Zillow is a website that provides home value estimates to people looking to sell their houses. It also helps users seeking to buy a house. Similarly, Zillow allows users to check the value of an area based on user-provided data such as zip code or city name. For users seeking to buy or sell houses, it is one of the best platforms.
Lloyd Frink and Rich Barton founded Zillow, joined by fellow Microsoft alumnus Stan Humphries in 2006. With Zestimate, Zillow can provide home valuation estimates provided by real estate agents and public records. The service also allows users to search for, map out, and filter listings based on location or price range criteria.
Zillow has a successful business model which allows it to serve customers from various markets. The company generated revenues of $2.7 billion in 2019. Despite that, it made a net loss of $305.4 million. Zillow’s product has become a benchmark for newcomers entering the online real estate marketplace market.
Due to the success that Zillow has achieved, it has also garnered significant attention. This attention has also generated competitors and alternative products for the company. Zillow’s online marketplace model does not include any significant barriers to entry. Therefore, the competition in the industry has been substantial. A list of the top Zillow competitors and alternatives is as below.
1. Redfin
Redfin is one of the biggest competitors of Zillow in the real estate brokerage market, having its realtors spread wide across the country. The company also has mobile apps that provide a search feature for properties on sale in the user’s vicinity. Similarly, users can instantly get in touch with a Redfin real estate agent for better support.
Redfin’s paperwork process is what attracts significant attention because it’s convenient and hassle-free. Users can sign documents online and avoid going through the troubles of scheduling meetings with an agent every time. Redfin is an excellent alternative to Zillow because both have a similar setup, making it easier for Zillow users to switch to Redfin.
2. Realtor.com
Realtor.com, an international real estate listing site, extends its services to a broader audience. The company offers information available on-site in over ten languages. The platform’s user-friendly interface makes it accessible to beginners and technically-challenged users. Its interface is pretty self-explanatory, and even then, if users come across any problem, help is just a click away.
Realtor.com is run by the National Association of Realtors, offering the most updated information. Therefore, anyone can get the latest home data at their fingertips. Users also appreciate the platform’s updated blogs to get information about the housing market. The company helps users make their homes appealing to buyers and make the process more accessible in general.
3. HotPads
HotPads is not just any real estate listing site, but it is much more than that. The platform filters out unnecessary information, saving time and energy. Similarly, it allows users to focus on what they are looking for rather than unnecessary junk. HotPads has taken the property search to the next level with its unique platform.
Users can browse HotPads for properties on sale and rent in their desired location using its search filters. These filters narrow down information and make it easier for users to find a home in a preferred neighborhood. HotPads lets users zoom in on the most important details quickly and easily by screening out the extraneous properties.
4. Auction.com
Auction.com is an excellent alternative to Zillow because it competes by offering the perfect opportunity for real estate investors. It conducts housing auctions all over the US. However, that is not all that the website provides. Auction.com is the platform that Investors can use to grow their portfolio faster. It serves as a medium where investors can do property dealings without being physically present at the site.
Auction.com serves various markets, including the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel. Apart from those markets, however, it is not available globally. It is a Ten-X company that operates out of Irvine, California. It is one of the top competitors to Zillow’s operations.
5. CoreLogic Matrix
CoreLogic Matrix is one of the names in the market that poses significant competition to others. The company is one of Zillow’s prominent competitors because they lure in real estate agents using housing information. Similarly, the company possesses a significant amount of data, which allows it to provide the best services to its users.
CoreLogic Matrix is a multiple listing platforms loved by most real estate agents. It makes acquiring data on houses easier for agents. Similarly, the company allows users to retrieve data from the site and use it according to their convenience. The available data gives a rough estimate of expenses for the housing market, which can be significantly helpful.
6. Homesnap
Homesnap shares an uncanny similarity with most of the housing apps users would come across. However, what sets it apart is its data feature. It has a relatively user-friendly interface that lets users search for what they are looking for instantly. Users can take a picture of the property and get real-time information about that home, saving tons of time and energy.
Homesnap bridges the gap between users and reputable agents who can help buy or sell a house. Even if a property is unlisted, the app will access information about it and provide the property value of the home, condo, or apartment. It is available on both Android and iPhone and has received tons of good reviews.
7. NeighborhoodScout
Suggesting from its name, NeighborhoodScout tells users more about the neighborhood. The process of buying a home needs a lot of thinking, and NeighborhoodScout helps ease some of it. It allows users to learn about the people that live in any specific area. NeighborhoodScout uses testimonials, ratings, and reviews given by users to find the best neighborhood.
Users can also read people’s testimonials on the site and learn about first-hand experiences of living in certain areas. NeighborhoodScout is one of Zillow’s most prominent competitors because it offers tons of information not available on Zillow. It covers almost the entire United States and provides information to make it easier for buyers to decide where to invest.
8. Trulia
Trulia is a true competitor to Zillow because it provides a great alternative service. It offers multiple features that include self-explanatory browsing, information about a neighborhood, local blogs, mortgage calculators, and real estate data. Trulia connects users with local real estate agents and lets everyone browse for homes for free.
Trulia also allows marking the properties users like as favorites. It helps them get notified when there is a change at those properties. Trulia can be referred to as the replica of Zillow because both are very much alike. Both of these sites use a similar listings database, making them undifferentiable for users. However, the designs for both of these differ.
9. Clever
Clever is undoubtedly the best option for users who don’t find the other alternatives as valuable choices. The company is creating waves in the real estate industry with its unique alternative way of buying property. Clever partners with elite names in the real estate market, including Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker, etc.
Furthermore, at the closing of each transaction, a team of Clever chooses eligible buyers who get 0.5% of their purchase price back. However, this discount only applies to homes over $150,000 in qualifying states. Users can utilize this considerable amount to offset the money to spend while buying a house. Users also don’t have to pay ludicrous sums of money to real estate agents.
10. Home Bay
Home Bay is not an ordinary real estate listing website. It offers agency services to sellers and buyers. As the world shifted to digital systems post-COVID-19, users also transferred to online real estate websites. This process cut the need to consult local real estate agents. Home Bay unites a listings website and provides realtor services.
Using Home Bay, users can save up to 50% of the traditional commission paid to conventional agents. Home Bay renders many services, including listing the property with all the major real estate sites. Similarly, it provides a “For Sale” sign for the yard, handles the paperwork, negotiates prices, and much more.
Conclusion
Zillow started its operations to provide home sellers with an estimate of the value for their homes without hiring a real estate agent. Similarly, it aimed to remove the process of paying high fees and commissions when buying homes. However, its online business model has significantly increased the number of competitors. Some of the top Zillow competitors and alternatives are available above.
