Imagine logging onto Zillow to check out the latest real estate listings in your area, only to discover that your own house is listed for sale at a fraction of its actual value. That’s exactly what happened to Jamey and Lauren Bertram, the real owners of a 5,300-square-foot, five-bedroom ranch house in Kansas City.
Their $1.2 million property was listed on Zillow for a mere $10,200 by a third party without their knowledge, sparking confusion and chaos for the unsuspecting homeowners. Jamey Bertram described the situation as a “hot mess,” spending three days trying to rectify the issue with little help from Zillow.
The scammers behind the fraudulent listing managed to circumvent Zillow’s security measures by initially setting the price at the market value of $1.2 million before drastically reducing it to $10,200. To add insult to injury, they claimed to be selling the property at a bargain price to “bless a family” and take advantage of a tax break.
Buyers who called the listed number were instructed to send a refundable $200 deposit for a tour, leading to confusion and unwanted visitors showing up at the Bertrams’ front door. The couple purchased the home in 2019 for nearly $1 million, making the fraudulent listing even more alarming.
Zillow eventually removed the listing, but not before causing a stir in the local real estate market. A recent study by Zillow revealed that home prices in Kansas City were on the rise, averaging $236,292 — a 7% increase from the previous year.
For the Bertrams, the ordeal served as a cautionary tale about the risks of online platforms and the importance of vigilant monitoring of one’s property. Hopefully, this incident will prompt Zillow and other real estate websites to enhance their security measures to prevent similar scams in the future.