Homes.com CEO Andy Florance is calling out Zillow once again.
Yesterday, he took to LinkedIn to slam the real estate giant’s latest move: a listing ban that went into effect on June 30. The new policy states that Zillow won’t feature listings that don’t appear on the MLS within 24 hours of being marketed. agents who fail to upload their listings to Zillow within 24 hours of public marketing.
Florance didn’t hold back.
“Zillow demands all your listings immediately and then takes the leads generated, selling them to other agents.”
It’s not the first time Homes.com has positioned itself as the agent’s ally. The portal has built its brand on being the anti-Zillow with no lead selling, no referral fees, and the promise of “Your Listing, Your Lead.” And in May, Florance announced that Homes.com would boost listings banned by Zillow on its site for free.
But at the same time, Homes.com launched a new campaign, and this one aimed directly at sellers.
The Homes.com Mailers Being Sent to Sellers
Home sellers across the country have started receiving 20-page brochures in the mail from Homes.com, offering to “boost” their listing for a cost of up to $900.
Many of those listings are already represented by agents, and the brochures feature property photos, listing details, and in some cases, branding pulled straight from the MLS.
It’s making agents question: Is Homes.com really for the agent? Or are they just playing a different game?
What the Mailers Say (And Why Agents Are Frustrated)
The pitch is straightforward: Pay to push your home to the top of Homes.com search results. More views, more favorites, more shares, maybe even a faster sale.
That messaging might sound harmless. But some listing agents, who are left out of the loop, feel the implication of the mailers causes sellers to question their agents’ strategies.
The mailers read like a call to action, targeting sellers with the suggestion that their listing needs a boost. Whether it was intentional or not, this could be planting a seed of doubt: “Your agent might not be doing enough. Want to pay us to fix that?”
Here’s an example of a brochure sent by Homes.com:
Homes.com Defends Its Stance
Homes.com, which announced its plan to allow sellers to boost their own properties in its Q1 earnings call, pushed back.
Florance told Inman that the agents who are upset about the mailers don’t represent the majority. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to bringing more leads directly to listing agents, stating Homes.com is the “only pro-agent site.”
Agents Still Control the Relationship
With Florance’s latest LinkedIn post accusing Zillow of listing manipulation, the portal wars continue to rage on. And agents are caught in the middle.
Zillow monetizes agent listings. Homes.com mails your sellers directly. Both are trying to win the consumer relationship. But they don’t own yours.
While every portal has its own agenda, you still control the most important part of the transaction: trust.
So, whether you’re using Zillow, Homes.com, or both, keep your sellers informed. Let them know what’s coming in the mail. And make sure they understand where the value is really coming from: you.
