Why 15 of 30 Zillow-Lead Deals Fell Apart After Inspection

Why did 15 of 30 Zillow-lead contracts at one Atlanta brokerage fall apart after inspection? On The Key to the City of Angels, host Rick Albert talks with Tim Stanislaus, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Pearl, about the Pearl Score. Tim explains why stretched buyers terminate after big repairs surface, why higher-performing homes are less likely to go into mortgage delinquency, why appraisers often miss upgrades such as solar, and what an inspection report leaves out. They also cover owned versus leased solar and the map at pearlscore.com. About Tim Stanislaus: Tim Stanislaus is the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Pearl, an independent standards and ratings organization for home performance. He educates agents, buyers and partners on energy efficiency, living performance and the total cost of homeownership. Before Pearl, he led Zillow's Premier Agent sales organization. About Rick Albert: Rick Albert is the host of The Key to the City of Angels, a Los Angeles real estate broker with LAMERICA Real Estate, and an investor with 15+ years in the Los Angeles market. 🔑 In this episode, you'll learn: • Why 15 of 30 July contracts from Zillow leads at one Atlanta brokerage were terminated. • Why pre-listing inspections and transparency can help a sale close faster. • Why higher-performing homes are less likely to go into mortgage delinquency. • Why appraisers often miss upgrades such as solar. • What to ask about solar, and why owned versus leased matters. Key questions answered in this episode: Q: What is a home performance score, and what does the Pearl Score measure? A: Tim Stanislaus, SVP of Business Development at Pearl, explains that the Pearl Score rates single family homes on Safety, Comfort, Operations, Resiliency and Energy. Q: Why do home sales fall apart after the inspection? A: Tim Stanislaus, SVP of Business Development at Pearl, explains that stretched buyers max out their budget, so big repairs found at inspection push them over it, which is why an Atlanta brokerage owner told him 15 of 30 July contracts from Zillow leads were terminated. Q: Are higher-performing homes less likely to go into mortgage delinquency? A: Tim Stanislaus, SVP of Business Development at Pearl, notes that Pearl's studies with a large fintech mortgage company show higher-performing homes are less likely to go into mortgage delinquency. Q: Why do appraisers miss upgrades like solar panels or new windows? A: Tim Stanislaus, SVP of Business Development at Pearl, explains that appraisers usually value homes by comparable sales, so an upgrade counts only if they find it and value it. Q: Should I get a pre-listing inspection before I sell my home? A: Tim Stanislaus, SVP of Business Development at Pearl, recommends that sellers pre-inspect so they know what buyers will find. ⏳ Chapters: 0:00 What home performance is and how the Pearl Score works 6:11 Pearl's data and the mortgage link 8:37 Why appraisers and comps miss upgrades 12:35 Transparency, Zillow and Atlanta terminations 15:43 Pre-listing inspections and what reports leave out 20:49 Climate, code and the age of the home 28:36 Solar: owned or leased 39:55 Total cost of ownership and the car analogy 46:34 Using the Pearl map as an investor 🎧 HOSTED BY: Rick Albert | The Key to the City of Angels 👤 GUEST: Tim Stanislaus | SVP of Business Development, Pearl 👉🏻 CONNECT WITH TIM STANISLAUS AND PEARL: • Website: https://www.pearlscore.com • LinkedIn:   / pearlscore   • Instagram:   / pearlhomescore   • Email: Tim.Stanislaus@pearlscore.com Looking for an accurate home value estimate in Southern California? Get a complimentary Los Angeles home equity and property value review from Rick Albert: https://rickalbertonline.com/equity-r... 👉🏻 FOLLOW RICK ALBERT: • Website: https://rickalbertonline.com/ • YouTube:    / @rickbalbert   • Instagram:   / rickbalbert   • LinkedIn:   / rickbalbert   • Facebook:   / rickbalbert   #KeyToTheCityOfAngels #RickAlbert #TimStanislaus #PearlScore Subscribe and share this episode with an agent who sells homes. 💎 Produced by Icons of Real Estate