SEATTLE, Sept. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Home sellers in Jacksonville looking for an easier and safer way to sell their homes on their own timeline have a new option. Starting today, homeowners can sell their homes directly to Zillow through its Zillow Offers service.

With today's launch, Jacksonville is the 25th U.S. market where Zillow Offers is available, bringing the total number of Florida markets where the service is available to four. Zillow Offers is also available in South Florida, Tampa and Orlando.

"The coronavirus pandemic has caused many people to rethink their priorities for a home – a phenomenon we call 'The Great Reshuffling,'" said Zillow President Jeremy Wacksman. "We've adapted Zillow Offers to give homeowners even more convenience and peace of mind to make their move easier with our new health and safety protocols. Florida is an important market for us with Jacksonville being the first new market we've expanded Zillow Offers to since March. "

With Zillow Offers, eligible homeowners can get a free, no-obligation cash offer by entering their address at Zillow.com/offers and answering a few basic questions about their home. If they choose to continue, sellers can choose their own close date to fit their schedule, between seven to 90 days out.

Zillow Offers gives homeowners convenience and control when it comes to selling their home. Sellers do not have to coordinate repairs or host open houses or showings. The ability to choose their closing date means they can align selling their home with the purchase of a new one, avoiding paying two mortgages or having to move twice.

Digital tools have been widely adopted during the coronavirus pandemic, making it easier for people to buy and sell homes safely. In a recent Zillow survey¹, 43% of respondents said they were more likely to try to sell a home online during the pandemic, and 33% said they would be more likely to try to sell their home online even after the pandemic ends.

Zillow is following the guidelines set in its Move Forward. Stay Safe. initiative, which was designed to give Zillow's employees, customers and partners the confidence and support they need to keep real estate moving forward in a safe way. Selling through Zillow Offers gives homeowners a way to sell their homes with minimal person-to-person contact, and Zillow employees wear personal protective equipment when interacting in person with customers.

After buying a home, Zillow prepares it for sale by doing the same type of projects a typical seller would, then lists it on the open market. All for-sale Zillow-owned homes have a 3D Home virtual tour to give shoppers a safe, convenient way to explore the home if they don't want to tour in person. Home shoppers can also use the Zillow app to unlock and tour unoccupied Zillow-owned homes that are on the market. Buyers of Zillow-owned homes can be confident that the home is move-in ready after being professionally evaluated and renovated by local contractors.

In addition to Zillow Offers, Zillow's owned affiliate lender Zillow Home Loans can make it simpler for buyers and sellers to get pre-approved and secure financing for their next home purchase. Zillow Closing Services can give buyers and sellers a more transparent, seamless closing experience.

A Jacksonville-based broker will represent Zillow in each transaction. If a seller requests a Zillow Offer but decides to sell traditionally, Zillow can connect them with a local agent to help them.

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 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 Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender; NMLS 10287, www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.  

¹ Data was collected by Zillow Group Population Science from a survey of 2,600 U.S. adults recruited and interviewed between May 11, 2020 and May 15, 2020. Respondents were recruited from multiple general population internet respondent panels of U.S. adults from the contiguous United States. To promote the representativeness of the estimates, the sample data was weighted to align with key U.S. Census demographic benchmarks observed in the target population.

SOURCE Zillow