Name: Zillow
Rating: 4.6

LAST UPDATED: August 19th, 2024

Zillow was developed as an online real estate search engine that was incorporated in 2004. It was created by Rich Barton and Lloyd Bring, former Microsoft gurus who were key in the development of the Expedia website. Spencer Rascoff serves as the company CEO. The company has data on over 110 million homes in the United States, in addition to the 2 million that are currently listed on the website for sale. The site offers value estimates on homes, gives key data on how the price of a home will change over a given timespan, gives aerial views of homes and helps customers find data on similar homes that exist in the same search area. The website accesses basic public data on a home and also gives information on the square footage and number of bedrooms listed in a home. If a home has a recently added feature, such as a renovation, this information is also tracked on the website for the home. Zillow also has API integration and developers can also network Zillow's search feature into websites developed for other realtors. Zillow has a unique functionality that is not found on many realtor websites. The "Make Me Move" feature is a great way to get a pre-market price on the home out there. One of the nice features of the Zillow website is the rental search feature, which was launched in 2009. The website doesn't list as many rentals as homes, but this helps renters find an affordable website. Zillow is also used to power other key real estate search paradigms, such as AOL Real Estate and MSN Real Estate, in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Zillow also was one of the first companies in the industry to begin using apps to access its real estate search database. Here is a list of apps available and the dates that they were launched:

April 2009, iPhone app
March 2010, Android app
April 2010, iPad app
March 2011, Blackberry app
July 2012, Windows phone app
November 2013, Windows 8.1 app.

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The Good

Search functionality
Apps

The first thing that we noticed about the Zillow website was its functionality. We liked the number of listings that we saw available. The search feature is also easy to use. Site users can do multiple types of searches. It is possible to search by address, state, map, type of home, rental or home purchase, the number of bedrooms in a home, and other search criteria. It also includes a "Make Me Move" price, where customers can see new homes that are just starting to enter the market. Another thing that we liked about the website was the feature that lets users see factors that increase a home's values. Price valuation increases in a home can be projected for a 5- or 10-year timespan. Also, the site lists recent renovations to a home that may also increase its price. We also liked the number of apps available for Zillow. When we looked at apps in the industry, many of the apps were only geared for the iPhone. We saw apps available for the iPad and Google tablets as well. The Zillow app is very flexible to use on the Windows 8.1 phone, a major plus in our opinion, given the Zillow functionality of the MSN Real Estate website. We found that the Zillow "Zestimate" was also accurate. We looked at homes on the website and then checked these prices with real estate websites and other listings. The Zestimate feature allows users to see a price that is projected based on several factors, including prices of homes that are also going in the same search area. Zestimate, however, is not always accurate. One of the problems that we found with "Zestimates" was that the price accuracy varies by location and current offers if buyers are negotiating for the home.

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The Bad

Customer support
Zestimate accuracy

One of the things we noticed right away was the lack of support available for the Zillow website. They don't offer a toll-free number for customers to call in. There is also no live chat app for customers who are looking for information about a particular home. Another problem that we found with Zillow was that the Zestimate and home prices listed on the website was not always accurate. We found that a homeowner who rented had lost income on a property because the property was incorrectly listed as being "in foreclosure." The client asked to receive funds to help compensate for their losses, but Zillow responded by saying that their information is received from third-party sources. We found that the pricing critiques of the website hinged on the following factors:

Some data used to compile the Zillow price estimate can be as old as twenty years and is based on old bank data, public data, and sales transactions.
Only 65% of Zillow's listing stock can be considered "accurate," according to Fortune magazine.
Real estate agents and brokers are more likely to know the most up-to-date and factual information about a home that is listed for sale.

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The Bottom Line

Overall, we would recommend Zillow as a website for listing your home or looking for a new home. Here is what we liked about Zillow's website:

Accurate data, for the most part, that is compiled from trustworthy and up-to-date public sources.
The "Zestimate" price that is listed for homes.
The search functionality of the website.
The ability for site users to ask real estate questions in a public forum.
The map feature and aerial views offered for homes.
Price valuation information for a home that is listed in timespan intervals.
Rental listings that are almost as extensive as sales listings.

We saw a pattern of complaints such as occasional inaccurate price information for a new home. Some landlords lost money due to homes being listed as "in foreclosure" on the website when they were in fact not. Also, we had concerns with some property information on the website, especially bank data, as being as much as two decades old. Even though Zillow gets its information from third-party sources, more supervision of the data is needed to ensure its accuracy.

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User Reviews

Star Rating

4.6

1,132 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

58%

4 grade

28%

3 grade

10%

2 grade

1 grade

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L. Jones11 Philadelphia, MS

I’m a HUGE fan of Zillow! The site is really easy to navigate and understand, it would be easy for anyone to use. I’m not a fan of the app though, the setup is completely different so I definitely prefer the app but it’s a decent app overall. I love the option for having virtual walkthroughs, it’s so fun and a good way to get a good feel for a property if you aren’t in the situation to go visit it in person! Would definitely recommend to anyone!

2 years ago

Leonard Leo Potomac, MD

One of favorite go to site to check home sale prices and current comps in the area, i.e. Zestimates. You can search by type of property, prices and areas. Zillow gives you free information that a typical MLS service would, including school districting, taxes, previous sale price. Unfortunately, this free service cannot complete with the paid MLS service.

3 years ago

Charli Peaden

Zillow is easy to use and the app is simple to navigate. There has been a couple of properties that listed available that actually were already sold. Which is to be expected. I will say that Zillow's listings are much more accurate and up to date then some of it's competitors, though. Several times I have recommended Zillow when the topic of house hunting come up and will continue to do so!!

9 months ago

Janessa P Logan, UT

I have used Zillow to keep me up to date on houses posted and listed on the MLS. I have found it to be almost always accurate and equal to what other MLS sites state. Usually Utah Real Estate is a little quicker but Zillow keeps up well. I appreciate that Zillow has house estimates and a graph of the history of the value of the house over time. I also appreciate that many times Zillow will also list when the house was listed and purchased previously and sometimes for how much. It is very helpful when searching for a home inside of Utah and also searching in other places across the United States.

1 year ago

Kelsey T.L. Lansing, MI

I've been using Zillow for a while now, and I must say it's a fantastic resource for both homebuyers and sellers. While it's not perfect, there are many aspects of Zillow that I truly appreciate. Zillow's user-friendly interface makes it easy to search for homes in your desired area. The filters are incredibly helpful, allowing you to narrow down your options by price range, property type, and various other criteria. I've found this feature especially useful in my home search. Another aspect I find valuable is the wealth of information available for each listing. You can view detailed property descriptions, high-quality photos, and even take virtual tours. This helps you get a better sense of a property before deciding to visit it in person. Another aspect that I've appreciated is the "Zestimate" tool. This has proven to be very helpful when assessing the value of a home, and in our experience, it's been very accurate. Our house's appraisal came in at the exact Zestimate. However, this was not accurate for our friends in the same home-buying process. It may depend on the location of the home. Overall, Zillow is a reliable platform for real estate research, and it has been a valuable tool in our homebuying journey. With a few minor improvements and more accurate data, it could easily earn a solid five-star rating.

The Zillow website is easy to navigate and very user friendly. I especially like the filtering feature. It helped me to be able to search for rentals (apartments and houses) that specifically allow pets, or (using the map feature) are on the way to work. I used Zillow a few years ago to find an apartment, then later a house. The only thing that I found annoying was the tendency for places that had not yet been built to show up on a search for a house. (It would include contractors, planned community developments, etc. in a search). I wasn’t interested in them, and I wasn’t sure how to remove them from the search.

Mary Talladega, AL

I have had the Zillow app off and on for quite awhile. I do like the ease of using the app and all the things they usually include (info about the property) there seems to be one glaring issue I do have with the few times I have actually contacted someone on Zillow. I never get a response. I don't know why I haven't had much luck getting an agent to contact me back about a property but it seems someone is listing these properties and even updates them, I just on at least 2 different occasions not have an agent reach out to me. Even if I was interested or even to answer a question about the property. Maybe I am expecting too much?

4 years ago

Doyal Stewart Salt Lake City, UT

I have been looking into buying a home for some time now, Zillow has been a great way to see all of the available homes in the areas I want to live in. I also like the added information of seeing what homes are foreclosed. Hopefully my search for a home will be over soon.

7 years ago

Susan Stewart Salt Lake City, UT

Zillow has been a great little app for trying to find a home. It's so easy to zoom in and out of the map to see the houses I want to. They give a great deal of information and even estimate what my monthly price would be. It's probably the best app for houses right now.

Alexandra Rosado

It is excellent for finding properties and updates of such properties. It needs to be a little bit more user friendly for Puerto Rico residents because getting effective communication with realtors from the island or being able to get a loan approval for the island through the app is not effective.

10 months ago

Joseph West

Easy to use website that I totally use to see how much my neighbors and friends houses are “worth.” Put in quotations though because this is for entertainment purposes only as the valuations are usually way off. I love that it keeps old listings though so that we can see what the inside of the house used to look like.

Osotomilayo

I remember the first time I used Zillow to search for my dream home. I was amazed by the vast array of listings available at my fingertips. With just a few clicks, I could browse through different properties in various neighborhoods, filtering my search based on my preferences. The ease of navigation and user-friendly interface made the whole process seem almost effortless.

Stanley Turner

When we were looking to buy what we hoped would be our final house before we reach our expiration date, we looked at many different websites for realtors, real estate etc. but Zillow by far was the most helpful. Zillow texted my wife with newly listed homes that met our requirements, we requested visits on two of those homes and bought the first one we saw. Good thing that Zillow provided this service as there were 3 more offers after we placed our offer which was accepted. Outstanding…

Missions Dallas, TX

I like the way Zillow covers the different cities in the states they are advertising. The information pages and pictures of properties are very detailed. Use them all the time while considering relocation. They send out to many emails. Need to receive information only on the requested types of properties if need to be alerted by a certain location or property.

Lynnetta W. Monroe, LA

I like Zillow. It was very helpful in my search for a home in a different state before and after I moved. The previous history that they list is useful as well. I like how you can connect with a licensed agent via their site. I, eventually, kept the agent that picked up my call when I toured my first home. It took about 9 months to find a home and it was listed on their site. I dislike it because it seems that the market value and final price of sale may or may not be accurate.

Krystalyn Rourke Lancaster, CA

Zillow is one of the main companies I use to search for housing and to also get an idea of what house around us are selling for. It provides you with a lot of information about the home as well as the school systems around and crime. Mainly all info you want to know when moving into a new home. The only issue I have is the information is not always updated right away.

Imperio Anderson Yuma, AZ

I love going on Zillow even if I'm not buying a house. I can stay on this site forever looking at places! The only problem I would have is that if you are interested in a home sometimes a house has a lot of applications and hasn't sold. So be careful if there are many applications on a home and has not sold because those people are trying to profit on the fact that sometimes it costs money to send in an application!

Tee Bell Burbank, IL

Zillow provided Great service. There was a good selection of properties to view. Everything was easy to use and view. I love the feature of being able to do a credit check and background check for a small monthly fee. The landlords had access to my information before calling. I enjoyed that the most. Its a away of saying ok I'm passed that step now lets meet and see if we are a fit. Very pleased with Zillow

Bambi Miller Aberdeen, MD

The site is very easy to use. Has many rentals listed and the price is good. You pay $29 and it's checks your credit and rental history and criminal background. It says you can apply to unlimited places within 30 days, however not all of the property management companies use their application on Zillow you have to go to the company's website and pay their application fee instead.

Andrew Glover Tucson, AZ

The company is very organized with their search results. Their website is easy to navigate and their paid services are explained well, and I didn't feel at risk of purchasing something I didn't necessarily need or want.. However, I feel that their "Zestimate" apprasial feature is insanely inaccurate and a little more thought should have been put into that, because although they state it isn't an accurate estimate, people could be mislead one way or the other about their own property or a property they would like to purchase.

Holly Ware Atlanta, GA

I have only used this siteva dew times but every time I do, they have been very helpful and given great references for me to use to find what type of property I'm looking for. I think that this site is the top one for what it does but they could change a few things about how user friendly the desktop app is bc I hadca hard time using the site the first time until a friend showed me how to use it properly.

Catherine Yee Newport Beach, CA

Zillow is a practical and useful tool to sell or find a home. You will save time and energy by reviewing homes on the market the same time that you might be selling or buying. With the ever changing real estate market, this is a great way to do your research and plan your strategy whether selling or buying home or other property for investment. We have sold homes and bought homes by using Zillow.

Brian Cowley Riverton, UT

I use Zillow daily in my employment as a Loan Officer. I love being able to find out a fair amount of details about a house without having to always go to the country records. Most data is accurate. The Zestimate is always higher than real appraisals. Often times a lot higher. That always distorts a borrowers view on their homes, which makes it difficult to educate customers. Wish that was a bit more refined.

Mandi Colorado Springs, CO

I absolutely love the fact that I can pay for one application fee per month I use it to search for homes, but be able to then apply to as many properties as I want in that month. It has saved me HUNDREDS in application fees! Sometimes it can be a challenge to contact a live person through Zillow for questions about properties, but that is likely an issue with individual real estate representatives rather than Zillow itself.

Cam Hall Palmyra, VA

Zillow is a fantastic data aggregator for real estate data, but not all data is treated equally. For ex, the estimated value of a home can often be either much above or below the appraised value of a home, and “similar homes” is spotty. But still, you’re able to quickly see the sale history, tax history, local utilities, schools, and more with an easy to use interface. It’s a huge, huge value.

Derrick Robinson Blythewood, SC

Overall its a great sight and one of the industries leading sites on houses in the market for your everyday home owner and buyer. Its very general on providing a general range on what your home can sell for. It also allows you the home owner to claim your home and update information regarding your home so you can stay in the know on what your house could sell for in today's market.

Ashlyn Elwood Roswell, GA

I love Zillow! They make it super easy to list and find a home and provide great information such as their Zestimate (how much they think the house is worth based on local comps) and information such as amenities. Super clean look and very organized! I used to be subscribed to their emails, but they sent them very frequently about house recommendations. This could be a great thing if you are looking for a house in a very competitive market!

Erin Carothers Eagle Mountain, UT

Zillow is great for getting a quick snapshot of what homes are on the market to purchase but the Zestimate feature isn't reliable for making real financial decisions about your home. The Zillow Apartment finder is amazing though. I love that I can pay one single fee and apply to multiple apartments at the same time. Plus it saves my application data so that I don't have to fill out the same information a billion times.

TTeep Smithfield, UT

I've really like using Zillow to give me a pretty close estimate of the value of my home. The only thing that I don't like is that their costs lag a little behind actual value and they don't appear to take into account unique situation type of things. It seems like I can increase my value by simply filling out the details on the site, not sure if that just makes it more accurate or inflates the cost. However, we did recently sell our home for more than Zillow listed it for.

Daniel Snow Redmond, WA

I have used Zillow frequently over the past 3 years for apartment hunting and now shopping for a home. Works well, but the backend services could be better streamlined. For instance when I select “schedule a tour” today, I get texts and calls to set up a time, despite having already selected a date and time for a tour. I shouldn’t have to do any more than choose a date and time on the page unless I want to.

Steve Ashby Portland, OR

I use Zillow quite often as a way to see what a listed home asking price is and also to see value of homes in certain areas. It is a good way to search for homes for sale in a certain area before you go looking around. It gives a good look at costs in a certain area. I would give a rating of 5, but there are some errors that come up with homes that say they are in repo but aren't.

Cindy H Gilbert, AZ

Zillow is easy to use and I like the maps and being able to see home values whether they are for sale or not. The down side of Zillow is that sometimes homes are left on the site that are no longer for sale. This is a problem when i see what i want and inquire only to find it isn't on the market anymore. Feel like it may be on purpose to increase traffic and get names to sell to relators.

Tyler Strieby Lehi, UT

Zillow gave a great overview of tons of listings within the area in which we were looking. I loved using all their filters when conducting a search so I didn't have to look through listings that didn't fit what we were looking for. Their map feature is very helpful too! Allowing us to visualize where the home was located. I found, however, that many of the listings were out of date. Some of the properties had already sold. I wish it was more current.

Laura Galindo Aliso Viejo, CA

I found my current apartment in zillow and loved it. Currently I am having a little trouble requesting an appointment, since no one contact me back for viewing, appointment. I'll keep trying...

Morgan Tennant Rexburg, ID

Zillow is a very well put together website that makes it easy to search for housing. I've found the information to be very accurate, which is very important when looking for something on short notice.

Judy Feldmeier Houston, TX

Very easy to search properties, like the fact you can narrow your search criteria making it useful. Like the fact it saves your searches and you get notified when a property matches your criteria.

Suzanna Wootton Springville, UT

When I was looking to buy a house, I enjoyed using Zillow. The only thing I didn't like was that houses would already be sold and they would still be up on zillow's site and it was kind of frustrating.

7 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

Emerald Scott West Jordan, UT

The site is easy to use and has a ton of useful information. The searches are easy to customize, but it only has town specifications whereas I would prefer distance specifications.

Areddwolf

Zillow is a great tool for real estate hunting. It's very accurate and I like the tools they offer. It's very convenient to be able to search properties anywhere you choose.

Sharon Las Vegas, NV

Zillow has been my go to website for searching homes for sale in my local area. This companies website is user friendly and easy to navigate. If you are looking for homes for sale whether it is in your local area, or other parts of the country consider using Zillow as your navigating site.

Pete Anderson

This company is good for an overall list of properties and open houses. Up sides; the site has many filter options, easy to use, and it offers estimates on rates. Down sides; it sonetimes provides over estimates on homes, some information can be out dated or not up to date.

Ann Carson Glenolden, PA

Very easy app to use, get notifications almost daily on new listings, can also designate certain areas, have been using Zillow for the past 3 years. Gives a lot of great information on listings, especially neighborhoods, schools, shopping.

Tina Porter Montgomery, AL

I use Zillow because it provides geographical views. It has potential calculations for down payments and monthly payments, It is very detailed and it also allows you to customize your search. I couldn't find anything wrong with the site.

Reb R

Pretty simple to use website. I love that they have satellite maps in addition to regular maps. Lately isn’t he current market it seems as if properties are undervalued. We had our home appraised recently and the Zillow estimate was $130,000 under what the appraisal was.

Jeri Bryant

Zillow always been the go to in the industry. They regularly release new products and updates that reflect their commitment to staying ahead of the curve. I go to them first to see what new on the market and if I need to put an offer in.

1 year ago Edited September 15, 2023

Danny Martinez Houston, TX

I have used Zillow many times, and each time, it seems to get better. I enjoy how easy the features can be used to see a property before going there in person. It makes the experience much more real, and when I have gone to see the properties, they are exactly like the description, photos, and everything on the website.

1 year ago Edited June 6, 2023

Lloyd Plainfield, IL

Have uses Zillow in the past to look for a home for sale for my wife and myself. I also used and recommended Zillow to our sons during their searches for their homes. Find their property projections to be pretty accurate. Was very impressed to find out they also accept mortgage applications.

Maureen OConnor Palm Coast, FL

Really like the ease of use of Zillow from looking to rent or buy to selling. I've done them all, and they are very receptive when things need to be edited (when selling). As far as buying, they are often behind on pendings and contingent sales. For that, I look to Realtor.com for more up-to-date information. Would still recommend.

Lisa perry Mount Pleasant, MI

I love Zillow because it gives the best information on the homes and what is included and what is wrong with the home as example that its a home that needs love. One thing is to keep the properties updated more frequently, other than that Zillow rocks

mi8chael Moore Philadelphia, PA

Zillow makes viewing and searching for an apartment or house. Submitting an application is 1 click away plus u can leave a message for the renter.zillow will follow-up to see if the renter reply back.my experience was pretty good utilizing zillow app.