Zillow's decision to shut down its Zillow Offers business marked a significant failure attributed to its aggressive approach to the iBuying market, resulting in substantial financial losses and workforce reductions. The company struggled to accurately predict housing market trends, leading to overestimated home values and unsold inventory, contrasting with competitors like Opendoor and Offerpad, who maintained a more cautious and successful strategy. Criticism has been misdirected at the data scientists and their algorithms, while the true issue lay in the business leaders' mismanagement and unrealistic expectations of rapid market dominance. Despite the potential of iBuying to revolutionize real estate transactions, the venture's profitability hinges on precise forecasting, risk management, and adapting to unpredictable economic conditions, which Zillow failed to achieve, ultimately resulting in a $245 million loss for Q3 and a significant stock drop.