Zillow continues to roll out services for real estate agents, taking the covers off a new offering today that basically gives agents low-cost Web sites. Known as Premier Agent Websites, the offering is available for $10 per month and includes an IDX feed that includes MLS listings, a variety of templates to choose from, Zillow’s customer relationship management tool and other services. Those in the company’s Premier Agent program get the service for free.
Many agents already have Web sites, but Zillow spokeswoman Cynthia Nowak said they can be confusing, pricey and hard to manage. The service allows agents to choose a domain name, though the site itself is not portable, meaning agents can not transfer it on to another platform.
“Many options often include a long, drawn-out process of development which may not be efficient for an agent and cause them grief as they try to understand a variety of technical jargon,” said Nowak. “Agents that want to get a professional website up quickly with a reasonable investment will greatly benefit from this product.”
Based on WordPress, the new agent Web sites are built in conjunction with the company’s Diverse Solutions business, which Zillow acquired last year. Zillow is targeting both those agents who already have Web sites, but want an upgrade, as well as those who are just starting out and desire a new site.
“It’s incredibly important for real estate agents to have a Web presence, but building and maintaining a custom website with local IDX feeds is often time consuming and complex,” said Jay Thompson, director of industry outreach and social media at Zillow.
The new offering will help to fill that void, fulfilling a promise that Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff made earlier this year to roll out new services to make the jobs of real estate professionals easier.
Zillow, which went public at $20 per share last July, is now trading at $39.93 with a market value of $1.15 billion.
