Zillow vs Real Estate Agents: How to Win the War for Leads & Listings

You are at war with a real estate company or agent in your marketplace. I want you to think—who is that person right now? Who is that company?

If I asked you, “Who’s your number one competitor in your market today?”

Now… what if I told you you’re wrong?

Here’s why: The number one competitor in every market in America isn’t who you think. It’s Zillow.

Why Zillow?

Because Zillow is winning the war, not of market share, but of “mindshare.” And many would argue they’ve already won.

They don’t sell homes. But when people hear the word "real estate," they think of Zillow. That’s mindshare. It’s the first thing that comes to mind.

They’ve spent billions of dollars in ads. They’re everywhere online. So when someone wants to sell a house, they check their Zestimate. When they want to buy, they go to Zillow.

Here’s what happens: someone says, “I want to buy or sell a house,” they end up on Zillow, start browsing, and get prompted: “Want to talk to an agent?”

Then they fill out a form. And Zillow sells that form to agents—usually multiple agents—in the same market.

That’s why 200 million leads will be sold to REALTORS this year... and only about 4 million actual transactions will happen. And most of those don’t even come from online leads, but that’s a different conversation for another day.

Let’s break this down.

An agent at XYZ Realty down the street buys that Zillow lead, converts the buyer or seller, and you think, “I’m competing with XYZ Realty.”

No, you’re not.

You’re competing with Zillow.

Zillow got the lead, not that agent. That agent bought it. Maybe even paid 40% commission for it. You’re not competing with the agent. You’re competing with Zillow.

That’s the bad news.

Here’s the good news:

You can win this war in your local market because Zillow can’t do what you can. They can’t build personal relationships in your community. They can’t create a sense of connection or trust. That’s your advantage.

You’re a hyper-local agent who can engage with people in your market. You can build relationships. And according to NAR, the number one way buyers and sellers find a real estate agent isn’t through Zillow.

It’s through a repeat or referral connection.

They’ve either worked with the agent before, or they’ve been referred. For sellers, 77% of the time, their agent comes from repeat or referral. For buyers, it’s about 67%.

So the vast majority of clients aren’t coming from online leads. They’re coming from personal connections. That means you need to dive deep into your SOI—your Sphere of Influence.

The fastest way to grow your business isn’t by buying leads. It’s by expanding and nurturing your local database. Building relationships. Staying in touch.

That’s the power of SOI Marketing.

Let’s talk quick math:

For every 10 people in your sphere, if you’re touching them 20 to 50 times per year, you’ll average one closed transaction. One deal for every 10 people—if you’re consistently showing up.

So run the numbers. Do the math. That’s how you grow.

And if you need help to win in the war against Zillow, The Path Performance Coaching Platform can help. Get your first month for only $1 here: https://www.erealestatecoach2.com/agent-coaching-2024