Chapter One: The $2 Million Zillow Tour
A Zillow tour request led to a $2 million home, weeks of research, and a lesson about the work agents do before the showing even begins.
Confession #1: The $2 Million Zillow Tour
It started with a Zillow tour request.
I'll never forget it. I was at a baseball game with my family when my phone rang. The property? A multi-million-dollar custom home that was, quite frankly, incredible.
I was so excited, and because I am apparently incapable of simply showing a house and calling it a day, I decided I needed to know quite literally everything about it before I walked through the door with these buyers.
So I researched and I studied until my eyes felt like they were bleeding.
I learned about the home's geothermal heating and cooling system. I researched the unique building materials used throughout the property. I learned about the naturally wooded acreage and how the sellers had partnered with the Division of Forestry to care for the land - protecting the mature foliage while managing the new growth so the established landscape didn't become overcrowded. The underground fuel tank capacity... The restrictive covenants... The 800 feet long driveway electricity... The unique architecture... The quirky trash agreement with neighbors... I learned that property forwards and backwards.
I printed everything. Then I put it all into a binder; each piece of documentation was in page protectors. Because if I'm going to show you a $2 million house, apparently I'm also going to prepare like I'm defending a dissertation.
I contacted the listing agent ahead of time, introduced myself, established a relationship before the showing, and then I arrived early. I met the buyers first, and the listing agent accompanied us through the property. At one point, after seeing how much I had learned about the home, she actually said to them:
"If you're not already working with her, you need to be."
We walked through the home. We talked about everything. We discussed the price and what might make an offer favorable, but the buyers decided they wanted to go home and think about it. Totally fair. Afterward, I followed up and sent them several other properties in the area that I thought might fit what they were looking for. They responded for a little while.
Then ...radio silence.
The house we had toured went under contract quickly, so I reached out to let them know.
A few weeks later, I got the notification I'd been waiting for:
The house was back on the market to no fault of the sellers.
Did I immediately reach back out? You bet I did! As it goes with any listing when this happens, if they were still interested, this could be their second chance.
What do you know? No response.
The very next day, the property was under contract again.
And I remember thinking:
Watch it be them.
I continued checking in periodically offering to take them to see other homes, and eventually I got a response. They had already found a home. They thanked me for my help and said they wouldn't be needing anything further.
This was my opportunity to ask the question I probably should have asked at the very beginning:
“Were you already working with someone?”
Because if they had representation, I would have happily stepped aside. That's not how I do business. I respect agency relationships, and I'm not interested in poaching someone else's client.
Of course they didn't answer.
Then a month later, I saw the property record with the county. Would you guess...
They had purchased it.
The $2 million house we'd toured together.
With a different agent.
At that point, I had two options: be bitter about it or be professional, so I chose professional.
I reached out to congratulate them on their purchase and told them I was glad the information I'd provided about the property had been helpful in making their decision to move forward. I also explained that, given the amount of time and effort I'd put into helping them, understanding when they decided to work with another agent would actually be helpful to me professionally.
I wasn't looking for an apology.
I genuinely wanted to understand what happened so I could learn from the experience.
Take a guess how that conversation went, though.
No response.
And honestly? At that point, the silence said plenty.
What I'd Want You to Know
To you, a Zillow tour request might feel like a simple request to see a house.
But for an agent, it can mean coordinating schedules, researching the property, preparing for the showing, communicating with the listing agent, answering questions, evaluating the property with you, discussing strategy, and potentially helping you navigate a multimillion-dollar purchase.
That's expertise and time - not just access.
If you're already working with an agent, use your agent.
If you're not working with an agent and request a tour through Zillow, understand that the agent who shows up may be investing a whole lot more into that appointment than simply unlocking the door.
And guess what! If you decide you want to work with someone else?
That's okay.
Just say so.
Agents can handle rejection. What we can't learn from is being told, “We found a house,” only to discover a month later that we were apparently just the complimentary pre-purchase research department.
Because sometimes, the $2 million house isn't the expensive part.
The free advice is.