Every few months I google myself to see if my name is still showing up on RE sites. Slowly it is moving back to the second and third pages of searches, but I have noticed it still shows up on old Zillow listings with my contact info.

Yesterday I received a phone call from someone asking me about an old listing. This house was listed in Dec. 2009 and sold in the Spring of 2010. It is apparently listed again. The nice man asked me about the house. I explained that I'm no longer an agent, and that I sold the house a few years ago. I asked how he got my contact info associated with the house. He said he saw it on Zillow. After a bit more explanation and questions by both of us, he indicated my name and contact info was in the house description for the current listing.

My first thought was that the current agent was a bit lazy and re-used my original description. That was partially true, but not entirely. After a bit of web searching on various sites I found the agent had written a new (or at least edited me out of it) description, but Zillow had pulled up my original description with my information. This description also included info about several seller incentives that are no longer true: a warranty and closing costs. I also discovered that Zillow inserted my old listing photos along with the new photos.

If I remember correctly agents are able to "claim" an address on Zillow for a listing. This allows them to view Zillow activity on a property. This is something I always did. I guess once it is claimed it remains claimed and that info is reused.

Zillow "keeps" the old listing information (photos, descriptions,etc) and incorporates it with new info if/when a house is listed again. Curiously enough, Zillow didn't have the final sales price correct--as usual.

The new agent also apparently doesn't check her listings on Zillow.

If zillow is so...crummy........which is best? And why?