[JumpCrisscross]

> Can I ask why? I'm also looking to buy a house and the Zillow offerings, from what I've seen, are not particularly competitive.

I agree. (I'm not buying from them.) I am having to deal with sellers who change their ask at the last minute, have past financial issues (if something goes wrong and I have to sue, will they have assets?), want to stay through the winter, et cetera. In most home purchases, expedience isn't the most important thing for the buyer. For some, it is, and in those cases something like Zillow's offer in theory makes sense. (Counterpoint: homes aren't fungible.)

[nradov]

Checking if the seller has assets in case you have to sue is just bizarre. That's not how residential real estate works.