Zillow is to appraising what Roni Deutch is to tax consulting.
Zillow is not an appraiser. It is pretty solid for a quickie overview of prices. It works off of completed sales in an area to give approximates of home values. Of course it does not take into account specifics of that particular home, but in a cookie cutter neighborhood, it is fairly accurate. Actual appraisers are nothing to write home about. Prior to the meltdown, they were over inflating to satisfy lenders and now they are way undervaluing to cover their a$$.