Zillow to Allow FSBO and Agent Ads to be Posted at No Cost

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Company that has sparked much debate over its impact on Realtors says new service is largely designed for agents
Zillow to Allow FSBO and Agent Ads to be Posted at No Cost

Company that has sparked much debate over its impact on Realtors says new service is largely designed for agents

By Kayla O?Brien

RISMEDIA, December 8, 2006?Zillow.com, the home valuation site that has been the subject of much debate over how it positions Realtors in the industry, has one-up?d their services. A recent upgrade to the site now allows homeowners selling their own homes and real estate agents to post homes for sale at no cost. Additionally, in redefining what it means for a house to be ?For Sale,? Zillow is enabling homeowners to post a Make Me Move? price.

?To date Zillow has created a Web page for almost every home in the country ? close to 70 million ? on which we?ve placed public records data and our Zestimate? home valuations,? says Rich Barton, Zillow?s co-founder and CEO.

The site now allows owners and real estate agents to plant virtual ?For Sale? signs in their Zillow.com front yards at no cost to the agent or homeowner.

?Largely designed for agents, those who post homes they are representing can publish multiple photos, their contact information, links to listings on their own Web sites, and upload photos of themselves. It?s a free marketing tool for agents, much like putting a listing in a newspaper; they can do it now on Zillow for free,? says Zillow?s Amy Bohutinsky, director of communications.

The site generates over 3.5 million visitors per month, according to the company.

When asked how Zillow responds to critics who say their services stand to negatively impact Realtors? relationship with consumers, Bohutinsky responded, ?The most requested thing visitors want to know is what homes are for sale and which agents are selling them. This not only answers consumers but is an attractive audience for agents to get listings and advertise their services.?

In addition, any homeowner can now post a Make Me Move price. ?What number would it take for you to call the movers and hand over your keys?? asked Lloyd Frink, Zillow?s co-founder and president. ?Make Me Move is our twist on the traditional ?For Sale? sign.?

A homeowner can post a Make Me Move price without exposing any personal information. Zillow then enables interested buyers to contact the owner through an e-mail ?anonymizer,? again with no charge for the service.

All postings, whether ?For Sale? or Make Me Move, provide free uploading of pictures, home descriptions including ?what I love about my home,? and neighborhood commentary. Moreover, real estate agents who post homes they are representing for sale can publish their own contact information, link to listings on their own Web sites, and upload a photo of themselves free of charge.

Zillow?s home valuation model has been the subject of controversial debates at industry events this year, beginning at RISMedia?s CEO Exchange in Denver back in August when Move Inc. CEO Allan Dalton, then president of Realtor.com, challenged Zillow President Lloyd Frink on how his company?s services negatively impact Realtors by over-simplifying their role in the industry.

The debate heated up further at C.A.R.?s annual convention in October when Dalton challenged Frink regarding past references to real estate professionals as ?service providers,? versus skilled professionals, a subject Dalton is well-known in the industry for being passionate about. To download the C.A.R. video, click here.

For more information, visit Zillow.com.

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