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Real Estate · head to head

Redfin vs Zillow

Redfin logo

Redfin

Real Estate

We pair local Redfin agents with powerful technology to help you buy, sell, or rent

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zillow logo

Zillow

Real Estate

Consumer property search site whose actual product, Premier Agent, is paid lead placement sold to agents and brokers, not the free listings buyers browse

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Redfin listing fee of 1 percent is half the industry average but still deducted from seller proceeds; Zillow leads are frequently sold to multiple agents at once, so an agent is often bidding against competitors for the same buyer rather than buying an exclusive introduction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Redfin and Zillow actually diverge.

Attributes where Redfin and Zillow differ
AttributeRedfinZillow
Pricing modeltransactionquote
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Real Estate).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Redfin

Nothing recorded that Zillow does not also cover.

Only in Zillow

  • Consumer listing search
  • Premier Agent placement
  • Lead connections
  • Performance dashboards
  • Zillow Flex
  • Agent profile and reviews

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Redfin

  • Real estate brokerage and home buying/selling servicesnot Zillow
  • Property transaction coordination for home buyers and sellersnot Zillow

Zillow

  • An agent in a competitive metro wanting listing-page visibility on homes they do not personally representnot Redfin
  • A team wanting predictable lead volume to feed a follow-up system, accepting shared, non-exclusive leadsnot Redfin
  • A brokerage evaluating Zillow Flex as a pay-on-closing alternative to upfront advertising spendnot Redfin
  • A buyer or renter using the free consumer search, who is not Zillow paying customer at all and should understand that agent placement on a listing does not mean that agent represents the sellernot Redfin

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Redfin

  • Listing fee of 1 percent is half the industry average but still deducted from seller proceeds
  • No published fees for buyer services, rental listings, or specific service tiers
  • Maximum savings calculation based on combined purchase and sale, not guaranteed

Zillow

  • Leads are frequently sold to multiple agents at once, so an agent is often bidding against competitors for the same buyer rather than buying an exclusive introduction.
  • Reported lead-to-close conversion of roughly 1 to 3 percent means most paid connections do not become closed transactions, and the advertising spend has no guaranteed return.
  • Cost per connection varies heavily by ZIP code and competition, so budgeting is unpredictable and can spike in desirable areas without warning.
  • The agent shown as a contact on a listing is frequently not the listing agent, which has drawn criticism for consumer confusion about who actually represents the seller.
  • Placement is rented, not owned; an agent who stops paying loses visibility instantly, unlike a website or CRM investment that continues to compound in value.

Pricing, plan by plan

Redfin

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Redfin review.

Zillow

On request
  • Premier Agent$undefined/month
    • Consumer search and listings are free; agents pay for lead placement
    • Average cost per connection roughly $139 (non-major metro) to $223+ (major metro)
    • Monthly spend commonly $200-600 small markets, $1,500-5,000+ major metros

Which should you pick?

Choose Redfin if

Nothing in the data separates Redfin from Zillow on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Redfin review

Choose Zillow if

  • You need consumer listing search.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want premier agent placement.
Zillow review

Questions people ask

Is Redfin or Zillow better?
Neither clearly leads. Redfin starts at On request and Zillow at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Redfin or Zillow?
Redfin starts at On request and Zillow at On request.
Does Redfin or Zillow run on more platforms?
Redfin runs on Web. Zillow runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Redfin best used for?
Redfin is most often used for real estate brokerage and home buying/selling services, property transaction coordination for home buyers and sellers. Of those, real estate brokerage and home buying/selling services and property transaction coordination for home buyers and sellers are not what Zillow is typically brought in for.
What can Redfin do that Zillow cannot?
Zillow covers Consumer listing search, Premier Agent placement, Lead connections, Performance dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Redfin: What are Redfin's seller fees?

Redfin charges a 1 percent listing fee for sellers, described as half of what other brokerages typically charge. Specific details about buyer service fees are not published on this page.

Source
Zillow: Do home buyers or sellers pay Zillow?

No. Consumer search, Zestimates and listing browsing are free. Zillow revenue comes from agents and brokers paying for Premier Agent placement and leads.

Zillow: Does the agent shown on a Zillow listing represent the seller?

Not necessarily. Premier Agent placement can show a paying advertiser as the contact even when they are not the actual listing agent.

Zillow: Is there a cheaper alternative to paid placement?

Zillow Flex offers a pay-on-closing model instead of upfront ad spend in select markets, trading a lower risk of wasted spend for a referral fee on closed deals.

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