What Do Contacts Mean On Zillow?

The number of people who have contacted an agent by clicking the “Contact Agent” button on a listing page is called the “Contacts” metric on Zillow. Buyers and renters are also included in this.

When a user selects the “Contact Agent” button, the listing agent receives their name, phone number, and email address. The listing agent can use this data to contact the prospective tenant or buyer and arrange a viewing.

Zillow Property Manager

Landlords can manage their rental homes using Zillow Rental Manager, a property management program. There is a free and premium plan for Zillow Rental Manager, a freemium service. Basic features like listing your home and tenant screening are included in the free plan. Additional capabilities offered by the premium plan include making and signing contracts, collecting rent payments, and handling maintenance requests.

Streamlined Property Listing and Advertising

Zillow Property Manager can simplify and expedite rental units’ listing and advertising processes, offering effortless listing via comprehensive details, high-resolution images, and even virtual tours. Thanks to Zillow’s vast user base, these listings reach potential tenants more effectively, an advantage that helps minimize vacancy periods as properties are quickly matched with interested renters.

Zillow Property Manager offers advertisers various advertising options, allowing property owners to highlight specific features and amenities to attract tenants. Furthermore, the user-friendly interface ensures property listings are presented attractively, drawing in prospective tenants who may otherwise pass them up!

Effective Tenant Screening and Rent Collection

Zillow Property Manager makes tenant screening easy by offering an in-depth process that examines every prospective tenant’s credit history, criminal history, and eviction history to reduce risks related to leasing to problematic tenants. This screening helps property owners make well-informed decisions while mitigating risks when leasing to undesirable individuals.

Furthermore, this platform offers efficient rent collection tools, enabling tenants to pay online. Automated reminders ensure timely rent collection, while this digital payment system makes accounting and financial tracking more streamlined for property owners and managers, increasing efficiency overall.

Seamless Maintenance and Communication

Maintaining and promptly addressing maintenance issues is essential to tenant satisfaction and property value. Zillow Property Manager offers an easy maintenance request system where tenants can easily submit requests through its platform. Property managers can then prioritize and assign tasks efficiently to ensure repairs and maintenance occur on schedule.

Additionally, this platform facilitates clear communications among property owners, managers, and tenants. Notifications and messages are centralized within the platform, decreasing miscommunication or overlooked inquiries, streamlining management processes, and building stronger landlord-tenant relationships.

Data-Driven Insights and Analytics

Zillow Property Manager leverages data-driven insights and analytics to provide invaluable information to property owners and managers. Users can gain access to key performance indicators. metrics such as occupancy rates, rental trends, and neighborhood comparisons, providing better decision-making when setting competitive rental rates, altering marketing strategies, or identifying areas for improvement.

The analytics provided by this platform also extend to tenant behavior, giving property owners invaluable feedback on tenants’ preferences and satisfaction levels. Acknowledging tenant preferences can guide property managers toward strategic upgrades or enhancements that attract and keep quality tenants.

Legal Compliance and Documentation

Compliance with local, state, and federal regulations is paramount for property owners and managers to avoid legal issues and potential liabilities. Zillow Property Manager offers built-in legal document templates designed to ensure leases and rental agreements meet applicable laws and regulations, giving owners peace of mind knowing their agreements comply with legal standards while protecting their rights as landlords.

Furthermore, this platform keeps users abreast of changes to relevant laws, ensuring continued compliance and mitigating potential risks associated with outdated practices.

Problems With Zillow

Popular real estate website Zillow has come under fire for several issues. Zillow’s most frequent issues are inaccurate Zestimates, subpar customer service, data privacy concerns, and algorithmic bias.

Inaccurate Home Value Estimates

One of the major concerns users have with Zillow is the accuracy of its home value estimates, more commonly known as Zestimates. While Zestimates provide an approximate idea of a property’s worth, they are generated using automated algorithms and publicly available data, which do not always reflect its true market value; local market conditions, special features of properties, or renovation projects often fail to account for these factors, which can result in discrepancies between a Zestimate and its true market value.

These inaccuracies can be frustrating for homeowners looking to sell or refinance their properties and can mislead potential buyers. Therefore, users should recognize that Zestimates should only be taken cautiously and never replace professional appraisals or market analyses conducted by real estate experts.

Outdated and Unavailable Listings

Zillow users frequently run into issues with outdated or unavailable property listings. While Zillow relies on multiple sources for property data collection—Multiple Listing Services (MLS), real estate agents, and homeowners themselves—some listings may not be updated promptly, leading to them appearing available even though they’ve already been sold or leased out.

Zillow relies on third-party sources for property listings in an area, so its selection may be limited, leading to missed opportunities for buyers and renters alike. Users should compare Zillow listings against listings from reputable real estate websites and local agents for an encompassing view of available properties in their desired region.

Incomplete or Inconsistent Property Information

Zillow’s property database covers thousands of listings, making it difficult to manage its accuracy and consistency. Users often encounter missing or inconsistent property details—for instance, missing descriptions, inaccurate square footage estimates, or outdated images—making comparing properties and making informed decisions difficult.

Zillow could invest in more robust data verification processes and encourage users and agents to provide complete and up-to-date listings with features like school district boundaries, nearby amenities, or neighborhood characteristics that homebuyers or renters need to determine whether a property suits their needs. Such gaps could prevent buyers or renters from making an informed decision when searching for properties online. To address this problem, Zillow would benefit from investing in more robust verification processes, encouraging them to provide complete and current listing information for each listing they manage.

Limited Access to Off-Market Opportunities

Though Zillow primarily offers active listings, some users may seek off-market opportunities like pocket listings or exclusive deals that aren’t easily accessible on its platform. Real estate professionals may provide access to such properties through their professional networks, and agents and brokers provide valuable help when exploring non-publicized real estate options.

Overwhelming Advertisements and Leads

As a prominent real estate marketplace, Zillow generates its revenues primarily through advertisements and lead generation for real estate agents. While this business model makes sense, too many advertisements and lead forms may irritate users and detract from their browsing experience; some users report feeling bombarded with pop-up ads or having to navigate multiple lead forms before reaching the property information they seek.

Zillow could balance revenue generation and user satisfaction by limiting intrusive ads or offering them the choice to opt out of specific formats.

Zillow Subscription Fee

The website and mobile app of Zillow are free to use. There are, however, some premium features that have a cost. For instance, there is a monthly cost for both Zillow Premier Agent advertising and Zillow Rental Manager.

Zillow Premier Agent: An Overview

Zillow Premier Agent is a subscription program created to enhance visibility and lead generation across Zillow. Subscribers to this service gain access to exclusive features and tools designed to connect them with potential clients and expand their business.

Subscription Costs and Tiers

Zillow Premier Agent provides multiple subscription tiers, each offering different features and benefits. Subscription costs depend on factors like location, competition level, and the level of exposure the agent or team wants; generally, higher cost tiers tend to provide greater exposure, leads, and volume. Agents should choose the subscription plan that aligns best with their business goals and budget.

Zillow Premier Agent subscription fees are an ongoing monthly expense that should be evaluated carefully as an investment for any agent looking to use this platform. Considering potential returns against subscription costs will enable them to make informed decisions about what makes sense regarding market and business needs.

Benefits of Zillow Premier Agent

Increased Lead Generation: One of the primary advantages of a Zillow Premier Agent subscription is increased lead generation. Subscribers to this subscription gain prominent placement on property listings they represent, appearing as the exclusive agent. This visibility often results in inquiries or potential clients contacting agents for representation.

Zillow Premier: Agent subscribers gain access to exclusive leads and referrals in their chosen locations, many with high-intent buyers or sellers actively searching for property, providing real estate professionals with valuable opportunities to connect with motivated clients.

Subscribers can create a customizable agent profile demonstrating their expertise, achievements, and client testimonials. A captivating profile can build trust among potential clients and convince them to choose them as their agent of choice for real estate needs.

Zillow Premier Agent provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration, streamlining lead management and communication processes. This feature enables agents to track interactions with potential clients more efficiently and follow up on leads more quickly.

Evaluating the Return on Investment (ROI)

Real estate professionals considering subscribing to Zillow Premier Agent should carefully assess its return on investment (ROI). Factors to remember include:

Market conditions in their locality.

Competition among agents.
Agents’ ability to convert leads into successful transactions

Some agents may experience significant business expansion with a positive ROI, while others may find the subscription less cost-effective depending on individual circumstances.

Why Is My Listing Not Showing Up On Zillow?

Zillow can only publish properties supplied directly to us; we cannot pull listings from other websites or sources. If your listing is not already on Zillow, make sure it is being delivered to Zillow by checking with your agent or the listing source.

Delayed Processing Time

Zillow typically needs some time to process and display new listings submitted via their platform, based on factors like how many listings are being processed at once and the completeness of the listing details provided. Processing times may differ depending on factors like this and your country of residence.

If your listing does not appear immediately, be patient and allow some time for Zillow’s system to update. In most cases, listings should become visible within 24 to 48 hours; if they don’t show after this period has elapsed, additional issues could need addressing.

Incomplete Listing Information

Zillow has established guidelines for listing data submission, and if your listing submission lacks essential details or contains errors, it may not be published on its platform. Be sure to provide all pertinent details, such as property address, price, description, images, and amenities; failing to include essential details can prevent your listing from appearing in search results.

To increase the odds that prospective buyers will see your listing, carefully review its submission and double-check all necessary fields. Ensure it satisfies Zillow’s data standards to avoid potential rejection or delays in its visibility.

Violation of Zillow’s Policies

Zillow provides users with specific policies and guidelines when listing on Zillow, including following its policies when submitting listings. Failing to abide by them could result in your listing being removed or withheld from the display, such as by posting duplicate listings, using misleading information, or including inappropriate material within their descriptions or images.

Review Zillow’s Listing Policies and Terms of Use to ensure your listing complies with their guidelines. If your listing breaks policies, make any necessary modifications and resubmit it for review.

Regional Availability and MLS Integration

Zillow listings are drawn from various Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) and real estate databases, so their availability may differ depending on your location and MLS integration in that area. Some MLSs also have restrictions regarding when listings become visible on third-party websites, which may extend how quickly they appear on Zillow.

If your listing does not appear on Zillow, make sure it has been properly integrated with Zillow’s platform and that its status has been set as active and available for public display.

Technical Glitches and System Updates

Zillow may experience technical glitches or system updates that cause listings to temporarily disappear from view on the platform. Temporary issues with functionality or maintenance work may alter how listings appear on Zillow.

If technical issues are the source of your troubles, try accessing Zillow later or contact customer support for assistance. They will offer insights into ongoing technical issues and solutions that ensure your listing remains visible.

FAQ’s

What does “Contacts” mean on Zillow?

“Contacts” on Zillow refers to the number of times potential buyers or renters have reached out to the listing agent or property owner through the Zillow platform.

How does Zillow count contacts?

Zillow counts “contacts” when a user contacts the listing agent or property owner by clicking on the “Contact Agent” or “Contact Property Manager” button on a property listing page.

Can users contact multiple agents or property owners for the same property?

Yes, users can contact multiple agents or property owners for the same property if multiple contact options are available.

What information is shared when a user contacts an agent or property owner?

When a user contacts an agent or property owner through Zillow, their name, email, and any message they provide are shared with the recipient.

Are contacts on Zillow free for users?

Yes, contacting agents or property owners on Zillow is free for users. Zillow makes money from advertising and other premium services for agents and property managers.

How can agents or property owners manage their contacts on Zillow?

Agents and property owners can manage their contacts through their Zillow dashboard, where they can respond to inquiries, view messages, and manage their listings’ performance.