeccable and the price is right. The couple buys the home, raises a family and lives happily ever after. Make Me Move - which, as it sounds, lets Zillow users post the figure that would cause them to pack up and go - is intended to make that fairy tale a lot more common.
We all have our price. Judging by some of the Make Me Move listings that have cropped up in a few months, that price is often ridiculous. But Zillow officials say the average Make Me Move figure is just 17 percent over the Zestimate. That's a relatively modest premium, so users are clearly taking the feature seriously. Which got me thinking. My wife and I have entertained thoughts of moving. We're not restless enough to go through the stress of interviewing agents, listing our home and opening it to visitors. But if someone made the right offer, sure.