Find Your Dream Home Online: How Zillow's Fight Against "Hidden Homes" Impacts Your Search. Half of all homebuyers find their property online, with many relying on Zillow and similar portals. Learn how Zillow's new policy combats exclusive listings and ensures you see every available property in your home search
June 30th marks a pivotal moment for Zillow and homebuyers. While your home search experience on Zillow or Trulia (221 million monthly visitors!) might seem unchanged, Zillow is battling to control home listings. This fight impacts where you find your next home – and whether it appears on Zillow at all. The outcome will determine the future of online home searching
Zillow Cracks Down on "Hidden Homes": Starting June 30th, listings not shared with major real estate databases within one business day of public marketing (including yard signs and social media posts) will be banned. This action combats the growing practice of agents withholding properties from popular search portals like Zillow and Trulia, ensuring all homebuyers have access to the most comprehensive listings. This fight against exclusive inventory aims to maintain Zillow's position as the leading resource for finding your dream home
Zillow's new "blacklist" sparks intense real estate feud. The battle over exclusive home listings escalates as Compass, the nation's largest brokerage, sues Zillow, following months of public disputes and accusations between industry executives. This conflict impacts thousands of agents and could significantly change how you search for homes online
Navigating the Hidden Housing Market: What Homebuyers & Sellers Need to Know. The real estate market is changing, with "hidden listings" making it harder to find your dream home. Before hiring a real estate agent, understand their services and fees, especially regarding access to all available properties. Buyers' agents must navigate this evolving landscape and explain how they'll find homes, even those not widely advertised on popular portals like Zillow. Informed consumers are key to success in today's competitive market
Navigate the real estate battle: Big companies fight for your attention – and your commission. Finding your dream home online is easier than ever, but the competition is fierce. This impacts buyers and sellers alike. Learn how to leverage the current market upheaval to your advantage in your next home transaction. Smart strategies for winning in today's competitive real estate market
Zillow Fights Back Against Hidden Real Estate Listings: The War on Exclusive Inventory
Real estate's "exclusive inventory" battle heats up as Zillow combats hidden listings—homes marketed outside multiple listing services (MLS). Major brokerages like Compass and Howard Hanna are increasingly prioritizing private listing networks and company websites, limiting access to properties for many homebuyers. Zillow's new policy, effective June 30th, bans listings not shared with the MLS within one business day, aiming to ensure all homes appear on its platform and other search portals. This fight impacts millions of home searchers who rely on Zillow and similar sites to find their dream home. Learn how this escalating conflict could change how you find your next house
Zillow's Fight Against Hidden Homes: Impact on Homebuyers & the Real Estate Market. Zillow combats "exclusive inventory" – homes advertised privately, bypassing major listing portals. This policy change affects how you find your dream home, impacting both buyer exposure and agent practices. Learn why Zillow argues for a transparent market, maximizing home visibility for sellers and providing all buyers with access to every available listing. The debate involves Zillow's business model, agent power, and the future of online home searches
Philadelphia real estate agent Kirk Simmon, a 20-year veteran, champions a "public inclusive" approach to home listings, contrasting with Compass's "Private Exclusive" strategy. Simmon advocates for maximum exposure on major platforms like Zillow and Trulia, believing widespread listing distribution benefits most homebuyers, except perhaps high-profile clients needing absolute privacy
Selling your house privately? Think again. Zillow's new policy bans listings not shared publicly within one business day, impacting visibility and potentially limiting your buyer pool. Learn why maximizing your home's reach through public listings on Zillow and other major real estate portals is crucial for a successful sale
Northern California real estate broker Dick Selzer, while expressing reservations about Zillow, prioritizes client needs above personal preferences. His focus remains on providing the best service, even when utilizing platforms he may not favor. This highlights the complex relationship between real estate agents and online listing giants like Zillow in today's digital home search landscape
Despite Zillow's new "one-day listing" rule banning exclusive home listings, some Compass agents remain committed to their current marketing strategies, even if it means their properties won't appear on Zillow
DC real estate agent Jennifer Knoll prioritizes client needs, refusing pressure to use marketing strategies that could harm their interests. She maintains transparent communication with clients, ensuring their marketing plans are always clearly defined and beneficial
Compass CEO Robert Reffkin challenges Zillow's new policy banning listings not immediately shared on industry databases. Reffkin argues the policy protects Zillow's market dominance, claiming Compass's strategy of initially showcasing listings to a limited audience benefits sellers. Unlike Zillow and other major real estate portals, Compass doesn't publicly display price reductions or days on market—data Reffkin says harms sellers. This approach also allows Compass to monetize leads directly, rather than ceding them to third-party portals
Understanding Real Estate Marketing: MLS, Zillow, and Your Home Sale
Should you list your home off-market? Know the facts before deciding. Sellers need to understand their agent's marketing plan and its potential impact on your sale. Listing exclusively on internal databases or agent websites, while tempting, may reduce buyer reach, offers, and ultimately, your sale price. Compass's disclosure forms highlight this risk, citing that 94% of their listings sold via the MLS in the past year. Off-MLS listings also risk exclusion from Zillow due to their new policy. While pre-marketing offers benefits, there are trade-offs. Informed decisions require transparency and a clear understanding of your agent's strategy. Maximize your home's visibility and potential offers by choosing a marketing plan that leverages the MLS and major real estate portals like Zillow
For buyers, a whole other set of rules from a massive legal settlement against the real estate industry last year dictate that before you so much as step into a house with an agent as your guide, you have to sign an agreement that outlines the terms of the agent’s services and how much they expect to be paid. Buyers can no longer coast on the assumption that their agents’ services are free, and they should make sure they’re getting their money’s worth. And though many homes are available in the major search portals these days, buyers have always relied upon agents to dig up the houses that can’t be found online. That’s not changing anytime soon, especially in markets that are still starved for available inventory. One Zillow economist recently told Business Insider that, after a tumultuous home search this spring, he eventually purchased a home that had not been officially listed for sale — his agent had heard of a homeowner who could be prompted to sell for the right offer.
Again, you probably won’t notice anything different on Zillow or any of the other popular search portals in the coming weeks. Zillow has spent the past month warning agents whose home advertisements violate its new rules, and while the company won’t say exactly how many listings it’s flagged so far, Errol Samuelson, Zillow’s chief industry development officer, said in an email statement that the company expects “only a small number of for-sale listings will be affected.”
Everyone involved in this fight is scrambling to protect their slice of the pie. Savvy consumers should have no illusions about where they stand in this ecosystem. This may be happening out of sight, but buyers and sellers alike lose if they keep it out of mind.
James Rodriguez is a senior reporter on Business Insider’s Discourse team.
Business Insider’s Discourse stories provide perspectives on the day’s most pressing issues, informed by analysis, reporting, and expertise.
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