4 "sold" prices on Zillow that were never real sales
Zillow and Redfin label almost every recorded transfer "Sold." Four kinds are not market sales: foreclosure transfers, partial-interest deeds, family transfers, and estate or trust transfers. The county deed record tells you which is which, in about three minutes.
One house, three "sold" pricesPierce County, WA
Anchor comp from our public sample report: a 1910s 1.5-story in Tacoma's 98408, four blocks from the subject. Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer sale records, accessed 2026-08-26.
Both the $320k and the $470k show up as "Sold" on the portals. Only one of them was a buyer and a seller agreeing on a price. We caught it because the low figure stood out against the street; the county deed confirmed it.
The four transfers that are not salesDeed type + excise affidavit
Washington real estate excise tax (REET) exemption codes cited from chapter 458-61A WAC, Washington State Legislature, accessed 2026-08-26. Other states use different deed names; the logic is the same.
Every valuation, yours or an appraiser's, rests on nearby market sales. One non-sale in the list bends the whole answer.
A price far below the street, or two "Sold" events within 18 months. Both deserve a deed lookup before you trust either number.
What a partial-interest "sale" looks like8205 S Bell St, Tacoma
Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer parcel sales history, accessed 2026-07-18 and re-checked 2026-08-26. Owner names omitted.
We looked at this house as a possible flip and passed. Had we read the $121,125 as the seller's cost basis, we would have assumed a seller with huge room to negotiate. The county record said otherwise.
Deed type cheat sheetWashington names
Deed names vary by state (warranty vs. grant deed, trustee's vs. referee's deed). The question is the same everywhere: did an unrelated buyer pay an unrelated seller?
How to check, in three stepsFree, about 3 minutes
- 1Flag the outliersAny "Sold" well below the street, or two sales within 18 months, goes on the list.
- 2Read the county recordParcel page → sales history → deed type and excise affidavit. In Pierce County the exemption code is on the affidavit.
- 3Keep only real salesArm's-length sales stay as comps. Everything else becomes history, not a price.
Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer parcel search, accessed 2026-08-26. Most US counties offer an equivalent free lookup.
Every comp in a PropDossier report is checked against the county excise record before it is allowed to set the after-repair value. Our methodology explains the full process.
"Adjust" a foreclosure or family transfer to make it usable. There is no market price under it to adjust from.
Why a flipper would publish this. We nearly anchored a deal on a $320k foreclosure transfer that was $150k below the real sale. Three minutes in county records is the cheapest insurance in this business.
Please read. This article is for informational purposes only. It is not an appraisal, brokerage service, or investment, legal, or tax advice. Deed and excise-tax rules differ by state; verify with your county recorder and consult licensed professionals before any real estate decision.
Related reading
Sources
- Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer parcel search (ATIP): parcel sales history, deed type, excise number, finished area, tax, checked 2026-08-26.
- Chapter 458-61A WAC, Real estate excise tax: Washington State Legislature; exemption codes cited in the deed cards, checked 2026-08-26.
- WAC 458-61A-208: exemption for foreclosure and deeds in lieu, checked 2026-08-26.
- WAC 458-61A-201: exemption for gifts, checked 2026-08-26.
- WAC 458-61A-202: exemption for inheritance or devise, checked 2026-08-26.
- WAC 458-61A-210: exemption for transfers to and from trusts, checked 2026-08-26.
- Washington Department of Revenue, Real estate excise tax: what the excise affidavit is and when an exemption code is claimed, checked 2026-08-26.
- Zillow: how the portal labels recorded transfers as "Sold"; site blocks automated checks, returned HTTP 403, checked 2026-08-26.
- Redfin: how the portal labels recorded transfers as "Sold", checked 2026-08-26.
FAQ
Why does Zillow show a foreclosure as a sale?
Portals build price history from recorded deeds. A trustee's deed after a foreclosure auction is a recorded transfer with a dollar amount, so it gets the same "Sold" label as a negotiated sale. The portal does not read the deed type; you have to.
How do I find the deed type behind a sale?
Open the county assessor or recorder page for the parcel and look at the sales or transfer history. In Pierce County, Washington, the Assessor-Treasurer parcel page lists each sale with its excise number, price, and deed type; the excise affidavit also shows whether an exemption was claimed. Most US counties publish something similar for free.
Can I use a foreclosure sale as a comp if I adjust it?
We do not. A foreclosure price reflects the lender's debt and the auction crowd on one morning, not what an ordinary buyer would pay. Use it as background on the house's history, not as a price reference. The same goes for partial-interest, family, and estate transfers.
Does one bad comp really change the result?
Yes. If a $320k foreclosure sits in a list of $470k to $550k market sales, the average drops by tens of thousands, and every price-per-square-foot number moves with it. An after-repair value built on that list is wrong from the first line.
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Get a free sample analysisPublished 2026-08-26 · Updated 2026-08-26 · PropDossier Research