[6AA4FD]

I'm not saying it's fair, but is is probably better financially for current home owners. Sell faster, with fewer/no contingencies and waiting periods, and Zillow may potentially price "hassle" lower— making deferred maintenance less expensive to take care of.

Is it better for people who are trying to break into the housing market now? No. Is it better for people who are trying to sell and move out in a low-demand area? Probably not, except it might speed up the process.

[dawnerd]

Okay so in Portland homes sell same weekend they're listed if they're priced right. I know this because My home sold after only a 2 hr open house. It's nuts. Zillow wanted to pay way under their zestimate and I ended up selling for more than asking. The offer I picked ultimately was a real family with a mortgage.

The zillow owned homes have been sitting on the market for a while despite being fair prices IMO. I think its turning agents away since zillow really wants the buyers to also use zillow.

[poulsbohemian]

Realtor here, so sure, I'm biased... Zillow is engaged in arbitrage just like anyone else trading assets. It's possible to get a great price and low fees... or it's possible to get taken for a ride. Knowing what I know about real estate - I'd never buy or sell through Zillow or a similar service (Redfin, etc), and I'd never recommend it to a family member or friend. Everybody focuses on commissions, but if you sell your house below what you should have, you are leaving a lot more money on the table than the cost of my commission.