Stephanie Sims, Chicago Agent’s managing editor

Syndication sites are still a hot topic, and the competition remains stiff among the “Big Three” – Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com. Since we started creating this issue two years ago, there have been some changes at each company. They all created new products, pursued acquisitions/mergers and are actively employing various strategies to stay ahead of their Big Three competition.

In this issue’s cover story, we not only asked agents exactly what they get for their money when it comes to advertising on each site, but also asked a representative from each company which products are most useful to agents depending on their annual marketing budget. With that information, this issue is full of the facts – and several opinions – about what each company’s products do, how qualified the leads generated are, and what’s worth – and not worth – an agent’s money.

With a few Chicagoland agents’ personal accounts and stats, prices and facts about every Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com product, we hope that this issue will help you make an informed decision about your own marketing plan. Compare the data yourself, test and measure different websites’ advertising packages and let us know which programs you believe give you the most for your money. Be sure to let me know – email me at stephanie@chicago.staging312.com or comment on the cover story online.