A full breakdown of Zillow listing fees
It's free to list a home for sale on Zillow, but you’ll have to pay fees for greater benefits, like getting your listing featured or sponsored.
When it comes to selling your property, one platform remains a household name: Zillow. With over 195 million unique monthly visitors, this digital real estate marketplace has quickly become the de-facto place to search for real estate.
Zillow is essentially a marketplace for properties. As such, listing anything from a rental property to a single-family home, a multi-family property to an apartment complex, can come at a price.
While real estate agents usually take care of listing and selling properties, some homeowners would rather do it themselves and save on the commission they’d otherwise pay. This is called a For Sale by Owner (FSBO) listing. Zillow provides an opportunity for homeowners to list their property for free, whether they choose to hire an agent or not.
Zillow's free FSBO listings offer ample space to include all the essential information about the property. Moreover, property owners can include up to nine pictures and one video to showcase their offering. Zillow also offers its "Make Me Move" feature, which allows the seller to list their property with a price that they would consider selling it for. This feature attracts buyers who are looking for properties in that price range.
While Zillow’s free FSBO listings are a cost-effective solution for property owners who want to list their property independently, the level of exposure and features available may be limited when compared to paid options.
If you're looking to attract the maximum number of potential buyers to your property, it may be worth exploring Zillow's paid options. That said, for sellers on a budget or those looking for a fast, simple way to get their property on the market, it’s nice to know the free listing option exists.
Related: Here are the cheapest ways to sell a house
Want to make sure your property is one of the first that potential buyers see as they search for real estate in your area? It might be wise to pay Zillow listing fees for premium exposure. This is a paid advertising option that allows sellers to feature their property prominently at the top of search results.
The cost of these featured listings varies depending on factors such as location, duration, and competition. While the precise cost will depend on a range of factors, interested sellers can get pricing information from Zillow's website or by contacting their sales team.
By investing in featured listings, sellers can increase the chances of their properties being seen by those looking to buy, ultimately increasing the likelihood of a successful transaction.
When you sell your home with Orchard, our expert agents will market it for you, and you'll get the Orchard Home Sale Guarantee. Get started here.
Zillow offers a Premier Agent program that allows real estate agents to showcase their services alongside property listings. This program is designed to provide competitive agents with exclusive leads, enhanced branding, and increased exposure on Zillow's platform — but it comes at a cost.
These monthly Zillow listing fees vary based on factors such as location and level of competition, with the cheapest zip codes starting at around $200 per month. Affordable markets work out to be about $20 per lead, while the pricier markets can be $100 per lead or more.
Additionally, Zillow offers a flex model payment, which is a percentage of commissions rather than a fixed monthly fee. Despite the cost, the Premier Agent program has proven to be a valuable resource for real estate agents looking to increase their visibility and generate leads in today's competitive market.
Planning to list a rental property on Zillow? You can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Zillow charges no initial fee when you list your first rental property. This means that for the first 30 days that your property is listed on the site, you won’t be charged a dime—but if you have more than one rental property or need to list your property for longer than 30 days, there’s a flat fee that can be paid per week or per 90 days.
Keep in mind that the exact fee varies depending on the state where the property is located. In any case, this flexibility in payment options make it easier for property owners to list and manage multiple properties in a hassle-free manner.
→ Learn more about whether you should sell or rent your property
Beyond standard listings and the Premier Agent program, Zillow offers several unique advertising opportunities. The pricing for these advertising options varies depending on factors like the ad format, duration, and desired level of exposure. Some of the popular options include:
Banner ads are a great way for companies to promote their brand or property without breaking the bank. They’re small visual advertisements that appear on specific pages of the Zillow platform. Banner ads usually appear on the Zestimate home value pages, property pages, and agent profiles. Banner ads can be highly targeted toward users with specific interests and preferences. The pricing for these ads is based on the location of the ad, duration of the campaign, and level of exposure desired.
Sponsored listings are similar to banner ads in that they’re visual advertisements placed on specific pages. Sponsored listings are the first listings that users see when they search for properties in a specific area. They appear before unpaid or "organic" listings. Sponsored listings are a great option for users who want to make sure their listing stands out from their competitors. The pricing for sponsored listings is determined on a cost-per-click basis, meaning you’ll only pay when a browser clicks your ad.
Promoted communities are designed to target specific communities or neighborhoods. The goal is to promote a specific set of properties to potential buyers or renters. Promoted communities come with various benefits, including an exclusive landing page, dedicated banner ads, and sponsored listings. Pricing for promoted communities varies depending on the duration of the campaign and the specific community selected for promotion.
Video Ads are another great way to showcase your property and capture potential buyers' attention. Video ads can be as short as 5 seconds or as long as 30 seconds, and they usually appear at the beginning of Zillow's video content. Video ads offer several advantages over other forms of advertising, including higher engagement rates and higher click-through rates. Pricing for video ads is based on the duration of the advertisement and its level of exposure.
Wondering if you should pay Zillow listing fees to feature your property (or services) on the platform? Thanks to the platform’s extensive reach and broad audience, many homeowners find Zillow’s fees are well worth the cost. There’s really no better way to generate greater exposure for your property — whether you’re looking for a tenant for a studio apartment or you’re getting ready to sell FSBO.
With millions of visitors visiting Zillow each month, listing on the platform is the best way to ensure your property gets seen. On top of that, Zillow's comprehensive real estate tools and resources offer an added benefit to buyers and sellers alike, and can increase the potential for a successful sale.
Ultimately, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons and determine if Zillow is the best fit for your individual needs and goals.
→ Check out these 10 alternatives and competitors to Zillow
Here are more details about listing fees on Zillow.
Zillow listing fees refer to the charges imposed by Zillow for listing a property on their online real estate marketplace. These fees can vary depending on the type of listing and the specific services you choose.
Zillow offers both free and paid listing options. The cost of listing a property on Zillow primarily depends on the advertising package you select. While basic listing options are usually free, there might be additional charges for premium features, such as highlighting your listing or boosting its visibility.
In most cases, there are no upfront fees for listing a property on Zillow. The basic listing is typically free of charge. However, as mentioned earlier, there may be optional paid features or advertising packages that come with associated costs.
Zillow's listing fees are generally fixed and not subject to negotiation. The pricing structure is predetermined and applied consistently across the platform. However, you may find different packages or features available at various price points, allowing you to select the option that best fits your needs and budget.
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