Using Zillow to Track Real Estate Values
Quick Review
What is Zillow integration? A feature that automatically tracks your property values using Zillow's real estate data, updating your net worth without manual entries.
Why use it? Stay informed about your property's market value for net worth tracking, refinancing decisions, and financial planning.
How to access:
Add new property: Dashboard → + Add (in Accounts) → Track assets → Real Estate
Link existing property: Select account → Link to Zillow button
Update values: Select account → Update Value button
Overview
In today's dynamic real estate market, keeping track of property values is essential for making informed financial decisions. Quicken Simplifi offers a simple solution with its integration of Zillow, empowering users to effortlessly monitor and manage their real estate values.
When Ashley inherited a vacant lot from their grandfather last year, they had no idea what it was worth. Adding it to Simplifi with Zillow integration gave them their first real insight into its value and helped them make informed decisions about whether to keep or sell the property.
How Zillow Integration Works
When you link your real estate account to Zillow, you receive an account balance equal to the current Zillow value. The integration:
Provides automated property valuations
Updates your net worth calculations
Requires manual refreshing (not automatic)
Shows market value changes over time
Important: Zillow updates do not occur automatically. You must manually update values when needed.
Adding a New Property with Zillow
Steps to add:
From the Dashboard, click the + Add button in the upper right of the Accounts List
Select Track assets, then select Real Estate
Enter the property address
Select the correct option from the dropdown list
Review the property value Zillow provides
Confirm or edit the Account Name
Click Confirm
Ashley's experience: "I was shocked when I added Grandpa's lot and saw it was worth $35,000. I had no idea vacant land could be that valuable. Seeing it in my net worth helps me think strategically about keeping versus selling."
Linking an Existing Property to Zillow
If you already track a property manually, you can link it to Zillow:
Steps to link:
Select the real estate account you want to link
Click the Link to Zillow button at the top
Enter the property address
Select the correct option from the dropdown
Review the property value
Make sure the correct existing account is listed in the "Link to" field
Click Confirm
Updating Property Values
Since Zillow integration doesn't update automatically, you'll need to refresh values periodically:
To update values:
Select the real estate account you want to update
Click the Update Value button in the upper right
Simplifi will fetch the latest Zillow estimate
Note: If multiple accounts are linked to the same Zillow property, all will update simultaneously. If no value change occurred, Simplifi notifies you that the market value remains the same.
Unlinking from Zillow
Prefer to track values manually? You can unlink anytime:
Steps to unlink:
Hover over the panel on the left-hand side and select Settings
Select Accounts
Locate the account you want to unlink
Click the three dots at the end of the row
Select Make manual
Click Make Manual to confirm
The account moves to the Manual Accounts section and retains its current balance. You'll then maintain the value using balance adjustment transactions.
Ashley's Real Estate Journey
The Inheritance
When Ashley inherited a vacant lot from their grandfather, they faced a common dilemma: keep it as an investment or sell it to boost their car savings? Without knowing its value, they couldn't make an informed decision.
Discovery Through Zillow
Adding the lot to Simplifi revealed:
Current market value: $35,000
Quarterly value trends showing 8% appreciation over the past year
Impact on net worth (pushed them closer to $100K milestone)
Property details they didn't know (2.5 acres, zoned residential)
Decision Process
Ashley updates the value monthly while deciding:
Keep it: Land is appreciating faster than savings account interest
Sell it: Could immediately fund car purchase plus boost emergency fund
Wait: Market trends suggest values still rising in that area
Lessons Learned
Zillow works for vacant land, not just houses
Monthly monitoring helps spot market trends
Seeing property in net worth provides perspective
Even inherited property needs financial planning
Best Practices
Update quarterly: Unless you're planning to sell or refinance, quarterly updates suffice
Compare to reality: When you get an appraisal or see comparable sales, note the difference
Don't obsess: Daily market fluctuations don't matter for long-term ownership
Track improvements: Major renovations won't automatically reflect in Zillow values
Multiple properties: Update all at once during your quarterly financial review
Remember it's an estimate: Use for general tracking, not major financial decisions
Common Questions
"How accurate is Zillow?"
Typically within 5-10% but can vary significantly. Ashley discovered this when getting an actual market analysis from a realtor showed the lot might sell for $32,000, about 8% less than Zillow's estimate.
"Why doesn't it update automatically?"
This gives you control over when values change in your net worth, avoiding daily fluctuations that could affect your financial picture.
"Should I adjust the value manually?"
If you have a recent appraisal or sale data showing Zillow is significantly off, you can unlink and track manually with your known value.
"Does this affect my taxes?"
No, Zillow estimates don't impact property taxes. Those are based on your local tax assessor's valuation.
The Bottom Line
Zillow integration in Quicken Simplifi offers a convenient way to track property values without manual research. For Ashley, it transformed an unknown inheritance into a quantifiable asset they can monitor while making important financial decisions.
Remember that Zillow provides estimates, not appraisals. Ashley learned this firsthand when a realtor's market analysis came in lower than Zillow's estimate. Use it as one tool in your financial toolkit for tracking trends and understanding your net worth, but get professional valuations before making major decisions.
Hint: If you inherit property or receive real estate as a gift, add it to Simplifi immediately to establish a baseline value. Ashley wishes they'd added the lot right after inheriting it to see the full appreciation trend. Now they can only track from when they started using Simplifi, missing a year of valuable market data that could have informed their keep-or-sell decision.
To learn about using Zillow Quicken Simplifi Mobile App, please click here!
If you need any assistance with using Zillow in Quicken Simplifi, our Support Team is happy to help!