Zillow and Realtor.com will share pre-market listings on both platforms this summer, giving buyers early access to home viewings.
Zillow and Realtor.com announced Tuesday that starting this summer, they will share pre-market listings across both platforms, giving buyers access to home viewings regardless of brokerage affiliation or login to the platform.
The partnership between two of the industry’s largest and most directly competitive portals comes as the National Association of Realtors’ clear cooperation policy continues to come under pressure and private listing networks continue to grow. In a blog post shared with Inman, Realtor.com CEO Damian Eales positioned the partnership as a direct response to these trends.
“Pre-market inventory is increasing, and much of it is flowing into narrower and more fragmented channels,” Eales said. “Buyers and sellers lose out when properties and information are harder to find, and it becomes harder for agents to work together to best serve their customers.”
Zillow CEO Jeremy Waxman also emphasized transparency, saying, “The real estate market works best when all buyers have access to the same information. Nothing is hidden and nothing is exclusive to a select few.”
“Zillow and Realtor.com are both committed to the same principles: Sellers deserve maximum information from day one, and buyers deserve visibility to all available homes,” he added. “With this partnership, we not only expand our reach, we create true seller choice while setting a new industry standard for what real estate transparency actually looks like for buyers, sellers, and brokers.”
Under this agreement, Zillow Preview properties will be displayed on Realtor.com as “Realtor.com Preview” properties. Together, the two portals reach three-quarters of primary portal visitors, according to March Comscore data cited in the announcement.
After finding a home, users of both portals can save listings for updates, contact listing agents, pre-book tours and “use their free time to connect with buyer’s agents to get pre-approved for a mortgage,” the statement said.
The statement added: “This partnership increases pre-market exposure limits.”
“This partnership will increase visibility for more people and support a healthier housing market,” the statement continues, before going on to say that “previews will be available to brokers who believe property information should be widely available to the public, including in the early stages of marketing.”
Eales said Realtor.com remains hopeful that the MLS will establish and syndicate its own upcoming listings, but given that pre-market inventory already exists outside of its system, the portal has a responsibility to act.
Zillow Preview launched last month in partnership with brokerage partners including Keller Williams, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, United Real Estate, Engel & Völkers, and Side. Listings are offered free of charge to registered sellers or agents through participating brokers.
Under the new partnership with Realtor.com, listing agents who close deals through connections made on either platform may receive a revenue share, the companies said. Fees remain negotiable between consumers and their agents.
The collaboration is available in all U.S. markets except New York City, where StreetEasy is developing a separate service.
Update: This story was updated after publication with additional context about the portal’s partnership.
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