SEATTLE, May 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z) (NASDAQ:ZG), which is transforming the way people buy, sell and finance homes, has resumed buying homes in five additional Zillow Offers markets, bringing the total to nine.

Homeowners in Portland, Ore., Nashville, Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, Colo. now have the option to conveniently and safely sell their home directly to Zillow. Last week, the company restarted home buying in Phoenix, Tucson, Ariz., Raleigh, N.C. and Charlotte, N.C.  Zillow had paused home acquisitions in all 24 markets where it operates on March 23, in response to housing market uncertainty and public health concerns.

Zillow data shows increasing activity from buyers and sellers, as the number of newly listed homes and pending sales have increased in recent weeks¹. Survey data indicate stay-at-home orders have prompted people to want to move². Zillow Offers is ramping back up quickly to offer another option for a safe sale.

"We know that people still want to move, and Zillow Offers is a way for them to do so safely and easily," said Zillow President Jeremy Wacksman. " With Zillow Offers, homeowners can sell their home without showings or open houses and can close digitally. For Zillow-owned homes, we've rolled out new health and safety measures so buyers can feel confident during an in-person tour. We also provide a virtual tour option through our 3D Home feature. We are committed to helping people find and move into a home they love."

For all of its operations, Zillow is following guidelines from its new health safety initiative Move Forward. Stay Safe., which includes industry-leading measures to provide customers with a safe way to buy and sell homes. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA has partnered with Zillow as the company's Health Advisor. These new health protocols, combined with Zillow's technology, will give buyers and sellers the confidence to move safely.

Homeowners selling directly to Zillow can do so while minimizing in-person interactions thanks to the service eliminating the need for open houses or home showings, and providing the option for an all-digital closing.

To help ensure buyers shopping for a home can do so safely, instead of holding open houses, Zillow is using proprietary 3D Home tours and live, scheduled virtual tours with an agent.

Buyers who are interested in visiting a Zillow-owned home in person can feel more secure knowing all Zillow-owned homes follow a  "Clean, Protect, Distance" protocol, which includes additional cleaning, recommendations to wear personal protective equipment for in-person tours, and limiting those tours to maintain healthy social distancing. In Portland, shoppers can use self-tour technology to visit a home unassisted.

About Zillow Group

Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z) (NASDAQ: ZG), the largest portfolio of real estate brands on mobile and the web, is building a safe, on-demand real estate experience. Whether selling, buying, renting or financing, customers can turn to Zillow's businesses to find and get into their next home with speed, certainty and ease.

In addition to Zillow's for-sale and rental listings, Zillow Offers buys and sells homes directly in dozens of markets across the country, allowing sellers control over their timeline.  Zillow Closing Services offers customers Zillow-branded title and escrow services to support a more seamless transaction experience. Zillow Home Loans, our affiliate lender, provides our customers with an easy option to get pre-approved and secure financing for their next home purchase.

Millions of people visit Zillow Group sites every month to start their home search, and now they can rely on Zillow to help them finish it — with the same confidence, ease and empowerment they've come to expect from real estate's most trusted brand.

Zillow, Zillow Offers, and Zillow Closing Services are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender; NMLS 10287, www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

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¹https://www.zillow.com/research/april-2020-market-report-27100/ 
²https://www.zillow.com/research/coronavirus-remote-work-suburbs-27046/

SOURCE Zillow