If you have a house advertised for sale by owner, you will have no problem finding a licensed agent to come to your house and do a free market analysis, even if you tell them that you intend to not list the house. That is not unethical. You may even get unsolicited offers to do an analysis. It's part of a sales pitch to get a listing. The agent's market analysis will probably be more accurate than one that you pay an appraiser for. Most appraisers who get paid are working for a bank, and the appraisal is done to justify the amount of the mortgage, not to set a listing price. But, as a buyer, if you don't have any idea how much a house is worth, you shouldn't even be buying one.
I think that Zillow has an unfair reputation because many real estate agents will criticize Zillow. Obviously, Zillow uses public data and does not personally visit the houses they appraise. But, their methodology and accuracy are clearly explained on their website, and they do have a good accuracy track record. The Zestimate for my house is pretty accurate, but I wouldn't use it as the only information to determine a listing price. I would get another opinion. Anyone who appraises a house can only provide an estimated value. It is just an estimate. The actual value is the amount a buyer is willing to pay for the house.
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