The summer home-buying season is approaching fast. If you have shopped for a home in the past ten years, you have probably heard of and used Zillow. Other real estate search sites exist, but Zillow is the biggest and probably the most popular.
How Does Zillow Work?
Zillow has agreements with multiple listing services (MLS) across the country, giving them access to all the homes for sale. So when a customer searches Zillow for homes for sale in Hillsboro, Ohio 45133, all the available homes are displayed on their site from the local MLS for the area. They also allow property owners to list their homes for sale by owner (FSBO).
When a consumer finds a house they are interested in, there is a convenient option for them to request additional information or a private showing of the home. Zillow calls this a tour request. Once a customer requests information or a tour request, they are connected to a local agent from that area.
Zillow calls these agents Premier Agents. Premier Agents are local real estate agents who have agreed to partner with Zillow by advertising their services on the Zillow website. Each Premier Agent is paying Zillow to be connected with their users. So, if you have an agent that you want to help you buy a home, do not request information and property tours from Zillow. Share the property with your agent and let them schedule a showing for you. If you still need an agent, Zillow is a great place to connect with one. We have partnered with them since 2015 and have had the opportunity to serve hundreds of clients.
Looking at homes and meeting an agent aren't the only things you can do on Zillow. You can also connect with a mortgage lender to get pre-approved. Getting pre-approved is one of the most important things you can do when buying a home. This is step number three in our How To Buy A Home Guide.
Recap Of What We Discussed Today
- Zillow is a great place to shop for a home.
- Zillow is an excellent place to meet a real estate agent if you don't have one already.
- If you have a trusted agent, either use their website and app to search or share the properties you find on Zillow with them. Do not request information or property tours.
- You can get pre-approved with a mortgage lender through Zillow. Many Premier Agents partner with Lenders on Zillow to give the customer a one-stop approach to the home-buying process. Connect with our Zillow mortgage partner here.