HomeServices of America, a division of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK), has partnered with Zillow Group (NASDAQ: Z, ZG) on an initiative that enables agents to market their listings earlier on Zillow and Trulia.
According to the companies, eligible “coming soon” listings will appear in Zillow Preview before they go active, providing early. The program is available to HomeServices of America-owned companies and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchise network. The combined entities total more than 75,000 agents and nearly 200,000 listings, the companies added.
A listing featured in Zillow Preview will display the name of the brokerage and a way to contact the listing agent, along with enhanced placement and visibility within Zillow’s search results so it stands out to consumers browsing homes before they officially hit the market. Consumers who view the Zillow Preview listing will be able to contact the HomeServices company’s listing agent directly. Once the Preview period ends and the listing goes active in the MLS, it will then appear on Zillow under the standard display rules that apply to all active listings.
“We are extremely proud to participate with Zillow in a program that further creates visibility opportunities to our sellers’ listings,” said Chris Kelly, president and CEO of HomeServices of America. “The ability to provide exponential exposure at the beginning of the sales cycle is an extremely compelling value proposition and enhances our positioning as the only brokerage that can offer its clients a full homeownership experience under one umbrella.”
“Working with companies like HomeServices of America that share our commitment to transparency is an important part of how we move the industry forward,” said Jeremy Wacksman, CEO of Zillow Group. “Our goal is simple: give consumers access to the information they need to make confident decisions when buying or selling a home.”
HomeServices of America is the latest brokerage to join the Zillow Preview program, following Keller Williams, REMAX, and United Real Estate.
