Zillow Group, which had suspended its Zillow Offers home purchase program in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, has resumed buying in four markets and has launched the “Move Forward. Stay Safe.” — a health safety initiative to protect customers, employees and partners.
Homeowners in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, and Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina can receive an offer directly from Zillow to buy their home. The company expects to re-start acquisitions in more markets soon. Zillow paused home acquisitions in all 24 markets where it operates on March 23.
The restart and increased focus on safety reflect Zillow’s confidence that the housing market is open, and that Zillow can provide customers with a safe way to buy and sell real estate, the company said. “Move Forward. Stay Safe.” includes industry-leading health safety standards along with Zillow’s groundbreaking virtual technology, designed to protect its customers and give people the confidence to move safely. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin has contracted with Zillow as the company’s health advisor.
“I’ve dedicated my career to health and wellness. My role as Zillow’s health advisor is a continuation of my commitment to prevention and population Health,” Benjamin said. “Shelter – a healthy home – is a basic essential we all strive for. As people venture into the real estate market, it’s critical they have precise information and guidelines on how to stay safe during every part of their move. From listing, to shopping, to closing documents, we must minimize risk and protect each other. I am pleased to join Zillow in its dedication to public health through this new initiative.”
Zillow is continuing to market and sell homes through Zillow Offers, but is not holding open houses. Instead, buyers have the flexibility to shop in several ways. In addition to in-person showings, they can virtually walk through Zillow-owned homes through proprietary 3D tours, which are available on all listings. Buyers can also request a virtual tour or virtual consultation with Zillow’s local broker partner or a Zillow Premier Agent and, in some markets, can use self-tour technology to visit a home unassisted.
All Zillow-owned homes will follow a CPD (Clean, Protect, Distance) protocol. For-sale homes will undergo an additional cleaning regimen. Personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, is recommended for all in-person tours and in-person tours are limited to allow for healthy distancing.
“We are excited to begin purchasing homes again, and making it even easier for home sellers to move — with new cleaning protocols and more virtual tools and services,” said Zillow President Jeremy Wacksman. “These past two months have confirmed our belief that real estate is resilient. In fact, we’ve seen that people – despite these uncertain times – still want to move.”
