Zillow Adds 24 Brokerages to Pre-Market Listings Initiative

Zillow has significantly ramped up its roster of pre-market partners, adding 24 brokerages just one week after launching with an initial cohort of five.

Zillow said it is also in discussions with “more than 800 other brokerages and agents” that have expressed interest in the programme.

Pre-market listings are a hot topic in the United States right now, and Zillow has flexed its market-leading muscles with the aggressive pursuit of partners that will rally for the biggest inventory of pre-market homes nationwide. Zillow launched the programme on 18 March with five founding partners: Keller Williams, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America, Side, and United Real Estate.

The latest additions include a mix of regional and national players such as Serhant, Samson Properties, Vanguard Properties, and West USA Realty.

“This rapid adoption signals increasing demand across the industry for a more transparent, consumer-first approach to sharing pre-market listings and builds,” said Zillow in a press release.

Zillow Preview is available to brokerages that believe listings should be widely visible to the public, including in the earliest window of marketing. Access is unlocked at the brokerage level; agents then decide, with their sellers, whether to use Zillow Preview as part of their listing strategy.

Zillow Preview gives listing agents a new way to tap into Zillow's unmatched audience of 235 million average monthly unique users, nearly 2.5x the reach of the nearest competitor. Preview listings on Zillow and Trulia receive elevated placement in search results and saved-home alerts so motivated buyers can discover homes earlier. Listing agents also have an opportunity to earn more from their listings: in some cases, when a buyer who connects through a Zillow Preview listing closes with a Zillow Preferred agent, the listing agent may receive a share of the revenue Zillow earns. That fee is paid by Zillow at no additional cost to consumers or agents.

Pre-market listings on Zillow differ from standard listings in that they do not display days-on-market data or indicators such as price reductions.

If a property fails to transact during the pre-market phase, its full listing history is only revealed once it transitions to broader distribution via the MLS.

Stuart Siegel, president and CEO, Engel & Völkers Americas, one of the latest businesses to partner with Zillow, said:

"Engel & Völkers firmly believes that full market exposure delivers the strongest outcomes for both buyers and sellers. At the same time, we recognize that in certain markets and client situations, a more tailored, pre-marketing approach may be appropriate. Ultimately, broader consumer reach creates greater opportunity, which is why we've partnered with Zillow, leveraging its leading position among real estate platforms to maximize visibility and results for our clients."

The acceleration follows a recent cooling of a legal spat between Zillow and Compass—the largest US brokerage by transaction volume—over the distribution of private listings.

Zillow had previously blocked Compass pre-market inventory from appearing on its platform. However, after Compass struck a distribution agreement with Redfin, Zillow has now opted to lean on its brand power to simply build a small army of brokerage partners that will sustain pre-market inventory on its portal.

Zillow has since softened its stance on properties being marketed outside the MLS ecosystem, leading to Compass withdrawing a lawsuit against Zillow.

Meanwhile, eXp Realty, ranked third by transaction volume, has signed syndication agreements with Realtor.com, Homes.com and ComeHome.com.