Human nature,

Consider the following:

Provide the consumer with clear and direct instructions to "PICK UP THE PHONE." These are the only one's you want to spend your time with anyway. (and you are right, if Z and T don't hijack the inquiry and slice it up to the 5 advertisers) the receivers ISP may see spam or the spam filter on the recipients computer. They may never see your response. Remember, these are advertising websites, they can and do whatever they want.

As long as real estate professions keep giving away stuff the consumer will continue in the hope they can accomplish what the want without thanking you but thanking Zillow for the data and information YOU provided..

Be aware, YOU, the real estate professional do the same thing. For years on Trulia and here on AR I've talked about the only 5 questions a home seller has, and not a single agent was willing to call to know those questions. But the agents did 'click the link.' Here on AR, I've promoted the CIS Score...with exactly the same results, you click the link, but no one REALLY cares enough to pick up the phone. As different as we think we are we respond EXACTLY the same way as the consumer.

Conclusion: Folks (including agents) want to stay hidden/undeclared/anonymous or they believe they already know the answer and need no additional information because agents, according to a very popular Q on AR, refuse to educate the public regarding the inherient deception practiced by the source of the data they are trusting. 

You need to realize there is an ever growing popuation of people in your community who DO need your help. Present your value and get a piece of the pie. Challenge the mega agents and slow their dominance. As others have noted, Zillow and Trulia are not the places to invest your 90 day dollars. They are the places to add emails addresses to your drip compaigns.  and that is a shame, unless you know how to manage lists but that becomes an entirely different money stream.

I think it's simple...they want more info wo/ having to talk to someone or be bothered.  Most don't realize their name/info is being given to a realtor.  Many are not close to buying; others already working w/ a realtor or have a plan to.

I think that they want more info without an agent involved, but of course Z doesnt care, they made a sale to the agent and that was their objective from the start.

THE PROBLEM is that say on Trulia if the fill out their name and email, they do not type in what the question or inquiry they have is. All day every8 day i get spam from those sites, so if the person is not typing in what they want, it is considered spam because 9 out of 10 is, that 1 person who was real, gets lost because they did not take a minute to type what they were inquiring about. 

Gabe, I think that is one reason for lack of response. I also think that most internet leads like this are no where near ready to transact. So I use what they asked for as a signal on how to stay in touch with them longer term (until they buy or unsubscribe).

I think most of them are out there dreaming. They just click away as they dream about a property they would like to own. 

Gabe Sanders They are Internet Empowered Consumers...! One way traffic only most of the time.

Tire kickers.  Taht is about the only thing I can see that is good about the 3rd party sites...They get a lot of the tire kickers out of the way.

I think they are just clicking away.  I recently called a lead based on their request and to find out what other information they were looking for.   She asked me if I was a Realtor (didn't hear me say it) only to tell me that she didn't want all these calls and emails from all these agents.  Apparently, I was only one of many who responded to her various request.  It's bizarre. 

I have had the same problem. They do not leave a phone number and you do not know if it is their correct email address.

I know what you mean. I receievd close to 20 emails from Trulia and Zillow about a rental listing. Only 2 or 3 actually replied to the email i sent back. i think many people are in habit of just sending requests to multiple people and don't even remember what they originally asked about.

I'm sure a potion are going to spam.  I'm betting a lot go to false emails and/or emails they don't check regularly. Many people now have more than 1 email addy - their real/main one, and the one they use for when they sign up for things online.  I know I do this, and I'm not alone...many of my customers tell me they do the same thing...we always verify the email addy at the appt.

Gabe,

I have no idea why people do that.  We have people (realtors) that contact us for info, and ask us to call them.  Subsequently, they don't return phone calls, or emails...it is a syndrome.  A

They want to be anonymous and really don't want anyone to know they are searching...

Gabe, I suspect some of this is also generational. I have come to learn that email and phone calls are not the prime communication tool of the younger generation.

I have often wondered myself Gabe. I get this all the time.

Gabe, I AGREE, and also when they sign up on your web site, but never respond!