09/28/2026
If you are like me, you like to support local businesses. You might think that the real estate business is local by nature. Well, times are a-changing, as they say.
When you go on a website like Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, Homes.com, etc., and click on a plain button like "Contact Agent" or "Request a Tour," you will most likely get put in touch with an agent who is paying that company to put you in touch with them. You most likely won't get the listing agent, like many people assume.
But that isn't the issue I want to bring to light here. It used to be that your local real estate agents were buying all the leads on these websites. However, now agents from downstate metro areas are buying leads and sometimes asking local Realtors to show the listing for a small cut. That means Zillow, owned by a large publicly traded company, takes a cut of the money out of state, the downstate real estate agent takes a cut out of our community, and only a portion of the proceeds goes to your local agent to be spent in your community.
So, what can you do to push back a little? If you use websites like Zillow, which almost everyone does, don't click those basic buttons. If you want to contact the listing real estate agent, you might find their number in smaller print on the website. What I recommend, though, is to find a Realtor you trust and ask them about the listing. There are a lot of us to pick from, and if you don't know three, I bet someone you know can recommend one. Get some recommendations, read online reviews, and then send one of us a text, email, or make an old-fashioned phone call.
That is how you help Keep Real Estate Local!
If you think this is important information for others to know, please share. Thank you!
