Zillow Group‘s (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) new-construction listings will soon be automatically syndicated to Redfin, connecting home builders with motivated buyers on both platforms.
The strategic partnership will aim to “expand the reach of home builder listings on Zillow and allow Redfin customers to explore a broader range of new-construction homes for sale, creating a seamless home-buying experience.”
The new partnership comes at a time “when new construction is gaining prominence among buyers.” In June 2023, new single-family home sales “were up 23.8% from a year ago.”
This is partly because “the inventory of existing homes is dwindling and consumers are shifting to new construction to find a home that meets their needs. Zillow’s latest market report shows there were 28% fewer new listings added to the market this June compared to last year.”
A Redfin analysis found “that in the first half of 2023, one-third of single-family homes available for buyers to choose from were new construction, a record-high share.”
Owen Gehrett, vice president and general manager of New Construction at Zillow, said:
“Zillow provides a standout platform for home builders to highlight their communities and connect with potential buyers. Zillow’s Community pages, in particular, help buyers understand the benefits of a new-construction home and give home builders a place to highlight all the amenities within a new-build community. The partnership with Redfin extends this unique and valuable resource to a wider audience. It benefits home builders by expanding their reach to additional home buyers, while empowering home shoppers to make confident and informed decisions, regardless of where they choose to shop.”
Zillow boasts the largest selection of new-construction communities of “all real estate websites in the U.S.,1 making it the ultimate choice for buyers seeking new homes and home builders looking to connect with those prospective shoppers.”
Through this strategic partnership, home builders will also “market their new-construction communities to Redfin’s extensive customer base of 50 million monthly visitors.” Builders partnering with Zillow will “begin to see their listings and communities syndicated to Redfin in the fourth quarter of 2023.”
Adam Wiener, Redfin’s president of real estate operations, said:
“With buyer demand outpacing the supply of existing homes for sale, Redfin’s home-buying customers are increasingly turning to new construction. Our Zillow partnership will help our customers discover more homes that fit their criteria. This is a win-win-win for our customers, agents and the builders who advertise with Zillow, who will now reach the homebuyers on Redfin. The partnership provides a new revenue opportunity while allowing us to focus on what we do best, helping customers buy and sell homes with local Redfin agents.”
As part of the rollout, Redfin will reportedly “launch new features to help buyers discover new-construction communities and connect with home builders, powered by Zillow’s Community pages.”
These pages highlight important community amenities, “featuring photos, videos, community maps and amenity details, which is incredibly important to new-construction buyers.”
According to Zillow’s 2023 New Construction Consumer Housing Trends Report, 53% of new-construction buyers greatly value “shared amenities such as clubhouses and fitness centers, compared to only 24% of existing home buyers.”
Community pages also “list all available homes for sale within the community, including homes that are move-in ready, nearly complete and lots, and provide a direct link to the builder’s website, contact information and sales center hours.”
These features enable builders “to showcase their homes, amenities and details in one convenient place, and soon, the features will be accessible to both Zillow and Redfin shoppers.”
Upon the launch of the partnership, Redfin will source non-MLS new-construction listings exclusively from Zillow. New-construction listings available through an MLS will still be discoverable on Redfin.