How Does Zillow Work?

91% of all real estate transactions begin online. The biggest player in this space is the real estate search engine Zillow. Founded in 2006 and came to relevance in 2011 the platform originates exposure for 30% of all listings and 80% of all listings are viewed on Zillow. It is an essential part of the real estate workflow for both buyers, sellers, and agents. But there are surprises in how this relatively new application works for the consumer. It’s a new world for sure, and rapidly changing. What is a zestimate, why did Zillow start directly buying homes, and how did you meet your agent online?