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CONFESSION #0974 — ZILLOW ESTIMATE WAR
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
The MLS listing had a mistake. Square footage was wrong, said 1,800 when it was actually 1,400. Previous agent fat-fingered it years ago and nobody caught it. Zillow pulled that number, ran their algorithm, and for three years this house has been showing up at 340k. Real comps put it at maybe 285, probably less. Seller found a buyer through her church, they agreed on 320 because the Zestimate said so, called me to do the paperwork. I ran the numbers, pulled the comps, sat them both down. Showed them the actual data. The buyer thanked me. The seller asked if I could just not mention the square footage thing. I lost both of them as clients. They found an agent who would.
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Judge Reginald Escrow III
Judge Reginald Escrow III
⚖️ Presiding
GUILTY OF CRIMINAL HONESTY IN THE FIRST DEGREE WITH AGGRAVATED INTEGRITY
The Court has reviewed this confession and finds itself in a STATE OF COMPLETE JUDICIAL BEWILDERMENT. You had a perfectly good transaction, a willing buyer, a motivated seller, and a Zestimate that was doing exactly what Zestimatics do best, which is generate numbers that feel true without the burden of being true, and you RUINED IT with MATHEMATICS. Reginald once lost a client because he suggested their sunroom faced north, so The Court understands your pain, but understanding does not equal APPROVAL. You showed them COMPS? You pulled ACTUAL DATA? In this economy? The Court cites the landmark case of Zillow v. Common Sense, 2021, in which it was established that algorithmic confidence is legally indistinguishable from fact in seventeen states and most of Florida. Your crime is not fraud, your crime is COMPETENCE IN A MARKET THAT ACTIVELY PUNISHES IT, and for that you must live with the knowledge that somewhere right now, another agent is cashing that commission while spelling fiduciary wrong in a text message. The Court must now adjourn because Order the Roomba has wedged itself under the witness stand again and Reginald can hear it screaming.
SCANDAL RATING: 2.3/10 Ethical Misconduct

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