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Zillow appoints new CFO amid push to build ‘housing super app’

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As the company continues its push to build a new “housing super app,” Zillow announced Thursday that it has appointed a new chief financial officer who in his previous role was a key figure in that app’s development.

Jeremy Hofmann

Jeremy Hofmann was a senior vice president of corporate development and strategy but took over as Zillow’s CFO effective Thursday. Hofman joined the company almost six years ago and has experience with “strategy, finance, budgeting and operations rigor, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions and partnerships,” a statement from Zillow notes.

The statement adds that Hofmann “led Zillow’s redefined housing super app strategy in early 2022 and has been a key driver of its execution over the past 18 months.”

Zillow first revealed plans for a super app in 2022 after announcing an end to iBuying operations months earlier. Since then, CEO Rich Barton has repeatedly returned to the topic, including most recently in his company’s first-quarter earnings report earlier this month. At the time, Barton indicated work on the app is ongoing.

Though it remains to be seen what the finished app might look like, the concept generally represents a critical push for Zillow as it looks to grow and diversify its business.

In addition to leading Zillow’s recent super app strategy, among other projects, Hofmann oversaw the company’s acquisition of ShowingTime in 2021, the statement also notes.

Rich Barton

Hofmann has been “key in driving progress on our growth strategy with operational and financial discipline, and I’m looking forward to him having an even bigger hand in shaping the future of Zillow as our CFO,” Barton said in Thursday’s statement.

“He’s at the center of our strategy to capture a greater share of customer transactions in real estate while making it easier for more and more people to get home.”

Hofmann takes over for Allen Parker, who has served as Zillow’s CFO since late 2018. Parker will now transition to an advisory role, the statement notes.

Hofmann expressed excitement about taking on “this new challenge,” adding that he plans to focus on “driving revenue and prudently managing costs on behalf of our shareholders,” according to the statement.

“Zillow has always been a leader in delivering transformative tech-enabled solutions for customers and partners in real estate,” Hofman said, “and I couldn’t be more optimistic about the opportunity in front of us.”

Email Jim Dalrymple II