Zillow Offers is live in its 25th market. The company announced Wednesday that its direct-to-consumer homebuying and selling platform is now live in Jacksonville, Florida, the first new market since the company resumed buying in all existing markets after it’s March pause.
Jeremy Wacksman | Photo credit: Zillow
“The coronavirus pandemic has caused many people to rethink their priorities for a home – a phenomenon we call ‘The Great Reshuffling,'” Zillow President Jeremy Wacksman, said in a statement. “We’ve adapted Zillow Offers to give homeowners even more convenience and peace of mind to make their move easier with our new health and safety protocols.
Jacksonville is Zillow’s fourth Florida market, after South Florida, Tampa and Orlando. Wacksman, in a statement, called Florida and important market for Zillow Offers.
Zillow initially paused the homebuying aspect of its iBuyer business like many of its iBuyer competitors in March, as states suspended in-person economic activity.
After approximately two months of not buying homes, Zillow returned in May to a few select markets with its “Move Foward. Stay Safe.” plan, which included insight from Regina Benjamin, the former surgeon general of the United States, as a health and safety consultant.
Those protocols accompanying the plan include efforts to limit in-person interactions through the use of 3D tours and allowing prospective buyers to self-tour homes.
Even with the resumption of most in-person economic activity across the country, Zillow reported that its seen a spike in the use of digital tools that wrap the Zillow Offers transaction. A recent survey by the Seattle-based real estate technology company found that 43 percent of respondents said they would likely try to sell online during the pandemic and 33 percent said they would try even after the pandemic ends.
