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Zillow Launches Free Co-Branding Tool - Sharing The Link Love!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Zillow

Zillow launched a really cool, free co-branding tool .  You can read this post to learn more about it, but if you just want to see it in action, check out the Zillow Mortgage Marketplace widget I installed in the right hand column of my blog.  Go ahead and click on "see local rates".  This takes you to the appropriate page within the Zillow website, but look at the top of the page.  ME!  And I follow you throughout your Zillow experience.  :)

Now, any time you send traffic to Zillow via a link or widget (we also just launched a number of new widgets, but more to come on that later) we share the love by co-branding you throughout the user's session.  This is truly a huge step in a further forming a partnership with real estate professionals. 

There are two requirements to use the new system: 1) You must have an active Zillow profile and 2) The link you co-brand must reference your Zillow profile name.

To  create a co-brand a link- Add the code "?scrnnm=zillowscreenname" anytime you link to www.Zillow.com. For example, in the past if you were writing a blog post and wanted to link to Zillow, you would simple point the link to www.zillow.com.  Now you can point it to www.zillow.com/?scrnnm=sarab (sarab is my Zillow screen name, insert your screen name here), and when the users click on the link they will see Zillow with your brand following them throughout their experience on site, with all your contact information included.

To create a co-branded widget - Simply go to this page to select which widget you would like to install.  Make sure you are logged in to the site so you get the co-branding benefits.  Select which widget you want and grab the code.  That's it.  If you want to put the widget on an Active Rain blog, go to the My Setting section of your blog and insert the code in the Blog Description area.  Viola- sticky new content for your blog, with brand power.

(Side- note my new AR outside blog, wwww.sarabonert.com.  Big thanks to AR for this!)

This functionality has only been live for a few hours, but here are some early write up about it in the blogosphere:

Zillow Corporate Blog- Co-brand your clients' Zillow experience

BloodHound Blog - As good as a link: How would you like to "co-brand" with Zillow?

Brian Brady - Zillow Shares The Limelight

MyTechOpinion- Your Edge In Real Estate Is Getting Sharper

David Gibbons - Mo Bling For Yo Blog

 

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Kathy Anderson
Arizona Luxury & Lifestyle Living - Cave Creek, AZ
Arizona Homes For Sale

Hmmm.  It's past my bedtime.  I'll have to check it out tomorrow.

Jul 14, 2008 06:03 PM
Venancio Gonzalez
Windermere Kelso/Longview - Longview, WA
Longview WA Real Estate Broker - 360-751-4001

Sara, this is an interesting tool. I will look farther in to it tomorrow. Thanks for the information.

Jul 14, 2008 06:54 PM
Scott Hoen
Carson City, NV
Carson City Clerk Recorder / Public Administrator

I personally like the Cyberhomes.com Smart Frame solution better.  Their cobrand tool found at http://www.cyberhomespro.comis easy to incorporate on your site without their advertising and branding.  Cyberhomes supports the real estate professionals by NOT posting For Sale By Owner properties on the site.  A far deeper and richer experience for the consumer to use.  Go to http://www.cyberhomespro.com and click on Smart Frame solution and enter your market area to get your free content that you can brand to yourself and place on your own web site easily.

All of these sites are powerful tools that can assist consumers with the research but ultimately they will need the services of a real estate professional to accurately determine value based upon all the intangible or qualitative issues only agents know about the local market.

Make it a profitable day!

Scott Hoen

Jul 14, 2008 07:56 PM
Jim Lee, REALTOR, CRS, ABR
RE/MAX Shoreline - Portsmouth, NH
Buying or Selling? Ann & Jim are the local experts

This sounds pretty easy, I'll give it a try next time I reference Zillow.

Jul 15, 2008 02:32 AM
Jean Hanley
Coldwell Banker Kivett Teeters - Hemet, CA
Specializing in Folks Who Want To Buy/Sell Homes

I will check this out whnI hve more time to sift thru the madness.

Jul 15, 2008 02:45 AM
Will Nesbitt
Nesbitt Realty at Condo Alexandria - Alexandria, VA
Nesbitt Realty is a family-run brokerage.

I appreciate both sides of the debate and will investigate further to see if this opportunity fits my business model.

Jul 15, 2008 02:45 AM
Will Nesbitt
Nesbitt Realty at Condo Alexandria - Alexandria, VA
Nesbitt Realty is a family-run brokerage.

After reviewing the site, I created an account. I thought I would give this a try.  But when I tried to upload my photo the browser crashed. (Repeatedly.)  So I thought, well maybe Firefox isn't supported.  So I signed in with IE.  The browser crashed when I hit upload photo.  I'll check back later to see if it the site is working.

Jul 15, 2008 03:05 AM
David M. Childress
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services - Akron, OH
I would love to be your Realtor® in Akron Ohio!

Hey, I have an All-Star Badge already and I put the link on my website. My picture and info is at the top of each Z page no matter where they are searching, just as Sara stated in her post. I like that!

I uploaded 8 new listings yesterday and it was very easy for me. All the info was already there since my Broker, Real Living, already has a feed to Zillow. I just added more pics and I was done.

Like Jesse above, I do not know why some get paranoid with new technology. (Stealing our listings, etc) I say play by the rules and take advantage of every situation. I do not like the FSBO's either but they are everywhere else aren't they? I want my listings where they will do the most good. So I use Zillow. As far as the Zestimates, all my listings were in the price range I have them listed which sure helps me with consumers searching.

I also use Trulia and have received leads from there with their "Trulia Voices" opportunity to answer consumers questions. Good answer and they email me for more info. Nice.

Ya gotta use what's out there, IMHO! Thank you Sara......

Jul 15, 2008 04:09 AM
Rudy Bachraty
Director, Communications & Partner Strategies, WellcomeMat - Fort Collins, CO

Hi David C!

Glad to hear Trulia Voices has worked for you. It's all about being there for the consumer, no matter where you participate. Provide home buyers and sellers with valuable information and they may like what you have to say. See you on Voices!

Rudy

Social Media Guru at Trulia

Jul 15, 2008 04:21 AM
Vicente A. Martinez
Prudential Douglas Elliman Licensed Real Estate Salesperson - Woodhaven, NY
Realtor, Brooklyn - Long Island - Queens Homes

Hi Sara. Thanks for sharing the new cool tool! Keep them coming.

Jul 15, 2008 11:47 AM
Vickie McCartney
Maverick Realty - Owensboro, KY
Broker, Real Estate Agent Owensboro KY

Hey Sara~  Thanks for sharing the info with all of us.  I will check it out later this week when I have time...

Jul 15, 2008 01:48 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

This sounds very interesting.  I have bookmarked it so that I can look into it more carefully

Jul 15, 2008 05:43 PM
Jesse Barron, REALTOR® - Real Estate Made Easy™ in Anne Arundel County, MD
Keats & Co. Real Estate, LLC - Annapolis, MD

Oh, and it turns out that I do use Zillow...indirectly.  All of my vFlyer's are syndicated to Zillow.

Jul 16, 2008 04:51 AM
Bill Gassett
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Hopkinton, MA
Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate

Hi Sarah - Thanks for the futher explanantion on the co-branding tools. I read about it a week or so ago I believe at one of the articles you mention.

Jul 19, 2008 11:47 PM
Regina Lundeen
Delaware Association of REALTORS® - Rehoboth Beach, DE

Hey if this can help me sell one of my clients home and goodness knows they need all the exposure I can afford (free is nice), I am checking it out.

Jul 19, 2008 11:57 PM
Douglas Cartwright
Bankers Life/Colonial Penn - Somerset, NJ

Sara, When I grow up I want to be able to blog like you with all of the content and links. Could you send me Zillow for dummies guide? I have been using zillow but probably not to it's fullest.

There has been rumors floating around that Zillow may be the next internet Real Estate company. Could you provide any insight? Will they be hiring? Questions, questions.

Jul 22, 2008 03:40 AM
Pam Dent
Gayle Harvey Real Estate, Inc. - Charlottesville, VA
REALTOR® - Charlottesville Virginia Homes / Horse

Sara - I actually got an email two days ago from Zillow about this widget and linking opportunities.  I still am not sure wheter it is a good thing to do or not.

Jul 25, 2008 02:25 PM
Sara Bonert
Zillow - Atlanta, GA
Real Estate Internet Marketing

Douglas- I just realized I didn't respond to your questions, sorry!  I recently wrote a blog piece called 10 Things Agents Can Do On Zillow, that should help you get started.

Zillow will absolutely not be a Internet real estate company.  We are a media company and make our money selling advertising on the site.  The site is a platform for agents to use to reach buyers and sellers.  We have no desire, or business model plans, to get involved in the transaction.

Here is a link to our current job openings- http://zillow.hrmdirect.com/employment/openings.php?sort=td   Right now we are mostly looking for engineers and sales people. 

Aug 20, 2008 01:55 AM
Dale Terry
Yadkinville, NC

Sara, thanks for the tip,  We don't know what the future will hold, but it will be with Zillow or others like it that is for sure.

Aug 20, 2008 03:10 AM
Jon Wnoroski
America's 1st Choice RH Realty Co., Inc. - Green, OH
Summit County Realtor

I've bookmarked this post and will check it out in detail.  Thanks for the information.

Sep 10, 2008 12:21 AM