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Not Free For All on Zillow Anymore..just for some

By Courtney Cooper

Real Estate Agent with Cooper Jacobs

December 16, 2009 06:20 AM

I have no problem with monetizing websites that so clearly provide a service to the public and honestly believe that Zillow is one of those, but the email I just got from them has me a little steamed. I post my listings on Zillow and I contribute to Zillow by providing content and answering questions. I have even paid to advertise at times on the site. I want to be clear. I like Zillow.

It is completely unfair, though to do what the email I got says they will do beginning today if I want to input one of my listings...

Here is an excerpt from the email:

"As a valued member of the Zillow community with a home posted for sale on Zillow, we'd like to notify you of an important change.

Beginning today, in order to post a home for sale on Zillow, you can either buy a Featured Listing for $9.95 per listing for a 180-day period, or, if you have 50 or more listings, you can send us a listings feed, for free."

David G, call me :)

So because I don't have 50 listings in my smaller brokerage, I have to pay $9.95 to list each property in my brokerage? That is not fair, Zillow!!! I am glad that some of the bigger brokerages around town have finally stopped bad mouthing you and see your value as I have all along, but it is so unfair to give them a free feed because they are bigger when I have supported you all along.

12/17/2009 Happy Update:

It turns out that the email was just confusing.

David G at Zillow clarified to me that the free feed does not get big brokerage the featured listing spots. They just get the listings uploaded through their feed if they have 50 or more listings. I can do the same thing as a smaller brokerage by putting my listing on Postlets or Vflyer. For 180 days, though, $9.95 is a great value to get my listings featured over the big brokerages listings that are fed routinely for free. They can choose to pay $9.95 for each listing to have theirs featured, too, but maybe this might actually give me more of a competitive edge than them because I do have to manually put mine in and at that price would go ahead and have them featured! David Gibbons, you never fail me. Thanks for the explanation and kindness as always. I just upgraded my listings to the featured position on Zillow!

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Ray Saenz

Exit Realty Laredo - Laredo, TX

Homes for Sale in Laredo, TX - Texas, Realtor

Hey Courtney,
Long time no see you, hope that you remember me, well, my advise to you is ask to your broker to get subscribed to www.listhub.net and from there it can propagate all your office listings, let me know if that works :)

Dec 16, 2009 06:58 AM

Sonny Kwan

Quantum Group Commercial - Residential - Lease Seattle, WA - Mercer Island, WA

206-819-8228

Courtney,courtney@cooperjacobs.com I think you have a very valid point, since you have done business with them already, they should rather state that any new comers advertising listings will need to pay. It is agents like you that give Zillow what they have now.

Dec 16, 2009 11:50 AM

Jim Cheney

Saint Francis Property Santa Rosa, CA - Santa Rosa, CA

Rincon Valley Realtor 707.494.1055

I like Zillow too, and think that as long as you are aware of their limitations, they play an important role in getting clients to call us. I think a lot of these web services are struggling to figure out how to make money. Advertising does not seem to be enough. I've heard that A.R. suffers from the same problem. Anyway, I think they've done a great job attracting real estate agents, and that charging us, will drive us else where. I'd charge the public an access fee. Not the real estate agents.

Dec 16, 2009 03:51 PM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

I advertise on Zillow and have bought up 3 ZIP codes. You'd think I would get a break on listings, but I don't seem to. I don't get enough business from listings on Zillow that it's worth putting them on Zillow if I have to pay for it.

Dec 20, 2009 09:32 AM

Sara Bonert

Zillow - Atlanta, GA

Real Estate Internet Marketing

Hey Courtney - I think we could have been a lot clearer in that original message sent out. Many people interpreted it as you did. Sorry about that.

Just so we are all straight, the change only affected those who are MANUALLY posting listings to Zillow. This is about 2-3% of our listings. And these 2-3% are usually the culprit of dated, or stale information, so the change should cleanthis up some. You got it that if you are affiliated with any service that syndicates (vFlyer, Postlets, Listhub, Point2, The Real Estate Book, Homes and Land, ePropertySites, and the list goes on), this is still free and nothing changes for you.

You are right about the good value. Before this change, the Featured Listings cost $10/listing/month. Now your listing can basically be Featured for $1.67/listing/month (over 6 months). So we actually had a huge price decrease. Hmmmm.......maybe that would have been a better story to lead with... :)

Sorry for the confusion, glad David G was able to help out, and thanks for your support. We appreciate it. Happy Holidays!

Dec 20, 2009 02:08 PM

Hey Elizabeth - I beleive you do get a break. I am going to have someone from our sales team call to give you an update. Please let me know if you don't hear from anyone or don't get resolution.

Dec 21, 2009 07:56 AM

Courtney Cooper

Cooper Jacobs - Seattle, WA

206-850-8841

Hi Sara - thanks for coming in to clarify - I bet you guys have been busy after that email:) David G is amazing and I am always thankful for his help - of course he jumped right in and clarified it for me!

Dec 21, 2009 08:01 AM

Not Free For All on Zillow Anymore..just for some

It is completely unfair, though to do what the email I got says they will do beginning today if I want to input one of my listings...

12/17/2009 Happy Update:

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