Zillow now fully using acquired company
In April, we reported on Zillow’s acquisition of Postlets not only for their listings syndication tools but for their talent.
We have been watching to see what major changes would take place, and we just got a tip that Zillow’s Postlets Pro is now free for everyone. All new listings on Postlets will now allow users to upload 18 large photographs, a “rich listings template with multiple tabs,” and the ability to embed community information ranging from school data and WalkScores. The Pro version also allows for Realtors to include video in their Postlets listing.
These enhanced listing features were previously available exclusively to paying Postlets Pro members, but as a value add and incentive to use Zillow, they are no longer charging for any of the features.
Zillow’s response
“This is exciting news for real estate professionals looking to save time and money while strategically marketing their listings across the top real estate websites,” Zillow PR Manager Cynthia Pang Nowak told us.
Sara Bonert said on the Zillow blog, “Real estate agents, landlords, and property managers, we hope you are as excited about this announcement as we are!”
More acquisitions?
We’ve been watching the real estate search companies shuffle the deck of technology companies and watching what hands each are showing. Postlets was an interesting acquisition for Zillow not only for talent and acquisition, but for a free Realtor attraction to drive clicks (the name of the game in real estate search for both Realtors and Zillow).
As Zillow awaits their approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission on their initial public offering (IPO) status, they are still in a “quiet period” in which they are limited in what they can say, but it is good to see that they aren’t just sitting around waiting for the funding but are putting their existing acquisitions to use.
Given their recent publicly noted risk factor that their success is heavily reliant upon Realtor and mortgage ad dollars, we wonder which company (or companies) Zillow will announce partnership with or acquisition of when they finally get SEC approval? Because they can’t legally talk about it, we will assert that we believe it will look a lot like this Postlets acquisition and sweeten the pot for the Realtors they rely upon.
Sara Bonert
July 13, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I am really excited about the Pro product now being free. As a Landlord, I was a user of the Pro product even before Zillow acquired the company. I espicially liked that it help me get more than the typical four photos on Craigslist.
Matt Stigliano
July 13, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Nice move Zillow. I'll have to login to see how things have changed, but the idea of this move is excellent. More photos is a big plus, especially in competing with everyone else. I wonder if the move to free additional photos will "move" over to other sites.
Erica Ramus
July 13, 2011 at 3:08 pm
I have used the free version of postlets for a few years, but slacked off recently after I started using Realbird. I'm going to have go go back and see what they're doing.
Tina Fine
July 14, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Here's the steps, @Zillow — is this the plan?
1-Postlets makes it easy for real estate agents/brokers to syndicate directly to the web– so why do they need the MLS?
2-Zillow starts to let BUYERS post "WANTED ADS" just like they can on homingCloud, and matches buyers to listings directly.
3-Then Zillow opens POSTLETS TO home owners directly, and provides seller and buyer services on another platform, makes money on premium and complementary products and advertising.
Bye bye brokers