Zillow

Zillow is a real estate marketplace with AI-powered search and home value estimates, and it is free for home shoppers. The money comes from agents. Zillow's own product page, as cited by secondary sources, puts the average cost per lead at $223 in major metro areas and $139 in non-major metros, with a minimum of $50 per ZIP code, and one source says you can run month to month and cancel with no fee or take a six-month contract. Pricing is set by market, based on average home prices in the ZIP code and competition from other agents. Total spend varies widely: estimates for small markets run about $300 to $1,000 a month, while agents in competitive metros report $20,000 to $40,000 or more.

Whether it pays off is contested. One analysis estimates Premier Agent costs about $3,333 per closing at a 1.5% close rate, but that rests on its own assumptions, and many of the blogs sell competing lead services, so treat their figures as estimates. Sources also conflict on programme structure: one says Zillow Preferred, formerly Flex, is free upfront and takes 15% to 40% of your buyer-side commission at close, while several others describe only per-lead or spend-based billing. My search did not cover Zestimate accuracy or Zillow's corporate news, so I have not included claims about either. Confirm current terms on Zillow's own pages before committing budget.

Zillow suits consumers searching for homes and agents who can convert paid leads efficiently. Compare Redfin, Follow Up Boss and Lofty. Browse the Real Estate tools directory for more.

Home search and valuation

Free for consumers.

Agent lead generation

Paid leads.

Is Zillow free?

Yes for home shoppers.

What do agents pay?

Average $139-$223 per lead.

Is there a contract?

Month to month or six months.

What is Zillow Preferred?

A commission-based programme, per one source.