Zillow rolls out social real estate shopping tool

House in shopping cart image via Shutterstock.com.

Consumers who visit property search and valuation site Zillow will now be able to view which of their Facebook friends either lives in or often checks in to particular neighborhoods.

Today, Zillow announced the launch of Neighborhood Advice on Zillow.com. First, Zillow prompts site users to activate Facebook Connect, a tool that allows Facebook users to log into third-party websites using their Facebook username and password. Many sites use Facebook Connect in lieu of, or in addition to, a traditional registration option.

Consumers will then be able to see a national map showing where their Facebook friends have connections, either because they listed it as their hometown, live there currently, or check in there frequently.

As consumers search Zillow for homes in a particular neighborhood or city, Neighborhood Advice recommends friends connected to the location to ask for advice through a private, direct message on Facebook. Users will also be able to see Facebook friends nearby on individual listing pages, Zillow said.

"When people are looking to rent or buy a new home, they always ask friends, family and co-workers questions about different neighborhoods. Neighborhood Advice takes this further and deeper by allowing shoppers to ... tap into their broader online social network as they shop for homes on Zillow," said Spencer Rascoff, Zillow's CEO, in a statement.

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