Transcript:

If you’ve been to a cocktail party recently, you’ve probably played the zillow game.

No, you don’t play it with dice or cards. Zillow.com is a free online appraisal service that offers you an instant appraisal of your home’s value. People are “zillowing” their own homes, and those of their friends, relatives, and even their boss.

But you have to be careful when using a website like Zillow, Domania, or HomeGain to project your home’s value if you’re planning to sell your home.

I’ve tested out some of these sites and most of them aren’t that useful. Zillow seems the most accurate, but it can be wildly wrong in some areas of the country. Other sites, like Domania and HomeGain give wide ranges of possible value and then send your information to agents who then contact you.

When you’re done playing games, the best way to figure out your home’s value is to invite three agents in to do a comparative marketing analysis. Best of all, it’s free.

With practical, informative consumer advice, I’m Ilyce Glink, News-Talk 750 WSB