The growing popularity of the real estate website Zillow.com has driven agents and brokers to list our properties in its system. What many real estate professionals don’t realize, however, is that listing our property on Zillow does not ensure that the correct agents will automatically be featured on the listing.
If you have used Zillow and are surprised reading this, chances are that you have given listings to competing agents who are affiliated with the site. Zillow generates revenue by selling the space next to unclaimed listings to “Zillow Preferred Agents” who receive the leads from these listings. By not claiming your listings, you are missing out on the traffic, exposure and leads generated by the Zillow platform.
For example, in the picture below, not one of the three agents listed on the right is the actual agent for the listing. I know this because this is my listing, and none of those people are me. In one day, the listing generated 364 views — views that, had my name been listed, could have directed potential buyers to my website.
Home buyers know that dealing directly with the listing agent is often the best way to get a well-rounded picture of the neighborhood, local housing market and surrounding property values. Anyone using Zillow is most likely to contact the agent displayed next to the listing for this same reason. You want to make sure that home buyers are seeing your name and photo, giving them the opportunity to connect with you instead of someone else.
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Follow these easy steps to make sure your contact information is attached to your listing:
Step 1: Create Account
Create a Zillow account. In your profile, you will be able to list your contact information, including a link to your website.
Step 2: Search Your Listing/List a Property
Log in and search for your listings. (Note: If this is your first time on Zillow, you’ll have to list a property first.)
Step 3: Claim Your Listing
Under the “More” tab on your listing page, click “Claim Your Listing” from the drop-down menu.
In just three simple steps it’s easy to attach your name to your listing and confirm that you are the listing agent, taking advantage of the potential traffic and clients that Zillow can provide.
See below for the correct and final listing (I am now the first picture and named “Listing Agent”):
“Greatness is won, not awarded.”
— GUY KAWASAKI
