Review · Updated October 11, 2026
Zillow review: great for looking, weaker for believing the numbers
Zillow is a widely used site for browsing US homes and rentals. We checked what it does well, where its estimates and costs deserve a second look, and who should use which part of it.
Editor’s verdict · Recommended with caution
We are not Zillow and we do not sell or list anything. Scores are our opinion; see how we score on the Editorial Policy.
The short verdict
Zillow is a marketplace, not an appraiser and not your agent. Used as a search engine for homes and rentals it is very strong: the map, filters, alerts and price history are fast and free. Used as a source of truth about what a home is worth, it needs a sanity check.
What works
- Large, fast search with saved searches and alerts
- Price history, tax history and map in one view
- Free tools for renters and landlords
- Useful as a first look at any address
What to watch
- Zestimate is an estimate, and misses grow when a home is not for sale
- “Contact agent” paths are advertising and referral products
- Some landlord and agent features cost money
- Listing data can lag or differ by market
What Zillow actually is
Zillow was founded in Seattle in 2006 and launched the Zestimate the same year. Today Zillow Group also runs Trulia, StreetEasy and HotPads, along with Zillow Home Loans for mortgages and a set of products for agents and landlords. For shoppers it is free. The company earns its money mainly from agents and advertisers who pay to be shown to people who send inquiries, plus rentals and mortgage products.
That business model explains most of what you see on the site. Listings, photos and estimates bring you in; the buttons that say “Request a tour” or “Contact agent” are how the site gets paid. Knowing that makes it easier to use Zillow for what it is good at.
Zestimate sanity check
Zillow publishes median error rates for its Zestimate. Third-party coverage of Zillow’s own data in March 2025 put them at about 1.94% for homes on the market and about 7.06% for homes off the market. “Median” means half of homes miss by more than that. Use the tool below to see what a typical and a wide miss look like in dollars. Check the current figures on Zillow before you rely on them.
What changed in recent years
- Zillow Offers closed (2021). Zillow announced in November 2021 that it would wind down its home-buying program and cut about 25% of its workforce after large losses in the homes segment. The company went back to being mostly a marketplace and advertising business.
- Agent products were renamed and reworked. The invitation-only program once called Zillow Flex is now branded Zillow Preferred, where agents pay a success fee at closing instead of paying for leads up front.
- Rentals moved toward free basic listings. Zillow now describes listing a rental as free, with paid upgrades such as a Premium listing.
Product names and terms change often. Details and sources are on the Features and Cost pages.
Where to go next
Who it’s for
Buyers, sellers, renters, landlords and agents each get a different Zillow.
What it costs
Free for shoppers. Here is what landlords and agents pay, with a fee calculator.
Alternatives
Redfin, Realtor.com, Trulia, Homes.com and Apartments.com compared.
Sources
- Zillow, Zillow Preferred FAQ (zillow.com/preferred/faq), fee range and requirements.
- Zillow, Rental Manager “post a listing” page, free listing, screening and rent collection claims.
- CNBC, “Zillow says it’s closing home-buying business and cutting 25% of workforce” (Nov. 2, 2021).
- The Close, “Zillow Estimates Guide”, reporting Zillow’s nationwide median Zestimate error (March 2025).
- The Close, Zillow Preferred (Flex) review, program structure.