Zestimate guide
Zestimate vs Redfin Estimate: which is right?
Two algorithms, two numbers, sometimes a hundred thousand dollars apart. The gap between them is more useful than either number alone.
You check Zillow, then Redfin, and get two different numbers for the same house. Which one is right? Usually the more useful question is why they disagree — because the gap itself tells you something.
Why they disagree
Both are automated valuation models, but they use different algorithms, weight different data, refresh on different schedules, and — critically — choose different comparable sales. Each has the same blind spots: neither sees your home's true condition, and either can pull comps from the wrong area. So two black boxes looking at the same house routinely land in different places.
The divergence is the signal
When Zillow and Redfin disagree sharply on your address, at least one of them is leaning on bad comps or wrong facts. That cross-platform gap is a flag worth investigating — it is one of the exact signals an audit checks, because a home where every estimate agrees is very different from one where they are far apart.
How to resolve it
Do not price off either one. Pull real same-municipality comps, check that your facts are correct on both sites, and treat the AVMs as starting points to verify. To see all the estimates side by side — plus a ClearComp view that strips out-of-town comps — run a free audit.
Audit your Zestimate — free.
Run your address through an independent audit. We check the facts on file, compare every public AVM, and run ClearComp™ to show whether out-of-town comps are dragging your number — in plain English, no sign-up.
Run my free audit →Frequently asked questions
Is the Redfin Estimate more accurate than the Zestimate?
Both publish broadly similar accuracy, and which is closer varies by market and property. Neither is authoritative — treat them as two rough references and verify with real comparable sales.
Why is my Redfin estimate higher than my Zestimate (or vice versa)?
Different comp selection, data, and refresh timing. One may have picked up a recent sale or fact the other has not, or they are leaning on different 'comparable' homes.
Which estimate should I use to price my home?
Neither on its own. Price from recent comparable sales in your own municipality, condition-adjusted; use the AVMs only to spot when something looks off.