November 20, 2023
Last Updated
Whether you’re advertising your rental properties or selling off one of your investments, knowing how to list on Zillow is essential. This listing site has become one of the most popular. You want to be sure that you are reaching all potential renters and buyers, and your listing needs to be on Zillow for this to happen.
Incorrectly setting up your listings or forgetting about Zillow means you could miss out on major advertising. Plus, most advertising from Zillow is free. Rather than always spending money to get the word out about your property, utilizing all available free services is critical.
Today, learn how to list on Zillow. We’ll talk about both rental properties and properties for sale so you can thoroughly understand the listing process. Let’s get started.
A Table Of Contents On How To List Property On Zillow
Did you know that listing your rental properties on Zillow is free? Did you know that your properties for sale by an agent are automatically syndicated to the site? Learn all about how listing on Zillow works in today’s guide:
- How To List Property On Zillow: First Steps
- How To List A Home On Zillow For Sale
- Listing A Rental Property On Zillow
- FAQs: How To List On Zillow
- How Do You List A House On Zillow: A Simple Solution
How To List Property On Zillow: First Steps
Every listing site has a different process. Before getting into the specifics of uploading data on your rental properties, you should first learn how to utilize Zillow. Follow these steps to get your profile started:
#1: Create Your Profile
The first thing you need to do is create your landlord or agent profile. Signing up for Zillow is easy. Clicking “Sign In” at the top of any page on the site will take you to a login screen. Here, click “Sign Up” to begin creating your profile.
Once you enter your chosen email address and password, indicate that you are a landlord or industry professional by marking the relevant checkbox. This will expand the sign-up form so that you can include more information.
Specifically, you will be asked to provide the following details:
- Email address
- Full name
- Phone number
- Zip code
- What type of industry professional you are
Whether you’re a real estate agent, a landlord, or both, creating your profile is the first step to using Zillow productively.
#2: Fill Out Your Profile
Fill out your name. Add a profile picture. Add information about your business, yourself, and your mission. By providing context to who you are and what matters to you, you can make sure you’re giving the right impression to anyone visiting your profile and listings.
How To List A Home On Zillow For Sale
Let’s first talk about how to list a home for sale on Zillow.
Listing With An Agent
Most property listings on homes for sale wind up on Zillow through syndication.
When a property is listed with a real estate agent, it’s uploaded to a multiple listing service. These geographical services, also known as MLS, are the backbone of online listings in the real estate industry. Sites other than Zillow, such as Realtor.com, also get their listings from the MLS.
After an agent adds a home to the MLS, it will be synced onto Zillow within one or two days. This process is automatic, and there is nothing the agent needs to do to start the process.
Agents with profiles on Zillow can claim the listing, making it possible for interested parties to connect with them more easily. They can also be linked automatically by ensuring that the agent’s email address matches all email addresses on file with MLS listings.
For Sale By Owner Listings
If you’re listing a property without the help of a listing agent, you’ll need to utilize Zillow’s “for sale by owner” options. Like agent listings, it does not cost any money to advertise for sale by owner properties on Zillow.
To create a sale listing, you’ll need to create a profile. Then, search for your property and click “claim” to claim ownership. From there, you can visit your home’s page and select “list for sale by owner.”
You will then be able to add a sale price, contact information, home facts, and photos so the listing will start attracting buyers. Before it goes live, however, there is a review process. Zillow typically completes this process within three days. Once complete, your listing will be published for all Zillow visitors to see.
Listing A Rental Property On Zillow
Most people originally came to know Zillow for its for-sale listings, but the rental property market is booming on the site as well. Learn how to list a rental property on Zillow to ensure you reach your target market in every way possible.
#1: Create Profile And Log In
Again, the first thing to do is to create a profile. When you do this, make sure you check off that you are an industry professional or landlord, as mentioned previously. This ensures you will be given the tools needed on Zillow to list rental properties.
Filling out your profile as much as possible is a good idea. It will give potential tenants a good first impression of you while also letting them know you’re an actual landlord ready to offer them excellent properties.
#2: Start Your First Listing
Once you’ve created your profile and logged in, it’s time to start your first listing.
To do so, click “Manage Rentals” in the menu bar at the top of the page. Then, click “Add a Property.” This button will generate a pop-up where you must search for the property’s address to begin the listing.
Once you choose an address to create the listing, you cannot edit the address. If you made a mistake, you must delete everything you entered and begin again. Be careful while entering all information throughout this process to prevent unnecessary delays.
#3: Complete All Listing Steps
After entering the address, it’s time to add the property details, images, monthly rent price, available date, and all other essential information.
Remember that you’re advertising your rental property as you work through this process. Ensure that your photos are compelling, your copy is clean, and your contact details are easy to find. Interested tenants will be more engaged by a good listing than one that hasn’t been fully completed.
#4: Activate The Listing
Once everything is completed and reviewed, you can activate your rental listing. Potential tenants will start seeing the listing immediately and contacting you. Check and respond to these messages promptly through the Zillow website or app.
Some tenants may connect with you directly through email or by phone, depending on what information you provided in the listing.
#5: Revisit The Listing As Needed
Zillow has a great feature for landlords. Once you’ve created a rental listing, you can deactivate it when the property is leased. Later, you can reactivate the listing if the property becomes vacant again.
The ability to easily switch between active and inactive is a great feature. Rather than needing to create a listing from scratch and once again work on making your advertisement perfect, you can simply update the old listing with any relevant new details and photos. This feature simplifies your work to a high degree.
Next Steps: Reviewing Tenant Applications
Once you’ve attracted potential tenants and begin communicating with them, you’ll see applications rolling in. Ensuring that you thoroughly screen these applications is vital for long-term success. Renting to a tenant without first reviewing their credit score, background information, and other key details increases the odds of a rental going wrong.
Thankfully, high-quality screening is within reach. Here at RentPrep, we provide screening services to landlords like you. Visit our pricing page to learn more about how you can screen your tenants through tenant background reports, credit reports, and credit checks.
FAQs: How To List On Zillow
Zillow is home to hundreds of thousands of listings; what does it take to make sure yours makes it onto the site? Get the answers to the most asked questions about listing on Zillow right here.
How do I post a listing on Zillow?
Suppose you sell a property through a listing agent. In that case, the property will be automatically syndicated from your local MLS to Zillow once it’s added to MLS by the agent. If you sell a house as the owner, you can add the listing to Zillow yourself after creating a profile and logging in.
Creating a rental listing on Zillow is also a straightforward process. Once you create a landlord profile, you can add a listing. After entering the property’s address, you will need to provide property details, rent information, dates available, and photos to the listing. Your reviewed listing will be published on Zillow for potential renters to see.
Does listing on Zillow cost money?
Listing properties on Zillow is free. Basic listings for properties for sale are automatically syndicated from the MLS, with a free option for homeowners to add any for sale by owner listings. Landlords can add rental listings for free.
In addition to basic listings, Zillow does have a premium advertising option. Zillow’s algorithm is optimized to boost premium listings in all search results, emails, and other marketing options. As of writing this guide, Zillow’s premium listing service costs $29.99 per listing per 90 days.
Does Zillow automatically pull from MLS?
Yes. Like other listing websites, Zillow propagates its data from the MLS. Also known as a multi-listing service, each MLS is a listings database in any given geographical area. MLS is updated by listing agents and brokers so that others can find information about each property.
Is it worth it to advertise on Zillow?
There’s never a cut-and-dry answer to whether it’s worth advertising on a particular site or not. However, basic advertising on Zillow is free. Adding your rental properties to the site only costs time and isn’t a time-intensive process. Even advertising a current investment property for sale is free on Zillow.
When posting a free rental listing on Zillow, you gain free advertising in exchange for a bit of time. This is a no-brainer, and you should add your listings to the site.
The same cannot be said about paid listing advertisements on Zillow. The success rate of these ads varies greatly. Various factors indeed affect the success of paid marketing options. The location, unit size, target market, rent price, market forecast, and many other factors influence an ad campaign’s success.
Consider doing a test campaign with a new rental listing to determine how effective it is in your area. If you notice a considerable difference in how many rental applications or inquiries you receive, advertising on Zillow may help you fill vacancies quickly.
Can I advertise open houses on Zillow?
It’s very easy to advertise open houses on Zillow.
If you’re selling an agent-listed property, any open houses added to MLS will be automatically synced to the relevant Zillow listings. Ensure that open houses are entered into the MLS promptly so that syndication to Zillow happens before it is too late.
You can also add open houses for properties listed as for sale by owner. You can view more options on the property listing page and add open house dates. Added dates appear on the listing once updated.
How Do You List A House On Zillow? A Simple Solution
Listing rental properties and homes for rent on Zillow is a straightforward process. The site thrives on its listings, which is why it’s so easy to create them. Properties for sale are automatically syndicated from MLS, while landlords can manually add rentals.
The key to any good listing is to ensure that you do the following:
- Provide accurate information
- Include clear, enticing photos
- Update the listing regularly
- Respond to all messages
Now that you’ve learned how to list on Zillow, it’s key to implement these actions to help your listing stand out. These points are vital in attracting the attention you need for both rentals and properties for sale.
Don’t be afraid of advertising. It’s easy to list on Zillow, which can create tremendous value.