How to Use Zillow to Search for Homes and Understand Listings and Zestimates

Zillow is one of the most widely used real estate websites in the United States. It brings together listings from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) — a shared database used by real estate agents — along with for-sale-by-owner properties and rental listings. You can use it to browse homes in any city, set a budget filter, and explore neighborhoods, all without contacting anyone or scheduling a visit.

One of Zillow's most talked-about features is the Zestimate, which is Zillow's automated estimate of what a home is worth. The Zestimate is calculated using public data such as tax records, recent sale prices of nearby homes, and property details. It is helpful as a rough starting point. But it is not an appraisal. The number can be off by tens of thousands of dollars depending on how much data is available in your area and how recently the home was updated. Always treat a Zestimate as a ballpark, not a firm value.

When you find a listing you like, the property page shows you the asking price, square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, property taxes, and a description from the seller's agent. You can also view photos, a 3D tour if one is available, and the home's price history. That price history tab shows you whether the listing price has been reduced and how long the home has been on the market — both useful signals when making an offer.

Zillow also lets you save homes to a favorites list, set up alerts when new homes matching your criteria appear, and reach out to the listing agent directly through the app. It is a solid starting point for any home search, as long as you follow up with a licensed real estate agent before making any decisions.