The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Homes on Zillow

Buying and Selling Homes on Zillow: The Ultimate Guide

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For nearly two decades, Zillow has been a household name, fundamentally changing how we approach real estate. More than just a search portal, it has evolved into a comprehensive "housing super app," an ecosystem designed to assist buyers, sellers, renters, and real estate professionals at every stage of their journey. In fact, "Zillow" is now searched more frequently than the term "real estate" itself, highlighting its dominance and the trust users place in its platform.

Whether you’re looking for your dream home or preparing to sell your current one, understanding how to use zillow effectively is crucial. This ultimate guide will walk you through every feature, tool, and process, providing you with the knowledge to navigate the platform like an expert.

Table of Contents

What is Zillow’s Role in Real Estate?

Zillow is the most-visited real estate website in the United States, designed to empower users with information. It’s a vast marketplace that connects millions of people with homes and the professionals who can help them. The platform and its affiliate brands—including Trulia, StreetEasy, and HotPads—create an end-to-end experience that simplifies the complex, fragmented process of a real estate transaction.

At its core, Zillow’s mission is to provide seamless solutions for every step of the moving journey, from initial research and touring to financing and closing. It’s not a brokerage in the traditional sense for most transactions; rather, it’s a technology platform that facilitates connections and provides powerful tools for consumers and agents alike.

The Zestimate®: Understanding Zillow’s Home Valuation Tool

Perhaps Zillow’s most famous feature is the Zestimate®, the company’s estimated market value for a home. It’s often the first thing homeowners and buyers look at, but it’s important to understand what it is—and what it isn’t.

A Zestimate is a computer-generated valuation calculated using a proprietary formula. This algorithm incorporates millions of data points, including:

  • Public and MLS Data: Information from county and tax assessor records, as well as direct feeds from hundreds of Multiple Listing Services.
  • Home Characteristics: Details like square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and location.
  • Market Trends: On-market data such as the listing price, comparable home sales, and days on the market, plus off-market data like tax assessments and prior sales.
  • User-Submitted Data: Homeowners can update their home facts, which can influence the Zestimate’s accuracy.

How Accurate is the Zestimate?

Zillow is transparent about the Zestimate’s accuracy, which depends heavily on the amount of available data in a specific area. According to Zillow, the nationwide median error rate for on-market homes is just 1.94%. However, for off-market homes, where less current data is available, the median error rate is higher at 7.06%.

It is critical to remember that the Zestimate is not an appraisal and cannot be used in place of one for securing a loan. It’s a starting point for conversation and a valuable tool for tracking a home’s potential value over time, but it should always be supplemented with a comparative market analysis (CMA) from a real estate agent and a professional appraisal. The question "will zillow buy my house for zestimate?" is a common one tied to its old iBuying program, which is discussed in a later section.

A Buyer’s Guide to Zillow

For those embarking on a zillow home buying process, the platform offers an unparalleled suite of tools to make the search easier and more immersive. It is arguably the best website to look at houses for sale.

Advanced Search and Touring Tools

Finding zillow homes for sale is more than just filtering by price and bedrooms. Zillow offers innovative tech tools that bring listings to life:

  • 3D Home® Tours & Immersive Floor Plans: Virtually walk through a property from your computer or phone, getting a true sense of the layout and flow before you visit in person.
  • Natural Language Search: You can search the way you talk, such as "four-bedroom house near me with a pool," and Zillow’s AI will interpret your request.
  • Co-shopping Features: Invite a partner, family member, or friend to a shared collection of homes, making it easy to comment on and discuss listings together.
  • Saved Searches and Alerts: Save your specific search criteria to receive instant or daily updates on new listings that match what you’re looking for.

Financing and Affordability

Zillow integrates the financial side of zillow buying homes directly into the experience.

  • BuyAbility Tool: This feature helps you understand what you can truly afford by analyzing your income, debts, and savings.
  • Zillow Home Loans: Zillow’s affiliate lender offers a streamlined way to get pre-approved and secure financing, making the zillow house purchase journey more seamless.
  • Down Payment Assistance: Zillow displays information about down payment assistance programs on listings to help make homeownership more accessible.

Connecting with a Professional

When you’re ready to take the next step, Zillow connects you with a local Zillow Premier Agent® partner. These agents are your advocates, helping you explore options, book tours, negotiate offers, and navigate the complex path to closing. For many users, Zillow is the best place to look for houses for sale not just for the listings, but for these professional connections. It’s one of the most trusted websites to look for houses.

A Seller’s Guide to Zillow

If you’re looking to sell on zillow, the platform provides multiple avenues to reach the largest audience of potential buyers. From understanding your home’s value to marketing it effectively, Zillow has tools to support your sale.

Step 1: Determine Your Path – With an Agent or For Sale By Owner

Your first decision when selling on zillow is whether to partner with a real estate agent or handle the sale yourself. Zillow supports both paths.

  • Selling with an Agent: Zillow can connect you with a Premier Agent who understands your local market. They will handle pricing strategy, marketing, negotiations, and paperwork. Agents can also leverage powerful tools like Zillow Showcase, an exclusive marketing solution that uses high-resolution photography, 3D tours, and interactive floor plans to make your listing stand out.
  • Selling For Sale By Owner (FSBO): For homeowners who want to manage their own sale, Zillow offers a robust FSBO platform. Zillow for sale by owner is a popular option for those comfortable with the process.

Step 2: Listing Your Home for Sale

The process for getting your home on Zillow differs slightly depending on the path you choose.

How to list a house on zillow with an agent:
If you’re working with an agent, they will handle everything. Your listing will be entered into the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and Zillow receives this data through direct IDX feeds. Your agent will ensure all photos, details, and descriptions are optimized to attract buyers.

How to list on zillow for sale by owner:
If you’re wondering how to sell a house by owner on zillow, the process is straightforward. Here’s how to sell your own home on zillow:

  1. Create a Zillow Account: You’ll need a free account to get started.
  2. Claim Your Home: Find your property on Zillow and claim ownership. This gives you the ability to edit its facts and post it for sale.
  3. Navigate to the For Sale By Owner Page: From your owner dashboard, you can choose to list your home for sale.
  4. Set Your Price and Add Details: This is your chance to shine. Write a compelling description, upload high-quality photos and videos, and provide all the necessary details.
  5. Publish: Once you’re satisfied, you can publish your zillow for sale by owner how to list.

Step 3: Understanding the Costs

A common question is, "how much does zillow charge to sell your home?"

  • For an FSBO listing, it is completely free to list my home for sale on Zillow. There is no cost to sell home on zillow directly through the platform.
  • If you work with a Premier Agent, you will pay a commission, which is standard in any agent-led real estate transaction. Zillow’s revenue comes from selling advertising and services to these agents, not from taking a percentage of your home sale. The cost to sell on zillow is therefore indirect; you pay your agent, and your agent pays Zillow for marketing tools. There are no direct zillow selling fees.

The Zillow Offers Era: Does Zillow Still Buy Houses?

For several years, Zillow operated a direct-to-consumer home buying and selling service known as Zillow Offers. This was the company’s iBuying (or "instant buying") division. Homeowners could request a zillow offer and, if they accepted, sell house to zillow directly for cash, avoiding the traditional listing process.

This led to a surge in searches like "zillow buys homes," "sell my house to zillow," and "does zillow buy houses for cash?" The zillow home buying program provided a convenient, fast, and certain way to sell. However, in late 2021, Zillow announced it was shutting down its iBuying operations.

So, does zillow still buy houses? The answer is no. The Zillow Offers program that was responsible for the company’s iBuying has been discontinued. You can no longer sell home to zillow directly. While many people still wonder, "will zillow buy my house?", the company has shifted its focus back to its core mission of connecting buyers, sellers, and agents through its technology platform. The question of "is selling to zillow a good idea?" is now a historical one, as the option is no longer available.

Tools for Renters and Landlords

Zillow’s ecosystem extends far beyond just buying and selling. Zillow Rental Manager provides a comprehensive suite of tools for landlords and property managers. Landlords can create listings, screen tenants with online applications that include credit and background checks, create and digitally sign leases, and even collect rent payments online.

For renters, Zillow is the #1 U.S. residential real estate app. They can search the largest rental network, apply for multiple properties with a single application for a flat fee, and even have their on-time rent payments reported to help build their credit history.

Zillow’s Commitment to a Fairer Housing Market

Zillow actively uses its position as a market leader to advocate for policies that make housing more accessible, affordable, and transparent for everyone. The company publicly supports stronger fair housing practices, zoning reform to increase housing supply, and protections against discrimination based on source of income.

Through Zillow Research, the company publishes authoritative data and analysis on housing trends, affordability, and market dynamics, contributing valuable insights to the industry and consumers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to list house on zillow?
It is free to list a home for sale by owner on Zillow. If you are working with a real estate agent, you will pay their commission fee, but there is no separate fee charged by Zillow to list the home. Zillow makes money by selling advertising to real estate professionals.

Is the Zestimate the same as a professional appraisal?
No. The Zestimate is a computer-generated estimate of a home’s market value and is a great starting point, but it is not an official appraisal. An appraisal is a detailed valuation conducted by a licensed professional and is required by lenders to secure a mortgage.

Can I sell my house to Zillow?
No, you can no longer sell your home on zillow directly to the company. Zillow’s iBuying program, Zillow Offers, was discontinued in 2021. You can use Zillow to connect with a Premier Agent or to sell my home on zillow as a For Sale By Owner listing.

How does Zillow work for sellers?
Zillow works for sellers by providing maximum exposure for their property to the largest online audience of home shoppers. Sellers can either list their home for free as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) listing or connect with a Zillow Premier Agent who will manage the listing, marketing, and sale process on their behalf.

How do I list my house on Zillow without a realtor?
To achieve selling on zillow without a realtor, you can create a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) listing. First, create a free Zillow account. Then, find your home’s address on the site and "claim" it as the owner. From your owner dashboard, you will have the option to create a listing, where you can add photos, a description, your asking price, and contact information.

What percentage does Zillow take?
Zillow does not take a percentage of a home’s sale price. Using zillow to sell your home as an FSBO is free. If you use an agent you find through Zillow, you will pay that agent’s commission, but Zillow does not take a cut of that commission directly from the sale.