SAN ANTONIO – A recent article published on Zillow’s website may be raising eyebrows.
Online real estate marketplaces like Zillow can help people get an idea as how much a home is valued. According to the report, 53% of U.S. homes lost value in the past year, based on Zillow’s Zestimate tool.
The article includes statistics from multiple metro areas from around the country, including San Antonio.
Based on the statistics provided, 1.3% of the homes in the San Antonio metro area saw values drop by 5% or more below what the price of the homes were last bought for.
For 2025, the article reports the share of houses in the San Antonio area valued below what they last sold for is 4.5%.
Veteran real estate expert Katie Ross said Zillow’s conclusion doesn’t include all the facts.
“Zestimate is not necessarily always accurate. In Texas, we are a non-disclosure state,” Ross said, “and what that means is that our prices are not reported to Zillow.”
Ross is the chairperson for LERA MLS, a real estate network that provides industry professionals access to multiple listing service (MLS) data in several Texas regions.
To find out the purchase price of a home, a person would have to directly ask the seller or work with a real estate professional who had access to the MLS.
Ross explained how online real estate marketplaces come up with their listed home values.
“They are using an algorithm to try to come up with what they believe the accurate value is,” she said. “The resources that are online, they may work in other areas of the country, but Texas (acts) as its own country, and non-disclosure is a thing here.”
Ross said other details need to be considered when it comes to home values.
“They’re not looking at the amenities of your home,” she said. “So if you have a three-car garage and your neighbor has a two-car garage, they’re not taking that into consideration. A realtor will come through, and they will look at the amenities of your particular property and try to compare it to other recent sales and give you a value that justifies the benefits of what your home offers.”
Ross said when it comes to home values, a lot of people rely on sites like Zillow and take what the site says as truth.
“The truth is that it’s somewhere in that realm, but it may not be exactly accurate,” she said.
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