Are you thinking of applying for a job at Zillow?
The key to acing any interview is doing your homework. It is important to find out as much as you can about the company before the interview. However, trying to find the information you need when you are stressed or anxious about an interview can be tough. Fortunately, I have done all the work for you.
So, let’s find out “Who Owns Zillow?” and more about the real estate company…
Contents
All About Zillow
Zillow is a marketplace company that facilitates real estate. The company is mainly focused on the selling, buying, and renting of homes. Property owners can list their homes for sale on the website free of charge.
The company’s mission statement is to build a seamless transaction experience for each customer. In addition to buying, selling, and renting properties, users can connect to property managers and real estate agents. Even people who are not considering selling can set a make me move price to discover their options.
Finding a new home is easy!
The company also offers a range of special products and services like Zillow Home Loans and Zillow Closing Services. They also work closely with a network of talented real estate professionals. This is designed to make it as easy as possible for users to find a new home.
Who Owns Zillow?
Zillow was founded in 2006 by ex-Microsoft Executives Lloyd Frink Rich Barton. These talented entrepreneurs also founded Expedia. In 2019, Rich Barton resumed his position as Zillow CEO, taking over from Spencer Rascoff. Since resuming his position, Barton has encouraged a significant boost in the company’s revenue.
The History Of Zillow
In 2006, Rich Barton had a frustrating and memorable real estate experience. From that, he developed the idea of Zillow with four colleagues from Expedia. Rich Barton then became the executive chairman.
Zillow joined the home buying market in 2018 with Zillow Offers. This year also marked the signing of a partnership with Century 21 Canada to list Canadian property sites on the company’s website.
Special search options…
More than 100 million property and home listings can be found on the company’s website. However, the special search options make it easy for users to navigate the site. People who want to buy or rent a home in the United States or Canada are sure to find some great options.
Important Company Milestones
In 2005, Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink began gathering a team to revolutionize the way people search for and buy homes. The Zillow website was launched the following year, and there were more than a million visitors within the first three days. This notably caused the servers to overload, and the site temporarily crashed.
The Zillow Mortgage Marketplace was launched in 2008. This is a free marketplace where people can arrange easy and anonymous mortgage loan quotes from lenders. Within just three months, the Mortgage Marketplace had received more than 700,000 loan information requests.
The Zillow iPhone App…
The Zillow iPhone app was launched in 2009. This app features dynamic map technologies, allowing users to view homes while on the move. In the same year, rental listings were also added to the company’s database of properties.
The Zillow iPad app was launched in 2010. To mark the occasion, an innovative photo-driven home shopping experience was created for the iPad app.
Expanding even further…
Zillow launched its popular agent ratings and reviews feature in 2011. This allows users to search for real estate agents based on the reviews of former clients. The company acquired HotPads in 2023. This dramatically expanded the size of its rental users and the reach of the established marketing tools. Zillow acquired StreetEasy, New York City’s primary real estate marketplace, the following year.
In 2015, Zillow acquired Trulia. This led to the creation of the Zillow Group, which is a portfolio containing the largest home-related and real estate brands. Canada listings were also added in this year, and Zillow acquired Mortgage Lenders of America.
Zillow Home Loans…
In 2019, Zillow announced a record figure of 35 million users on the website. This figure continues to grow, making the company one of the largest real estate sites in North America. Rich Barton returned as CEO of Zillow Group in 2021, while Lloyd Frink was made Executive Chairman.
Zillow Home Loans was launched in 2019. This special service allows home hunters to arrange direct financing through a Zillow affiliate. In April, AI-powered 3D Home Tours across the U.S. and Canada were launched.
The company’s website is structured to make home hunting and listing an engaging process for users. The site boasts a large number of interactive features, which are organized into special sections. At the click of a button, users can find affordable houses in an area, get value estimates of homes, and more.
Properties are organized on the site according to the number of rooms, value, and square footage. This makes it easy to narrow the search and allows users to find what they are looking for easily.
Even if you’re not really selling…
Users can post home listings and set a pre-market price. Even if they are not planning on selling their property, users can still receive offers on it. If the offer is high enough, they may be tempted to sell or rent their property.
The innovative 3D feature allows users to enjoy a 360-degree view of properties. This makes it easier to see the dimensions of rooms and effectively take a virtual tour.
Zillow Mobile
There is a downloaded mobile app that can be used on a range of different platforms. The app is compatible with the iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Windows, and Apple TV. Users can view homes in their location to make the search process faster.
The app displays the value, square footage, and many other key features of each home. It is possible to view aerial photos of the property, view homes in a similar price range, and even take a virtual tour.
Key Features Of Zillow
Like any successful company, Zillow is constantly adapting and evolving. They have launched many impressive features over the years. Here are some of the main features that help the company stand out from the crowd.
Neighborhood Maps
This is one of the most popular features on the website. It covers the largest cities in the United States. Users can click on one of nearly 7,000 neighborhoods to quickly sort through the applicable options.
Zillow Mortgage Marketplace
This feature is popular with people who are planning to purchase a new home. Site users can obtain loan quotes quickly and conveniently. Users have the option of remaining anonymous until they decide they want to take on a loan.
Zillow Advice
This feature allows renters and buyers to ask questions about topics related to real estate. Users are connected with Zillow’s community of experts. There is also a Q&A section that briefly answers the most common questions and queries.
International Property Listing
Anyone who is planning to relocate to Canada is sure to appreciate this feature. The partnership with Century 21 Canada that was signed in 2018 gives users access to Canadian property listings. There are also plans to add properties from other countries around the world in the future.
The Company Revenue
The company receives revenue in many different ways. Users can use the company’s site and mobile app to search for properties free of charge. Despite this, Zillow reported profits of more than two billion dollars in 2019 alone.
Advertisement sales
The company earns a large percentage of its revenue from ads posted on the site and mobile app. The company also owns many other prominent platforms like MSN Real Estate, AOL Real Estate, Hotpads, and Trulia. The Cost per click on these ads accounts makes Zillow millions of dollars every year.
Premier Service
This special paid service is available to real estate agents who want to increase their online presence. Paying for this service allows estate agents to appear in searches by Zillow users. They also have direct access to Zillow users who are interested in working with an estate agent. Premier agents also have the option of representing Zillow or requesting offers on behalf of clients.
The earnings from this service are based on the number of ad impressions that estate agents request. In total, the Premier Service makes up around three percent of the company’s revenue.
IBuying
This feature was launched in 2019 and has dramatically boosted the company’s revenue. IBuying customers and potential sellers can submit the details of their homes to the Zillow team. The company then gives them an offer for their property within a few days.
Users of this feature have the option of accepting or rejecting the option. Sellers who accept the offer will have their home listing added to the Zillow site. This option effectively saves sellers a lot of time and trouble. In turn, the IBuying feature is expected to make Zillow a profit of more than 20 billion dollars in the next few years.
Why Not Work In Real Estate Yourself?
Firstly, for some additional info and using Zillow, we’ve found Zillow Talk, and Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate, as well as You Are Bigger Than Zillow, and even 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask for further insight.
Want to become a real estate agent? Then the following handbooks are ideal such as the Real Estate License Exam Prep: All-in-One, the Real Estate Licensing Exams with Online Digital Flashcards, as well as the Real Estate Exam Flash Cards, and of course the Real Estate License Exams For Dummies with Online Practice Tests all available online in 2023.
Real estate is a tough market, so we recommend reading up on The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, the Exactly What to Say: For Real Estate Agents, or how about Success as a Real Estate Agent For Dummies, and lastly, The Book of YES: The Ultimate Real Estate Agent Conversation Guide to fully excel in your new career path.
Final Thoughts
More than 35 million people have accessed the Zillow website and app since its launch. With the release of new and improved features, these numbers are growing rapidly. Many users check out the website and app regularly just to discover the new features and updates.
Zillow makes it very easy to buy and sell a property. Whether you are looking to buy a home or sell your existing one, it is worth giving it a try. If you want to know more, you can keep up to date with all the latest news on the Zillow Group Stories page.
All the very best with using Zillow and finding the perfect new home!