Zestimate vs. Redfin Estimate vs. Realtor.com: Which Is Actually More Accurate?
Type an address into Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com and you'll get three different numbers. Only two of those three companies publish a real accuracy rate for their estimate. Here's what's actually known, and what isn't.
The numbers Zillow and Redfin actually publish
Zillow and Redfin both calculate and publish this figure the same basic way: take the estimate, compare it to the eventual sale price, and find the point where half of all estimates were closer than that and half were farther off. On that measure, the two are close enough to call a statistical tie, both hover around 2% for listed homes and 7%+ for homes that aren't actively for sale.
Where's Realtor.com in this comparison?
Realtor.com's home value tool blends estimates from multiple third-party data partners rather than running its own single proprietary model the way Zillow and Redfin do. As of this writing, Realtor.com does not publish a median error rate or comparable accuracy study for that blended estimate. That's not necessarily a mark against it, a blended approach can smooth out individual model errors, but it does mean there's no public number to put alongside Zillow's and Redfin's for a true three-way comparison. Any site that claims to rank all three head-to-head on accuracy is filling in a gap that the data itself doesn't cover.
Why on-market vs. off-market makes such a big difference
A home that's actively listed gives these tools something priceless: a human-set asking price, real showing activity, and often a pending sale to calibrate against. A home that hasn't been on the market in years gives them almost nothing but public tax records and neighborhood comps. That's the entire reason the error rate roughly triples or quadruples between the two categories, it isn't that the algorithm gets worse, it's that it's working with far less current information.
What a 2% error rate looks like in dollars
Median error rate sounds small until it's applied to an actual home price. On a $450,000 home, even a best-case 2% Zestimate or Redfin Estimate error is a $9,000 swing, in either direction. And that 2% figure is the best case, for a home currently listed with an asking price to calibrate against. A home that hasn't sold in a decade is working with the 7%+ figure, which on that same $450,000 home is over $31,000 of potential error. Half of all estimates in that category miss by more than that.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zestimate or Redfin Estimate more accurate?
The two are close enough to call a statistical tie. Zillow reports a median error rate of roughly 1.8-2.4% for listed homes and 7-7.5% for off-market homes. Redfin reports 1.86-1.92% for listed homes and 7.27% for off-market homes. Neither has a clear, consistent edge over the other.
Why doesn't Realtor.com publish an accuracy rate?
Realtor.com's home value estimate blends data from multiple third-party providers rather than running one proprietary model, which makes a single, comparable median error rate harder to calculate and publish the way Zillow and Redfin do for their own single models.
Which online home value estimate should I trust?
None of them on their own, for a decision as large as pricing or buying a home. All of these tools are useful for a fast ballpark, but even the best published accuracy rate (about 2%) can mean a five-figure swing on a typical home. A local agent's comparative market analysis accounts for details, condition, upgrades, and recent local activity, that none of these algorithms can see.
Why is the error rate so much higher for homes not currently for sale?
Because the model loses its best data source. A listed home has a human-set asking price, showing activity, and often a pending sale price to calibrate against. An off-market home only has public records and nearby comps, which is why the error rate roughly triples or quadruples.
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Get My Free Home ValueSources, current as of August 2026: Zillow: What is a Zestimate? · Redfin: What is the Redfin Estimate?