Updated November 2026. What you can and can’t do when you want to sell your house to Zillow, and who contacts you once you ask. Zillow’s sell page and help center were read November 6, 2026.
You can’t sell your house to Zillow directly. Zillow stopped buying homes after it shut Zillow Offers in late 2021. As of November 2026, its sell page offers four other paths, and a cash offer comes from its partner Opendoor in 54 markets. Every other path means finding a buyer, about 33 days at the median (NAR, September 2026).
Prefer buyers competing for your home? List on the major home search sites and the MLS from $99 in most states, with $0 due to Beycome at closing.
Jump to: 🏠 Does Zillow buy? · 📋 Four paths · 💲 Should you? · 🤝 Who contacts you · 🪜 What to say · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- Zillow isn’t the buyer anymore. Its cash option sends you to Opendoor, in select markets.
- Press “Contact Agent” as a buyer and Zillow usually connects you with a Premier Agent within minutes. That agent is the one calling sellers.
- Whichever path you take, get the net figure in writing before you decide.
- Ask every caller the same three questions. It’s quick, fair and keeps you on the right side of fair housing rules.
If you came here for what past sellers say about the cash route, read our page on selling your home to Zillow: reviews and fees. This page takes the next step: what happens when you press each button, and what to say to whoever calls.
Will Zillow buy my house?
No. Zillow began buying and reselling homes in 2018 under the Zillow Offers name. In late 2021 it said it would stop, while holding about 7,000 houses, after the unit lost $420 million in a single quarter. Older articles still describe that program. It’s gone.
The phrase lives on because people still type it. Today, “sell to Zillow” means one of the options on Zillow’s sell page. Zillow’s role is the marketplace and the handoff. Somebody else makes the offer, or lists the house, or you do.
What happens when you try to sell your house to Zillow?
You choose one of four paths, and each one puts you in touch with someone different.
| Button on Zillow’s sell page | Who you end up dealing with | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Sell with a partner agent | A Zillow partner agent in your area | A few questions, then a listing agreement if you go ahead. The agent’s fee is yours to negotiate. |
| Get a cash offer | Opendoor, in select markets | You check eligibility, get an offer, and the home is looked over. No showings. |
| Find your own agent | Whichever agent you choose from the directory | You call them. Same negotiation as any listing. |
| Sell it yourself | Buyers and their agents | You post a free owner listing. Zillow reviews it first, for up to 72 hours. |
Zillow lists 54 cash-offer markets on that page, Tampa, Miami, Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte among them. If you’re outside them, this button won’t help. Zillow’s page says the eligibility check takes about 3 minutes, with no commitment.
Want the owner route in detail? We cover selling a home on Zillow by owner and what changes when you list on Zillow through the MLS.
Should I sell my home to Zillow’s cash partner?
It can make sense. The honest test is what you’re buying with the discount. A cash buyer offers speed, a date you pick and no showings. A listing offers competition. Zillow’s own page cites a 2023 Bright MLS and Drexel University study that found homes on the MLS sold for 17.5% more than off-MLS listings. That study looked at private listings, not cash offers, so treat it as a hint and no more.
Cash fits when your house needs work a lender won’t accept, when a move has a hard date, or when you can’t face strangers walking through. It fits less well if the home shows nicely and you’ve got six weeks. Cash was 27% of US sales in September 2026 (NAR), so a listing can also draw cash buyers, and you can compare them with everyone else.
Before you accept any cash offer:
- Ask for the net figure in writing, with every fee and deduction named.
- Compare it with recent sold homes nearby, using a free home value estimate.
- Ask what happens to the price after the home check.
- Get a second offer. Our list of dos and don’ts for a cash offer helps.
Who contacts you once your home is on Zillow?
If you go the listing route, week one gets loud. It helps to sort every message into four piles.
Buyers on their own. They ask about price, the HOA, whether you’d take an offer before the weekend. Easy talks, since no one is in the middle.
Buyers’ agents. They already have a client and want a tour. Expect a question about whether you’re offering compensation.
Premier Agents. Zillow’s help center says a buyer can click Contact Agent and, on most listings, connect with a Premier Agent “in just a few minutes.” Zillow shares that buyer’s contact details and saved homes. So when one calls about your house, there’s often a real buyer behind it. They just don’t work for you.
Scammers. Zillow warns that requests for PayPal details or a wire transfer don’t come from Zillow Group. If anyone pushes urgency, a link or a payment, stop.
Sell smarter
List your home on the MLS from $99
A flat fee instead of a percentage, and $0 to Beycome at closing. You stay in control of your sale.
Sell your home →Buy smarter
Get up to 2% back at closing
On homes listed by other agents, Beycome credits you up to 2% of the price at closing (1% kept, $1,499 minimum; not on FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers).
Buy a home →Two rules help with agents. Under NAR’s settlement rules, offers of buyer-agent pay can’t appear on the MLS, and a buyer must sign a written agreement with an agent before touring. Whether you pay any of that fee is your call, and it’s negotiable. For the numbers, read whether sellers still pay the buyer’s agent.
What should you say when buyers and agents call?
Keep one short script. Same questions, same order, same tone, for everyone. It saves time, and it’s what fair housing law expects. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development enforces the Fair Housing Act.
- When would you like to see the home, and who will be there?
- Is the buyer paying cash, or do they have a preapproval letter?
- What closing timeline are they working with?
Question two matters most. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that neither a prequalification nor a preapproval is a promise of a loan, so ask what was verified. Fannie Mae publishes the rules behind many conventional loans if you want to go further.
Asked about compensation? “I’m open to discussing it in writing with the offer.” Asked if you’d take less, on day two? “I’m reviewing written offers on Monday.” You set the pace. Ask for offers on your state’s contract, with the financing letter attached. A text saying “we’d do $15,000 under” isn’t an offer. Our walk-through of a purchase and sale agreement lists what to compare, and Nolo offers a free second read.
Where does Beycome fit if you don’t sell to Zillow?
Beycome is an alternative to all four buttons, and it works with the same agents and title companies. You answer the questionnaire, and a complete, correct file goes on the MLS within 2 business days. In most areas that feed then carries it to Zillow with the agent listings. One exception to know: the Chicago-area MRED feed to Zillow has been suspended since May 2026, so check each site after you go live.
Your own phone stays off the listing. The public contact is 844-799-7886 with your extension, and calls forward to you with the caller’s details, also by text. Showing requests run through ShowingTime where the MLS offers it. Offers land in your dashboard, ready to e-sign, and Legal Forms has a free “Compensation Agreement – Seller to Buyer’s Broker” template. Beycome doesn’t set or collect that pay.
Basic is from $99 in most states ($129 in California and Illinois). Want someone next to you for the hard calls? On Concierge, at $1,399, an expert works with you, and every decision stays yours. About 36% of Beycome sales in 2026 had a buyer with no agent (Beycome internal data, 2026). Do you need an agent at all? No, it isn’t required; it’s your choice, and plenty of sellers do well either way.
Buying your next home too? The Beycome buyer program is open to every buyer on homes listed by other agents. Rules vary by state, and it isn’t offered in Alabama or Tennessee.
Selling your home to Zillow: questions
Does Zillow buy homes anymore?
No. Zillow ended Zillow Offers in late 2021. Its sell page now offers cash offers from Opendoor in select markets, plus agent and owner listing options.
Should I sell my home to Zillow?
You can’t sell to Zillow itself. For its cash partner, compare the written net figure with recent sold homes and at least one other offer before you decide.
Where can I get a Zillow cash offer?
In the 54 markets Zillow lists on its sell page, read November 6, 2026, including Tampa, Miami, Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte. The list can change.
Why do agents call me when I list my house on Zillow?
Most are calling for a buyer. Zillow says a buyer who taps Contact Agent is usually connected to a Premier Agent within minutes.
Is a Zillow Premier Agent my agent?
No. A Premier Agent who calls about your listing works with the buyer. You can still work with them on a showing and an offer.
Do I have to pay the buyer’s agent who calls me?
No. Offering compensation is your choice and it’s negotiable. It can’t be shown on the MLS; if you offer some, agree it in writing.
How do I spot a fake Zillow inquiry?
Watch for requests for money, links to click, odd sender names or heavy urgency. Zillow says it never asks you to pay to see lead details.
Prices as of November 2026: Basic from $99 in most states, $129 in California and Illinois; Concierge $1,399. “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing; closing costs, taxes and any agreed buyer-agent compensation still apply. Beycome lists in 17 states and DC. Go-live time applies to complete, correct files. Buyer credit: Beycome keeps 1% of the price (minimum $1,499), rest credited at closing with lender approval; not on most FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers; not offered in Alabama or Tennessee, where state law bars rebates.
Buyer-agent compensation is not set by law or NAR rules and is fully negotiable; sellers choose whether to offer any; since August 17, 2024 it can’t be shown on the MLS. Zillow features per its pages on November 6, 2026; they can change. Competitors are named for information only. General information, not legal advice; rules vary by state.
Sources
- Zillow, Sell your home, read November 6, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Zillow (history of Zillow Offers), read November 6, 2026.
- Zillow Help, what does it mean to work with an agent on Zillow, read November 6, 2026.
- Zillow Help, beware of spam, read November 6, 2026.
- NAR, existing-home sales, September 2026, read November 6, 2026.
- NAR, Realtors Confidence Index, read November 6, 2026.
- NAR, top 10 takeaways from the 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, read November 6, 2026.
- Beycome, listing package features, November 2026.
Disclosure & Disclaimer
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