Zillow Group Inc - Z STOCK NEWS

Zillow research reveals significant financial losses for home sellers who opt out of Multiple Listing Service (MLS), with disproportionate impact on communities of color. During 2023-2024, off-MLS sellers collectively lost over $1 billion, with average losses of $5,000 per sale (1.5% less than MLS-listed homes).

The impact is particularly severe in communities of color, where off-MLS homes sold for 3.2% less than MLS-listed properties, compared to 1.2% in majority white neighborhoods. This translates to losses of $9,850 per home in communities of color versus $3,700 in majority white areas.

Hispanic neighborhoods face the highest impact, with off-MLS listings selling for 4% less ($13,730 difference). Survey data shows 74% of Hispanic and 73% of Black sellers were recommended private listings by agents, compared to 24% of white sellers. The current market shows 26% fewer homes available than pre-pandemic levels.

Zillow's latest market report reveals a shifting housing landscape in February 2025, with 1.04 million homes available - the highest February inventory since 2020 and 15% above last year. Despite new listings dropping 5% year-over-year, the market shows signs of increased buyer advantage.

Home value growth has slowed to a 2.1% year-over-year increase, marking the lowest February growth since 2012. Properties now spend approximately 23 days on the market before pending sale, six days longer than last year. Declining mortgage rates, reaching December-level lows, could stimulate both buyer and seller activity.

The market currently shows no clear advantage for either buyers or sellers nationally, a situation last seen in February 2019. Pending listings have decreased by 8% compared to last year but remain 10% above pre-pandemic levels. The rental market is experiencing a notable shift, with multifamily rent growth outpacing single-family homes for the first time since June 2024.

Zillow's new analysis reveals massive climate risks to U.S. residential real estate, with properties worth $17 trillion facing major wind risk, $9.1 trillion at major fire risk, and $7 trillion at major flood risk.

Eleven major metro areas have residential real estate worth over $100 billion at major fire risk, with six in California. Los Angeles leads with $831 billion in fire-risk properties. The New York City metro area tops both flood risk ($593 billion) and wind risk ($3 trillion) categories, followed by Miami.

Despite these risks, high-risk areas remain attractive to buyers, with homes in extreme flood-risk areas listing at 22% higher prices than low-risk properties, and extreme fire-risk homes commanding a 49% premium. Over 80% of home shoppers consider climate risks in their search, utilizing Zillow's climate risk data tools for informed decision-making.

Zillow research reveals optimal timing for home listings, with properties listed in late May 2024 selling for 1.6% more ($5,600 premium on typical U.S. homes). The analysis shows peak search activity occurs before Memorial Day, as buyers prepare for summer moves and fall school starts.

Timing varies by region: San Diego and Austin see best results in late March, while Phoenix peaks in November. Notable premiums vary significantly - San Jose sellers gained 5.3% ($93,200) in late March, while Orlando saw just 0.9% in early May.

Beyond timing, sellers can maximize returns through strategic listing practices:

• Using MLS listings (avoiding non-MLS listings that sell for 1.5% less)
• Highlighting valuable outdoor features (outdoor TVs add $10,749)
• Utilizing comprehensive online listings with high-res images and 3D tours (2% premium)

Zillow's analysis reveals dramatic changes in the U.S. housing market over the past five years since the pandemic's start. Home values have surged 45.3% nationally, with Miami leading both home value and rent growth among major metros. The number of million-dollar homes has increased by approximately 989,000, now totaling about 1.65 million nationwide.

The typical $1 million home has shrunk by 70 square feet to 2,388 square feet. Construction has responded strongly, with over 1 million single-family home starts in 2021. Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Austin led in single-family permits.

Buyer preferences have evolved, with outdoor features remaining popular - homes with outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens commanding 2% price premiums. Virtual home shopping has gained significant traction, with Zillow 3D Home tour listings quadrupling since December 2022. Buyers are now conducting fewer in-person tours, with only 15% attending five or more private showings in 2024, down from 31% in 2020.

Zillow Group (Nasdaq: Z and ZG), a leader in transforming the real estate industry, will present at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 5, with Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Hofmann participating in a fireside chat at 10:45 a.m. PT / 1:45 p.m. ET. Interested parties can register and access the live webcast through the provided link. Both live and recorded versions of the webcast will be available on Zillow Group's Investor Relations website under the Events & Presentations section.

Black first-time home buyers maintained strong market presence at 62% in 2024, while overall first-time buyers declined to 44% from 50% in 2023. After dropping to 35% in 2021, Black first-time buyers rebounded to a record 63% in 2023, outpacing other racial groups.

The survey highlights persistent affordability challenges, with Black households earning a median income of $54,896, well below the $95,213 needed to purchase a typical U.S. home without being cost-burdened. Only 17.6% of listings are affordable for typical Black households, compared to higher percentages for Hispanic (28.2%), white (37.9%), and Asian (56.8%) households.

St. Louis emerged as the most affordable market for Black households, with 30.3% of listings within reach, followed by Birmingham (29.5%) and Memphis (29.0%). Remote work opportunities have expanded housing options, with Black renters 29% more likely to benefit from remote work flexibility in pursuing homeownership.

Zillow's latest analysis reveals a significant shift in home buyer preferences, with remodeled homes commanding a 3.7% premium ($13,194 on a typical U.S. home) - the highest among 359 listing keywords analyzed in 2024. Remodeled listings receive 26% more daily saves and 30% more shares compared to non-remodeled properties.

In contrast, fixer-uppers are selling at their largest discount in three years, at 7.3% below similar homes. Properties needing work or TLC sell for approximately 8% less than expected, translating to over $28,000 on a typical U.S. home. This marks a significant change from pre-pandemic trends when fixer-upper listings were more likely to sell.

Currently, 28% of all Zillow listings are described as 'renovated,' following a pandemic-driven renovation boom. With nationwide home appreciation at 2.6% in 2024 and a forecast of 2.9% for 2025, sellers can no longer rely on rapid equity gains to offset renovation costs.

Zillow's latest rental analysis reveals the 'singles tax' - the extra cost of living alone versus sharing rent - has reached a record-high of $7,562 annually, increasing by $450 from last year. New York City maintains its position as the most expensive city for solo renters with a $20,100 annual premium, according to StreetEasy data.

Boston has moved up to fourth place in the rankings of most expensive cities for singles, surpassing Washington, D.C. The typical rent in Boston stands at $3,002 as of December 2024, approximately 53% above the national average. Nationwide, couples or roommates sharing a one-bedroom rental can collectively save $15,123 annually.