Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the turbulent history and ambitious future of Zillow, the real estate giant founded in 2006 by former Microsoft and Expedia executives Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink. What started with a simple goal—answering "What is that house worth?" through the Zestimate—has evolved into a dominant marketplace aiming to control the entire home-buying process.

We discuss:

• The Origins: How the Zillow website crashed on launch day due to massive traffic and eventually revolutionized real estate transparency.

• Empire Building: Zillow’s aggressive acquisition strategy, snapping up competitors like Trulia, StreetEasy, and HotPads to secure 70% of online real estate searches.

• The "iBuying" Disaster: The rise and fall of "Zillow Offers," a home-flipping venture that resulted in a $420 million loss and the layoff of 25% of the company's workforce in 2021.

• The Super App Strategy: The company’s 2022 pivot toward a "housing super app" model designed to facilitate touring, financing, and selling all in one place.

• Controversies & Courtrooms: From early accuracy complaints regarding Zestimates to major 2025 lawsuits involving antitrust allegations with Redfin and battles over listing exclusivity with brokerage Compass.

Join us as we break down how Zillow became a household name and the legal challenges threatening its dominance today.