Zillow

Private listings limit exposure. They cost sellers money. And the harm is to those most vulnerable. A research paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that older homeowners are systematically steered toward off-MLS sales, receive lower prices, and are less able to recognize or resist it. As the paper states directly, "age-related cognitive decline makes the elderly more vulnerable." But the harm doesn't stop with elderly sellers. Private listings reduce competition, suppress price discovery, and make it easier to push deals toward specific buyers — a structure the Fed paper links directly to redlining risk. And the buyers who benefit aren't everyday homebuyers. The Fed paper found that off-MLS sales are significantly more likely to go to investors. It's the predictable result of a deliberate strategy. When Compass acquired Anywhere (and became the largest real estate brokerage in the country), they immediately introduced a 10% internal referral program to keep buyer leads inside the firm. They now control a national private listing network and the listing traffic that feeds it. So, what does this mean? An independent analyst who has covered this industry for decades put it plainly: the goal has "always been about double-ending deals at scale." Private listings aren't a seller benefit. They're a business model. Most sellers don't know this is happening to them. Elderly sellers are the least equipped to push back when it does. And one company is now positioned to do it nationwide. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eSxECB_6

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This spring, renters have more leverage than they’ve had in years. Nearly 40% of rental listings on Zillow now offer concessions, from free rent to waived fees and discounted move-in costs, the highest share ever recorded for this time of year. What’s driving it? A surge in apartment construction has boosted inventory nationwide, giving renters more choices and more negotiating power. Some standout findings from Zillow’s latest analysis: - Concessions are most common in Denver, Charlotte and Dallas - The share of listings with deals has more than doubled since before the pandemic For renters, this market could mean real savings. Read more from Zillow’s latest rental report: https://lnkd.in/geKmTBg8 

"Home buyers are the biggest losers." That's what happens when private listing networks operate unchecked. Homes get hidden from buyers unless they work with the right brokerage. Last week in Chicago, thousands of listings disappeared from Zillow. Why? Because Compass — the nation's largest brokerage — partnered with a regional MLS to cut off access, shielding homes from 235 million monthly Zillow users. Buyers, sellers and agents had no say. A federal judge ruled last week that was wrong. And Chicago listings are back. For now (the order is temporary). But the bigger threat remains. As Inc. Magazine puts it, the math for Compass is simple: when a brokerage controls both the listing and the buyer, it keeps the whole commission. That's what private listing networks are designed to do. And Compass is actively working to spread this model across the country. Buyers deserve to see every home. Every seller deserves the broadest possible audience. That's what Zillow is fighting for. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQ9w7hpf

While first-time buyers face the worst affordability crisis in a generation, a Compass executive argued this week that homes should feel more exclusive, more scarce and more urgent. His pitch: sell homes like Ferraris. The analogy doesn't hold. Housing is a basic necessity, not a luxury car. Who loses out when homes are hidden from public view?  Sellers, who leave money on the table.  And buyers, who are left in the dark and may never even know their dream home is available.  Who wins?  The brokerage that collects both sides of the commission. Zillow Chief Economist Mischa Fisher broke down what the data shows about private listings and what economists have known for nearly a century about open and transparent markets. Mischa's full piece is here: https://lnkd.in/eUFrES26

People can book a flight, manage their finances, and order groceries from their phone in under a minute. Then they go find an apartment and suddenly it's 2008. Listings are scattered across multiple sites. Renters enter the same information over and over. Scheduling a tour takes a chain of emails. These aren't new problems - they're just problems nobody has been forced to fix yet. Got to share my perspective with RISMedia on where the friction actually lives in renting today, and what it takes to build something that removes it. Search that shows you everything. Applications that don't make you start over. Questions that get answered at 9pm instead of waiting until the next business day. Full piece here:  https://lnkd.in/gSauz7qE #Rentals #PropTech #RenterExperience

This is what accountability looks like. A federal judge just ordered MRED to immediately restore Chicago listings on Zillow. MRED and Compass called the case ‘frivolous’ – clearly the judge disagrees. MRED cut off Chicagoland buyers, sellers and agents from Zillow's 235 million average monthly unique users to protect Compass's hidden listing scheme. The harm is real, so today's ruling restores access to these listings on Zillow while the preliminary injunction plays out. But this isn't over yet. As we said today: "The court has recognized what was at stake — not just for Zillow, but for every person trying to find or sell a home across Illinois." Chicago is a test case. We'll keep fighting to make sure this anti-consumer conduct doesn't become the norm everywhere. Home buyers, sellers and agents deserve better. Read more on Front Porch: https://lnkd.in/gsb_k8j6

Zillow SVP & GM Zuhairah Washington and Axios Publisher Nicholas Johnston covered a lot of ground at this event: the supply shortage, Zillow tools helping first-time buyers understand what they can afford, the cost and complexity of the mortgage process, and the growing problem of inventory being hidden from the buyers who need it most. Because you can't buy a home you can't see. We've spent 20 years working to democratize access to housing information. The policy momentum we're seeing in Washington is encouraging. Our job is to make sure it reaches the buyers and renters who need it most. https://lnkd.in/gAvPfUcZ

15 years. Over 1 billion emails sent. 465 million calls made. Follow Up Boss didn't become the operating system for real estate's top teams overnight. It started in 2011 with a simple goal: to help agents who were drowning in leads and lacked the tools to convert them. When FUB joined Zillow Group in late 2023, the goal was to preserve the product, support and open ecosystem philosophy agents love. Now, Zillow's scale and FUB's intelligence work together for a system that’s better than ever. A look back at the milestones and what is coming next: https://lnkd.in/gg69fSqJ