Compare Zillow and Savvy Lane

For Sellers

Not Applicable
0
No Rates
Zillow is an MLS Aggregator, it does not provide listing services to consumers.

For Sellers

Listing Rate
1%
Commission
Minimum commissions and other terms may apply. Buyer's Agent Commission (2.5%-3%) is not included, but sellers may be able to negotiate this as well.

For Buyers

Not Applicable
0
No Rates
Zillow is an MLS Aggregator, it does not provide buyer representation services to consumers.

For Buyers

Buyer’s Savings
60%-67%
Commission Rebate
When Savvy Lane represents buyers, it contributes 60%-67% from its total Buyer's Agent Commission (2.5%-3%) as a way to financially compete for buyer’s business. Home buyers do not pay any taxes on the amount, the refund amount is always tax-free. Commission rebates are not allowed in Oregon.
Question: What is the difference between Zillow and Savvy Lane?
Answer: Zillow is a Multiple Listing Services (MLS) aggregator while Savvy Lane is a full-service real estate agent that offers savings to homebuyers and home sellers
Compare Zillow and Savvy Lane for home buying and selling. HomeOpenly is an impartial and an open resource focused on trending real estate services, portals and start-ups.

First published: 17 February 2019
Last updated: 25 April 2021

Buying and Selling with Zillow

Zillow is an MLS Aggregator that allows buyers and sellers to list homes and find out what local homes are available for sale. Zillow aggregates home listing data from thousands of private MLS databases across the United States.

By making this otherwise unavailable information to consumers, Zillow creates a positive value-added experience with local results for the majority of available listings.

Zillow generates revenue with ads using Zillow Group’s Premier Agent and Premier Broker programs.

Zillow Pricing

Zillow does not offer paid services to consumers directly, instead, the portal generates revenue with ads and referral fees from real estate brokers.

Listing Services

  • This Service Does Not Represent Sellers

Buyer's Agent Services

  • This Service Does Not Represent Buyers

Zillow Editor's Review:

This review is focused on Zillow as an MLS aggregator, separate from the referral fee network (Zillow Premier Broker) and (Zillow Instant Offers). Two separate reviews are assigned to Zillow Premier Broker and Zillow Instant Offers programs. As an MLS aggregator, Zillow benefits real estate consumers with highly accurate MLS data and home value estimates.

Today, most consumers ready to buy or sell real estate begin their search on the Internet. This is a logical first step that can help identify similar properties, pricing budget to help make the correct decision about buying or selling real estate. Zillow is one of the main and most well-known sources of such information. Zillow analyzes property values, aggregates data and displays results that make sense to seasoned real estate professionals as well as newbie home buyers and sellers.

Undeniably, Zillow, has a great wealth of aggregate MLS property information, an easy-to-use interface, valuable neighborhood information, excellent user reviews and a wide array of real estate-related services, articles, and forums. Zillow is one of the top real estate platforms in the United States and will likely remain there with acquisitions of Trulia.com, Streeteasy.com, and RealEstate.com “mirror” platforms. The chances are that a consumer either buying or selling a home uses Zillow platform or one of its affiliates as part of their real estate transaction experience.

Zillow is technically free, but Zillow is funded with advertising and referral fees. Zillow advertising costs vary by ZIP code, cost per impression and Premier Broker referral fees are currently hidden from consumers. Agents that sign-up for their Premier Agent program "get in front of buyers and sellers in the largest online real estate network."

This fact ultimately means that real estate agent recommendations provided to real estate consumers by Zillow are biased. Those agents that pay Zillow for Premier Agent accounts consistently show up first in their search results without a clear indication of Premier status. Thus, an agency at the top may or may not be the best choice, yet Zillow implies to its users that it is.

As of 2019, Zillow has further turned to “broker mentality” against consumers with an introduction of Zillow Premier Broker and Zillow Instant Offers programs. Both of these programs effectively take Zillow into a middle-man real estate broker category, and away from an independent portal. Zillow had designed these programs to “trade consumers as leads” and push buyers and sellers onto a select group of real estate agents in exchange for hidden referral fees.

Unlike the Premier Agent program, where agents simply pay for ads, Premier Broker is a pay-for-play lead generator pipeline that qualifies consumers as a service.

This literally means that Zillow qualifies consumers into a commodity where agents buy that commodity; Zillow calls this a “flexible” payment option. Zillow CEO states that “it simplifies selling process because it de-risks the purchase decision for advertisers.” There is no upfront fee to brokers when they receive consumers info as validated leads, so there is no risk to the broker if they quote a consumer a "standard" commission – if the broker doesn’t get the business, they move on to the next validated lead with their overpriced commission offerings.

Like any other limited agent referral network of agents who are willing to pay “industry standard performance advertising expense” the only job for Zillow here is to push a few agents onto consumers en masse. With even a small percent success rate, each time Zillow converts consumers into leads, it receives thousands or tens of thousands in referral fees, typically set at 25%-40% of the commission. This business model is called reverse competition, where Zillow still refuses to acknowledge the exact amount in referral fees it receives from this new program.

The only way real estate agents are able to pay 25%-40% of their commission to Zillow is to either reduce service or jack up the price. Consumers should be careful not to provide their complete information to Zillow including name, email and a phone number in order to avoid being "sold as leads" to random real estate brokers.

Where does Zillow operate?

Zillow currently operates in select areas across United States.

Buying and Selling with Savvy Lane

Savvy Lane is a multi-state broker, offers consumers flat fee listing savings and buyers refunds in Washington, Oregon (listing savings only), and California.

Savvy Lane Pricing

Savvy Lane offers listing savings (1% listing) and buyer’s refunds (60%-67% of the Buyer’s Agent Commission)

Listing Services

  • MLS Listing
  • Zillow, Trulia, etc. Listing
  • Accept and Deliver All Offers and Counteroffers
  • Hold Open Houses
  • Professional Photography
  • Professional Floor Plans
  • Yard Signage Installation
  • Spare Key Lock-box Installation
  • Schedule Inspection Services
  • Schedule Private Showings
  • Closing Duties

Buyer's Agent Services

  • Find the Property
  • Accept and Deliver All Offers and Counteroffers
  • Recommend Other Professionals
  • Attend Inspection Services
  • Schedule Private Showings
  • Negotiate Needed Repairs
  • Closing Duties

Savvy Lane Editor's Review:

Savvy Lane is a consumer-focused real estate agent that successfully represents consumers across Washington, Oregon, and California and offers sizeable savings. Savvy Lane service includes posting home on the MLS and MLS Aggregator services, professional photos and a virtual tour in addition to all typical services offered by a traditional real estate agent.

If a seller accepts an offer from a buyer represented by Savvy Lane, the full buyer agent commission (2.5%-3%) amount is waived. Savvy Lane says that this process favorably lowers overall transaction costs, but it also requires a buyer to accept the potential downside of dual representation.

For buyers Savvy Lane offers one of the best in the industry buyer’s refund savings, depending on the total amount of the buy-side commission offered by the seller (Savvy Lane keeps 1% of what is typically 2.5%-3% Buyer's Agent Commission.)

Overall Savvy Lane offers an excellent proposition to Buyers and Sellers alike.

Where does Savvy Lane operate?

Savvy Lane currently operates in select areas across Washington, Oregon, California.