Zillow Group Stock Price, News & Analysis

Zillow (ZG) has announced new listing transparency standards requiring that any property marketed to buyers must be available to all buyers through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and Zillow's platform. eXp Realty, the leading U.S. brokerage by transaction count, is the first to partner with Zillow in this initiative.

Under the new standards, which implement the National Association of Realtors Clear Cooperation policy, listings must be posted to the MLS within one day of public marketing. Listings not meeting these requirements will be excluded from both Zillow and Trulia platforms. The policy aims to ensure equitable access to real estate information and foster a more competitive housing market.

The partnership emphasizes maximum visibility for eXp listings on Zillow's platform, promoting transparency and open access to property information for all consumers and agents.

Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) has announced the launch of registration for SPORT BEACH 2025, its premier sports destination at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity from June 16-19, 2025. The event features an expanded roster of notable athletes and media personalities including Erin Andrews, Sir Mo Farah, Chris Paul, Alex Rodriguez, George Russell, and Charissa Thompson.

The third annual event has secured partnerships with major brands including Business Insider, Diageo, La Fête Wine Company, LG Ad Solutions, Movember, Nielsen, Official AI, Qualcomm Technologies, STAPLE, TripleLift, and Zillow Group. Previously announced partners include Ad Results Media, The Athletic, Channel Factory, The Chicago Bulls, and others.

Ben Lyons, Emmy Award-winning Television Host, will serve as the 2025 Program Host. The event will feature exclusive programming including Business Insider's third annual CMO Insider Breakfast with founding sponsor Boston Consulting Group.

Zillow (ZG) has partnered with HomeServices of America to implement Zillow Showcase, an AI-powered listing experience. The collaboration, which began last fall, enhances listing visibility and performance on Zillow's platform.

Key performance metrics show that Showcase listings achieve 2% higher sale prices (approximately $9,000 more on average) and faster pending status within 14 days. The enhanced listings receive 81% more page views, 80% more saves, and 90% more shares compared to standard listings.

The platform features high-resolution scrolling images, room-by-room organization, and interactive floor plans. Agents using Showcase on over half their listings are securing 30% more listings than non-Showcase agents. Each listing receives dedicated email promotion featuring agent and brokerage branding.

Zillow has released its analysis of the best metro areas for buying and selling homes in spring 2025. The report highlights improved conditions for buyers nationwide, with over 1 million homes available in February - the highest inventory since pre-pandemic levels. Mortgage rates are at their yearly low, with homes typically taking three weeks to sell.

The top 5 buyers' markets include: Miami (60-day median market time), New Orleans (58 days, 42% inventory increase), Jacksonville (26.3% inventory increase), Tampa (31.9% price cuts), and Memphis ($1,228 typical mortgage payment).

The best sellers' markets are: Buffalo (12-day median market time, 56% above-list sales), San Jose (9-day market time, 7.6% value increase), San Francisco (44.4% above-list sales), Hartford (7-day market time), and Boston (8-day market time, 40.4% above-list sales).

Zillow's latest research reveals that homes featuring nature-inspired design elements command significant price premiums in today's market. Organic modernism has emerged as a dominant trend, with specific features driving higher sale prices:

Properties with soapstone countertops sell for a 3.5% premium ($12,500 on a typical U.S. home), while white oak floors add 3.2%, and Venetian plaster walls contribute 3.0% to the sale price. The study also highlights the continued importance of outdoor living spaces, with features like outdoor showers (2.8% premium), outdoor kitchens (2.2%), and bluestone patios (2.2%) boosting home values.

The analysis, based on over 2 million home listings in 2024, examined more than 350 listing keywords. Notably, soapstone outperforms quartz countertops (3.5% vs 2.6%), and wet rooms command a 3.3% premium compared to spa-inspired bathrooms at 0.6%.

Zillow research reveals significant financial losses for home sellers who opt out of Multiple Listing Service (MLS), with disproportionate impact on communities of color. During 2023-2024, off-MLS sellers collectively lost over $1 billion, with average losses of $5,000 per sale (1.5% less than MLS-listed homes).

The impact is particularly severe in communities of color, where off-MLS homes sold for 3.2% less than MLS-listed properties, compared to 1.2% in majority white neighborhoods. This translates to losses of $9,850 per home in communities of color versus $3,700 in majority white areas.

Hispanic neighborhoods face the highest impact, with off-MLS listings selling for 4% less ($13,730 difference). Survey data shows 74% of Hispanic and 73% of Black sellers were recommended private listings by agents, compared to 24% of white sellers. The current market shows 26% fewer homes available than pre-pandemic levels.

Zillow's latest market report reveals a shifting housing landscape in February 2025, with 1.04 million homes available - the highest February inventory since 2020 and 15% above last year. Despite new listings dropping 5% year-over-year, the market shows signs of increased buyer advantage.

Home value growth has slowed to a 2.1% year-over-year increase, marking the lowest February growth since 2012. Properties now spend approximately 23 days on the market before pending sale, six days longer than last year. Declining mortgage rates, reaching December-level lows, could stimulate both buyer and seller activity.

The market currently shows no clear advantage for either buyers or sellers nationally, a situation last seen in February 2019. Pending listings have decreased by 8% compared to last year but remain 10% above pre-pandemic levels. The rental market is experiencing a notable shift, with multifamily rent growth outpacing single-family homes for the first time since June 2024.

Zillow's new analysis reveals massive climate risks to U.S. residential real estate, with properties worth $17 trillion facing major wind risk, $9.1 trillion at major fire risk, and $7 trillion at major flood risk.

Eleven major metro areas have residential real estate worth over $100 billion at major fire risk, with six in California. Los Angeles leads with $831 billion in fire-risk properties. The New York City metro area tops both flood risk ($593 billion) and wind risk ($3 trillion) categories, followed by Miami.

Despite these risks, high-risk areas remain attractive to buyers, with homes in extreme flood-risk areas listing at 22% higher prices than low-risk properties, and extreme fire-risk homes commanding a 49% premium. Over 80% of home shoppers consider climate risks in their search, utilizing Zillow's climate risk data tools for informed decision-making.

Zillow research reveals optimal timing for home listings, with properties listed in late May 2024 selling for 1.6% more ($5,600 premium on typical U.S. homes). The analysis shows peak search activity occurs before Memorial Day, as buyers prepare for summer moves and fall school starts.

Timing varies by region: San Diego and Austin see best results in late March, while Phoenix peaks in November. Notable premiums vary significantly - San Jose sellers gained 5.3% ($93,200) in late March, while Orlando saw just 0.9% in early May.

Beyond timing, sellers can maximize returns through strategic listing practices:

• Using MLS listings (avoiding non-MLS listings that sell for 1.5% less)
• Highlighting valuable outdoor features (outdoor TVs add $10,749)
• Utilizing comprehensive online listings with high-res images and 3D tours (2% premium)