The Real Estate Wiki: For You, By You

Last week we launched some fabulous new features here at Zillow and one of them that we’re super excited about is the Real Estate Wiki.

I’m sure most of you are familiar with Wikipedia and other wiki sites. If you’re not sure what a wiki is, read our wiki definition (or add to it!). As we see it, a wiki is a shared source of information that anyone can contribute to. It combines knowledge from diverse resources, and is therefore richer than if it were the result of just one author.

For many people, the world of real estate can be confusing and sometimes intimidating. When I first started looking for a home, I had no clue how the buying process worked. And I didn’t want to screw it up — after all, this was the biggest purchase I’d ever made! I tried to read about buying a home, but after wading through articles filled with real estate jargon (escrow? lien? huh?), I came away more confused than ever. I did eventually find and buy my first home, but it certainly wasn’t as smooth as it could have been had I known more about the process before heading into it.

We’re hoping this wiki will help demystify this murky world by allowing everyone to share their real estate knowledge and experience, whether they are real estate professionals, sellers, buyers, or just people who are passionate about homes.

We laid the foundation of the Real Estate Wiki with hundreds of pages of basic information — a real estate primer, you could say — written by professionals and people just like you. There’s information on every step of the buying and selling process, from choosing the right agent to closing the deal. We also added glossary definitions, so never again will you have to wonder what the difference is between Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, and FHA.

Really though, this is just the beginning — and that’s where you come in! Do you have an expertise in a certain area of real estate? Go ahead and create a new wiki page to share your knowledge. Or add your thoughts to an existing article. This real estate wiki is yours. Yours to use, write, and edit. In fact, over a hundred new pages have already been added to the wiki since it launched, including some great articles on foreclosures, mortgage brokers, and increasing a seller’s property value.

Anyone can contribute to the wiki — all you need to do is register with Zillow and create a screen name. Get started by reviewing our guidelines, and then jump in!