Zillow’s second product announcement of the year includes collaborative search. Shoppers can now invite family and friends to help them find and discuss products through in-app messaging.
A little more than three months after announcing its summer breakthrough, Zillow is introducing yet another new feature for consumers.
Features include:
Virtual Staging: Available exclusively for Zillow Showcase listings, buyers can virtually makeover their listings in several carefully selected design styles, including modern, Scandinavian, industrial, midcentury, luxury, coastal, and farmhouse. This tool also allows buyers to instantly rearrange furniture and even return a room to a clean slate. Zillow Home Loans: Following the expansion of BuyAbility in July, homebuyers can now get a verified pre-approval for a Zillow home loan by providing information about their home goals and finances. Homebuyers link their financial accounts during the process, allowing Zillow Home Loans to instantly verify their financial assets and income. The ZHL experience now also includes a closing dashboard where buyers can track title and escrow tasks during closing. Rental AI Assist: Renters can receive assistance with properties, tours, and availability through a chatbot powered by EliseAI, a third-party company that provides artificial intelligence solutions to housing and healthcare companies. Zillow announced the tool in June, but it wasn’t officially released until Tuesday. Zillow Collaborative Shopping: Through in-app messaging, homebuyers can invite partners, friends, and family to help them search and discuss properties.
David Beitel |Credit: Zillow
“This new messaging product brings the collaboration that’s already happening across text messages directly to Zillow,” Zillow Chief Technology Officer David Beitel said of the fall launch in a prepared statement. “This is another step in making the home journey simpler and more connected. We continue to bring more experiences to Zillow so buyers can move from browsing to closing with less friction and more confidence.”
Between summer and fall product launches, Zillow introduced 10 new features for consumers. A company spokesperson said each feature is “designed to appear at the moment of most usefulness,” giving buyers and sellers an “unified, intuitive experience.”
“For example, from the first search, messaging helps co-shoppers (partners, family, friends, etc.) stay organized and connected,” a spokesperson told Inman in an emailed statement. “Sky tours and virtual staging on showcase listings provide an intuitive, interactive experience built directly into the listing, allowing eager shoppers to deeply feel the home.”
“As buyers move forward, Zillow Home Loans’ BuyAbility and verified pre-approval are displayed early on to help give shoppers a realistic sense of what they can afford. Tour and agent adjustment tools are activated when they connect with an agent, and a closing dashboard supports them through the final step,” they added. “For agents, this means buyers already have tools to make conversations more informed and efficient, allowing agents to focus on providing the guidance and strategies their customers need to move forward on their journey.”
Zillow’s summer launch has seen impressive results, with features like SkyTour increasing page views by 79%, share by 91% and showcase listing prices by 76%, a spokesperson said.
“This initiative makes clear that buyers want more transparency and information throughout the process,” the spokesperson said. “With our fall launch, we will build on that insight with tools like verified pre-approvals, closing dashboards, and co-shopper messaging to extend that clarity and connection deeper into the homebuying process.”
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