I use Zillow.
Most buyers do.
It's a wonderful tool for browsing homes and understanding what's available.
But it's only the beginning of your home search—not the end.
There are things Zillow simply cannot tell you, no matter how sophisticated its technology becomes.
A photograph captures a moment.
Living in a home is something entirely different.
How much natural light enters in the afternoon?
Does the neighborhood feel peaceful?
Can you hear traffic from inside?
Does the floor plan actually work?
These are things you discover in person.
One of the advantages of spending decades working throughout Mill Valley and Southern Marin is understanding the small details that make a huge difference.
One side of the street may receive sunshine all day while the other sits in shade.
One neighborhood may be wonderfully walkable.
Another may require driving everywhere.
These subtleties don't appear on a website.
Buyers often ask why one home sold for dramatically more than another.
The answer is rarely as simple as square footage.
Sometimes it's the floor plan.
Sometimes it's the lot.
Sometimes it's the views.
Sometimes it's timing.
Sometimes it's buyer psychology.
Context matters.
Every seller has different priorities.
Some care most about price.
Others care about certainty.
Others need flexibility with timing.
Understanding those motivations often shapes a successful negotiation.
That's something no website can predict.
Technology has transformed real estate in wonderful ways.
Buyers today have access to far more information than ever before.
But information and judgment aren't the same thing.
The right home isn't always the one with the prettiest photographs or the highest Zestimate.
Sometimes it's the one that best supports the life you want to build.
Helping buyers recognize that difference is one of the most valuable parts of my job.