Stop Hitting the Blue Button on Zillow (It’s Hurting You More Than You Think)

Hey Catonsville,

We need to talk about Zillow, specifically those big blue "Contact Agent" buttons you see on every listing. I know they look helpful. I know they feel like the easy next step.

But here is the truth:

Those buttons are one of the worst things a homebuyer can click.

Here's why:

1. Zillow is not connecting you with the listing agent

Most people assume the blue button gets them to the person who actually knows the property.

It does not.

Zillow sells that spot to the highest bidder. When you click:

• You get routed to a random agent who paid for your information

• They may not live here

• They may have never sold a home here

• They may not know anything meaningful about Catonsville

In other words: Zillow matches you with someone. Not the right someone.

2. You become a "lead," not a person

The moment you hit that button, your information is sold and distributed. It is pushed through automated follow-up systems and typically lands with someone who has never even seen the home you clicked on.

This is not consumer-first. It is not transparency. It is lead selling disguised as a home search tool.

3. The agent you get is sending a huge portion of their income back to Zillow

This surprises almost everyone:

Zillow takes up to 40 percent of the agent’s compensation if you buy a home with them.

Forty percent.

What does that mean for you?

• You are working with an agent under significant financial pressure

• Your experience suffers because they are juggling dozens of purchased leads

• You are not getting a true specialist, because true specialists do not need to buy leads

You pay the same buyer agent fee, but you receive far less service.

4. Zillow is not built for local expertise, and local expertise is everything

Buying in Catonsville is hyper-local. Details matter. For example:

• Neighborhood culture

• Commuter noise

• School boundaries

• Street-by-street differences

• Which blocks sell quickly

• Which ones require more study

Zillow cannot tell you any of that.
A random agent who bought your information cannot either.

Local expertise changes outcomes.

So what should you do instead?

It is simple. If you want information about a Catonsville home, reach out directly to a Catonsville agent who knows the market. Someone who:

• Lives here

• Works here

• Studies the trends every week

• Understands the block-to-block nuances

• Knows the context behind the numbers

I do this every day.

If you ever have a question about a house you saw online, whether Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com, reply to this email or text me directly. You will get real information from someone who actually knows the community, not someone who bought your name from a website.

Bottom line

Zillow’s blue button exists for Zillow’s business model. It does not exist for your best outcome.

When you are making one of the biggest financial decisions of your life, the last thing you need is a random match with someone who does not know Catonsville and is giving 40 percent of their income to a tech company.

Choose your agent intentionally.
Choose someone local.
Choose someone who puts you first.

See you around Catonsville,

-Matt
Catonsville Living