Zillow vs Realtor? The Real Estate Marketplace Comparison
Online marketplaces have become essential tools for real estate agents, brokers, and consumers alike. Among the most recognizable platforms are Zillow and Realtor.com, each offering distinct features, advantages, and trade-offs that professionals should understand before investing time or budget.
In this Zillow vs Realtor.com comparison, we’ll take a closer look at both platforms, highlight their key differences, and help you determine which platform is the better fit based on your business goals, target audience, and marketing strategy.
What is Zillow?
Zillow proudly hails itself as “the housing super app.” With more than 240 million average monthly unique users, it is one of the largest and most widely used real estate websites in the United States. Users can use Zillow to search for homes for sale, rent, and previously sold properties. The platform’s extensive database includes more than 2 million active rental listings.
For real estate professionals, Zillow offers tools such as agent profiles, advertising opportunities, lead capture features, and analytics. Its reach and brand recognition make it a go-to starting point for many homebuyers and sellers.
What is Realtor.com?
Realtor.com is operated under the license of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). With more than 100 million unique users per month, it ranks second only to Zillow as one of the most visited real estate websites in the United States.
Buyers and sellers enjoy the website’s comprehensive and up-to-date listings. which are sourced directly from Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data. Beyond its extensive database, Realtor.com also offers market insights, neighborhood information, affordability tools, and direct connections to licensed real estate professionals, making it a trusted resource for consumers who are serious about buying or selling a home.
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Realtor.com vs Zillow: Key strengths
Realtor.com and Zillow are standouts in a sea of online real estate platforms. Both are designed to support buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals, yet each offers distinct strengths that set it apart.
Top benefits of Realtor.com
- Strong agent connection: Realtor.com offers an extra layer of trust and credibility. As the official listing site of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the platform makes it easy for sellers and buyers to connect with verified, licensed real estate professionals.
- Reliable market insights: It provides neighborhood data, pricing trends, and market statistics based on MLS information. This enables real estate agents to make data-driven decisions and strategies, deliver accurate guidance to clients, and better understand local market conditions.
- MLS-sources listings: Realtor.com listings are pulled directly from Multiple Listing Services, helping ensure accuracy and timely updates.
- Up-to-date data: Property status changes are reflected quickly in Realtor.com. This allows users to see near-real-time updates on whether a property is available, under contract, or off the market.
Top benefits of Zillow
- Extensive reach: Zillow is a go-to website for plenty of property buyers and sellers. By having an active presence on the site, real estate agents can benefit from greater visibility and access to a massive audience of buyers and sellers.
- Zestimate®: This Zillow-specific feature provides estimated home values based on public data, user-submitted information, and proprietary algorithms. It helps drive engagement and provides a quick reference point for evaluating properties. However, it’s important to note that this is not a replacement for a professional appraisal.
- User-friendly interface: With its intuitive interface, advanced filters, and map-based searches, Zillow offers a simple and engaging experience for users.
- Paid advertising: Zillow’s Premier Agent program allows real estate agents to invest in paid advertising. Agents can avail of this feature to boost visibility on specific listings or within targeted ZIP codes. This program helps agents stand out even in competitive markets while connecting with high-intent buyers and sellers in their selected areas.
- Integrated tools and features: Zillow has useful tools such as a mortgage calculator and saved search alerts, helping keep users engaged while supporting agents in nurturing and converting leads more effectively.
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Realtor.com vs Zillow: The drawbacks
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a real estate platform that’s perfect in every aspect. While both Realtor.com and Zillow are great options, each marketplace has its own limitations that you should consider.
The cons of Realtor.com
- Smaller overall audience: Realtor.com generally attracts fewer visitors than Zillow, which means limited exposure for listings and agent profiles.
- Fewer advertising options: Its advertising and lead-generation tools are more limited and less customizable compared with Zillow.
- Attracts mostly serious buyers: Realtor.com is trusted for accuracy, attracting users who are further along in the buyer journey. It does not capture casual browsers or early-stage home shoppers, which can also be viable leads.
The cons of Zillow
- Zestimate® inaccuracy: Zillow’s property value estimates can sometimes be misleading. Agents must know how to manage client expectations carefully.
- Data accuracy issues: Listings pulled from multiple sources may occasionally be outdated or contain errors.
- High competition and costs: As one of the most-visited real estate platforms, Zillow has a highly competitive environment. Agents often need to invest in advertising to stand out, which can be costly, especially in high-demand markets.
- Lead quality: While Zillow generates high volumes of leads, not all may be highly qualified. It’s crucial for real estate agents to carefully vet and follow up on inquiries to identify serious prospects.
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Which one is for you?
When it comes to choosing Zillow vs Realtor.com for buyers, sellers, or agents, the best choice depends largely on your goals and strategy. Each platform offers unique advantages: Zillow provides massive reach and engagement tools, while Realtor.com delivers accurate, MLS-sourced listings and credibility with serious buyers.
Understanding your target audience, marketing objectives, and budget will help determine which platform best supports your real estate efforts. For example, if you’re working with a limited budget and prefer to target serious buyers, it makes sense to maintain a presence on both platforms but focus your advertising spend and active engagement on Realtor.com, while using Zillow for broader visibility and brand recognition. This approach enables you to capture a wide range of leads while maximizing efficiency and return on investment.
Maximize your chosen platform with a real estate VA!
Whichever you choose between Zillow vs Realtor.com, you need to spend time and energy navigating the platform. It can be overwhelming to maintain a strong presence online while juggling your core tasks as a real estate agent. The solution? Working with a real estate virtual assistant!
What is a real estate virtual assistant?
A real estate virtual assistant or REVA is a type of remote professional with the right skill set to support real estate firms or agencies. They can work on a wide range of tasks connected to the real estate business.
REVAs can take on clerical tasks like database management, bookkeeping, and appointment setting. They can even provide creative support, from graphic design to video editing, to help you promote your services.
Find your REVA with 20four7VA
Finding the right REVA for your Zillow or Realtor.com requirements can be challenging, especially if you’re new to remote staffing. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. For a more stress-free experience, it’s best to partner with a trusted remote staffing company like 20four7VA.
20four7VA is an award-winning remote staffing company established in 2013. For more than a decade, we’ve stayed true to our mission:
“Helping companies grow and stabilize their business through cost-effective, highly scalable virtual staffing solutions and bringing rewarding career opportunities to talented remote workers.”
Our approach goes beyond simply matching you with a top-tier VA. With our end-to-end staffing solutions, we’ll be with you every step of the way from onboarding to VA training and weekly pay processing. This approach ensures both you and your VA have the resources to succeed.
So, if you want to make the most out of Zillow and Realtor.com, it’s time to hire a 20four7VA real estate VA. With a highly skilled VA and the support of an award-winning team, you’ll streamline your operations, save valuable time, and grow your real estate business more efficiently.
Frequently-asked questions (FAQs)
| What are the main differences between Zillow and Realtor.com? | In terms of traffic, Zillow is the most-visited online real estate marketplace, providing broader visibility and a large audience, including early-stage shoppers.
On the other hand, Realtor.com has a relatively smaller audience consisting mostly of serious buyers who are further along their buyer journey. Realtor.com operates under the license of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), offering credibility and a focus on MLS-sourced listings. |
| Which one should I use for my real estate business? | The right platform for your real estate business will largely depend on your strategy, available resources, and target audience. Zillow is ideal if you want to reach a large audience, improve brand visibility, and generate high volumes of leads. Realtor.com, on the other hand, is better suited for connecting with serious buyers and leveraging accurate, MLS-sourced listings.
It’s best to manage a presence on both platforms while allocating more time and resources to the one that is more aligned with your strategy. |
| Why should I work with a real estate VA? | Running a real estate firm means juggling multiple tasks. A real estate VA can provide support on essential yet time-consuming tasks, from database management and appointment setting to graphic design and lead management.
With the right VA, you can save time and energy. You’ll be able to delegate back-office tasks so you can confidently focus on the big picture. |
