SEATTLE and TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, homeowners in the Tampa Bay region have a new option when it comes to selling their homes by selling directly to Zillow through the company's Zillow Offers service. The program is already available in other parts of the state, including South Florida and Orlando.

Selling a home is a stressful process for nearly all sellers, and uncertainties around when it will sell or for how much are the most common stressors¹. With more than 64% of home sellers buying another home at the same time, it's no surprise that more than half of sellers said timing the sale of their current home to the purchase of a new one was stressful. With Zillow Offers, sellers have control over the timing, know up front what the final sale price will be, and don't have to coordinate any updates or keep their home sale-ready.

Interested homeowners can find out if their home is eligible by entering their address into Zillow's website or mobile app. If their home qualifies, they will receive a preliminary cash offer within 48 hours of answering some basic questions. By selling through Zillow Offers, homeowners do not need to commit to selling to Zillow until their home has been evaluated in person.

Sellers who accept Zillow's offer set their own closing date, between seven and 90 days out. Sellers can prepare to move on their schedule, and don't have to deal with coordinating repair projects or cleaning. Zillow also has dedicated support from English- and Spanish-speaking representatives to help sellers through the process.

"With Zillow Offers, we're eliminating the pain points that disrupt sellers' lives, like coordinating repairs and showings, while giving them peace of mind on the timing and price," said Zillow Brand President Jeremy Wacksman. "We're excited to bring this service to the Tampa Bay area so homeowners can have a simpler, more enjoyable selling experience."

Zillow works with local contractors to make sure each home it buys is market-ready for new owners. The company may complete projects like a fresh coat of paint, basic landscaping and servicing water heaters and HVAC units.

As Zillow works to build a seamless, one-stop real estate transaction, consumers can get financing from Zillow's owned affiliate lender, Zillow Home Loans, making it simpler for Zillow Offers buyers and sellers to get pre-approved for their next home purchase.

Zillow Offers first launched in Phoenix in 2018 and is now active in 21 markets across the country².

Zillow has also announced plans to bring Zillow Offers to Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Fla., Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and Tucson, Ariz. by the middle of 2020.

A Tampa-based broker will represent Zillow in each transaction. Home sellers who request a Zillow offer but decide to instead sell their home traditionally can also be connected to a local real estate agent to represent them in the sale.

About Zillow
Zillow® is transforming how people buy, sell, rent and finance homes by creating seamless real estate transactions for today's on-demand consumer. Zillow is the leading real estate and rental marketplace and a trusted source for data, inspiration and knowledge among both consumers and real estate professionals.

Zillow's proprietary data, technology and industry partnerships put Zillow at nearly every major point of the home shopping experience, helping consumers search for and get into their new home faster. Zillow now offers a fully integrated home shopping experience that includes access to for sale and rental listings, Zillow Offers®, which provides a new, hassle-free way to buy and sell eligible homes directly through Zillow; and Zillow Home Loans, Zillow's affiliated lender that provides an easy way to receive mortgage pre-approvals and financing. Zillow Premier Agent instantly connects buyers and sellers with its network of real estate professionals to help guide them through the home shopping process. For renters, Zillow's innovations are streamlining the way people search, tour, apply and pay rent for leased properties.

In addition to Zillow.com, Zillow operates the most popular suite of mobile real estate apps, with more than two dozen apps across all major platforms. Launched in 2006, Zillow is owned and operated by Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z and ZG) and headquartered in Seattle.

Zillow and Zillow Offers are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, statements regarding our operational plans for Zillow Offers in 2020.  Differences in Zillow Group's actual results from those described in these forward-looking statements may result from actions taken by Zillow Group as well as from risks and uncertainties beyond Zillow Group's control. For more information about potential factors that could affect Zillow Group's business and financial results, please review the "Risk Factors" described in Zillow Group's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and in Zillow Group's other filings with the SEC.

¹ http://zillow.mediaroom.com/2019-10-10-Uncertainty-Causes-More-Stress-for-Home-Sellers-than-Repairs-and-Showings

² Zillow Offers is available in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Denver, Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., Houston, Riverside, Calif., Dallas, Minneapolis, Orlando, Fla., Portland, Ore., Colorado Springs, Colo., Fort Collins, Colo., Nashville, Tenn., Miami, San Diego, Austin, San Antonio and Sacramento

SOURCE Zillow