{"id":31074,"date":"2025-03-21T04:00:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=31074"},"modified":"2026-04-13T09:03:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:03:37","slug":"redfin-vs-zillow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/redfin-vs-zillow\/","title":{"rendered":"Redfin vs Zillow: How the Two Real Estate Websites Compare?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you want to buy or sell a home<\/a>, you\u2019ll find a wealth of helpful information online. At some point in your journey, you may be curious to learn more about the difference between Redfin vs. Zillow, which are two major real estate companies in operation today.<\/p>\n

While both Redfin and Zillow have been around since the early 2000s and host similar types of information (such as for-sale listing details), their business models are not the same, and their services vary.<\/p>\n

In a nutshell, Redfin is a real estate brokerage that offers a discounted listing fee to sellers through its pool of agents. Zillow is an online real estate marketplace where people can browse listings and connect with agents who advertise on the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Need to Sell Your Home Fast?<\/h3>\n

Both Redfin and Zillow no longer offer iBuying services. Request an all-cash offer through HomeLight’s nationwide Simple Sale platform whenever you’re ready.<\/p>\n \n

\n Request offer<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at Redfin vs. Zillow alongside some additional real estate websites that can assist with your real estate needs, such as HomeLight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Company details*<\/strong><\/td>\nZillow<\/strong><\/td>\nRedfin<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Founded<\/td>\n2004<\/td>\n2006<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of employees<\/td>\n6,856<\/a><\/td>\n4,778<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of social followers<\/td>\n442,000 (LinkedIn), 2.6 million (Facebook)<\/td>\n141,000 (LinkedIn), 515,000 (Facebook)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Automated valuation model<\/td>\nZestimate\u00ae<\/td>\nRedfin Estimate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hosts for-sale listings?<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hosts rental listings?<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hosts FSBO listings?<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes, but only through FSBO.com or Fizber<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brokerage status?<\/td>\nHas brokerage licenses but does not hire agents<\/td>\nOperates as a technology-driven brokerage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Known for<\/td>\nBeing a place to shop for homes and browse listings, proprietary Zestimate\u00ae<\/td>\nLower listing fees of 1%-1.5%, buyer rebates, salaried agents<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Sources: Redfin LinkedIn<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>, Zillow LinkedIn<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>, Zillow Facts and Figures<\/a>, Wikipedia, and MacroTrends.net.<\/em><\/p>\n

*Information collected as of March 2025.

<\/div><\/em><\/p>\n

What is Redfin?<\/h2>\n

Launched in 2006<\/a>, Redfin is a technology-driven real estate brokerage that lists homes for a lower commission starting at 1%.<\/a> (Note: the listing fee Redfin charges does not include the buyer\u2019s agent fee<\/a> and is subject to a minimum<\/a> dollar amount Redfin has set based on the market.)<\/p>\n

Unlike most other brokerages where agents sign on as independent contractors, Redfin brings on licensed real estate agents as salaried employees who can also earn a transaction bonus for each closing.<\/p>\n

Redfin also curates and posts real estate listings from a variety of brokerages<\/a> that consumers can browse. Buyers and sellers can be put in touch with a Redfin Agent through the company website, whether they want to tour a home or ask a question.<\/p>\n

Sellers who list with Redfin will see their house marketed through digital campaigns, have a 3-D tour added to their listing, and be able to track marketing activity on their home while it\u2019s on the market.<\/p>\n

Redfin also hosts rental listings<\/a> through its acquisition of RentPath in 2021. The company<\/a> provides brokerage, rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovation services.<\/p>\n

On March 10, 2025, Detroit-based fintech platform Rocket Companies announced its plan to <\/span>acquire Redfin<\/span><\/a>. \u201cBy combining Redfin’s home search and real estate agent network with Rocket’s mortgage origination and servicing capabilities, the company envisions a more seamless experience from search to close, to servicing and future transactions,\u201d Rocket Companies\u2019 press release said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

What is Zillow?<\/h2>\n

Zillow is a home search website that has been a well-known brand among consumers for many years, to the point of becoming a household name in real estate. On Zillow, you can actively or passively browse real estate listings, connect with a real estate agent, or see your home\u2019s \u201cZestimate,\u201d an estimation of value that Zillow determines for your home based on a proprietary algorithm.<\/p>\n

Unlike Redfin, Zillow does not employ real estate agents to list or help buy homes on the client\u2019s behalf. Although Zillow has brokerage licenses in many states<\/a> (which allows it to engage in certain real estate practices that may require such a license), Zillow does not operate as a traditional real estate brokerage with agents under its brand.<\/p>\n

Instead, Zillow advertises real estate agents from other brokerages \u2014 whether it be Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker, or Century 21, etc. \u2014 on its site. As with many real estate platforms, the company accepts and places paid ads. It\u2019s up to you to dig deeper to find online testimonials about their quality<\/a>, talk to past clients, and request their sales data.<\/p>\n

Landlords pay to have their apartments listed on Zillow (though their first listing is free<\/a>), and if you\u2019re looking for a rental, Zillow can be a good source. Zillow also connects you with mortgage lenders<\/a>, providing information about rates and reviews of their services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

House hunting or thinking about selling? You\u2019ve probably browsed Redfin and Zillow \u2014 two of the largest real estate websites \u2014 to get market data. But, which is the better site?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":153,"featured_media":48125,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[322,238],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-logistics","category-working-with-agents"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRedfin vs Zillow: Company Profiles & Comparisons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"House hunting or thinking about selling? You\u2019ve probably browsed real estate websites Redfin and Zillow to get market data. 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