Opening up the Zillow API to Allow Sites in the API Network to Access Homes for Sale
By: Drew Meyers, Zillow Business Development Specialist | August 19, 2008
I spend a fair amount of time speaking with Web developers around the country, and one thing I have heard numerous times is that they’d like to be able to access data on homes for sale via the Zillow API. I have good news — now you can!
We recently added two new API calls — GetRegionPostings and GetUpdatedPropertyDetails.
The combination of these two new calls provides a way for real estate agents and brokerages to integrate for sale by owner listings directly into their listing search functionality. We’re happy to have Redfin as an early adopter (Redfin blog post) of FSBO listings in the markets it covers. Here’s an example of a FSBO listing from Zillow on Redfin (here’s the same listing on Zillow).
Zillow is a living, growing database of all homes — not just homes for sale (we currently have data on more than 80 million homes). More than 1.3 million owners have claimed their homes on Zillow and many have updated their home facts. While we are storing those updated home facts in our databases, we think it’s only fair that we allow individuals to use the data they input into Zillow on their own Web sites, if they wish. This is where the GetUpdatedPropertyDetails API call comes into play. Have a Make Me Move price on your home and want to easily show it off? Now it’s possible. Or, have a listing that you want to automatically display within your own Web site or blog? That’s possible as well.
The GetRegionPostings API takes a place (ZIP code, neighborhood, or even geo points) as an input and returns a count of listings by type (Make Me Move, for sale by agent, for sale by owner, and reported for sale) in addition to some home facts about each property returned. The attributes of each property that are returned are home type, beds, baths, square footage, lot size, and price — along with a count of how many images are available for that property and a link to the home details page on Zillow. If you’d like to have access to the GetRegionPostings API call, please let us know.
Realius is another innovator that has adopted our postings API in the New York Metro market as part of their Price Me Now game - you can try it out here. For those looking to learn more about adding Zillow content to your site, take a look at our API documentation — and don’t forget those mortgage rate widgets that are highly clickable and addictive!
- Stumble it!
- Categories: Zillow API
Comments
11 Comments so far
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So… About that MLS 5.0 Onion… « The Notorious R.O.B. on August 19, 2008 8:21 am
[...] Marketing, MLS Issues, Real Estate by -Rob on August 19th, 2008 Whatever do you suppose this is? Zillow is a living, growing database of all homes — not just homes for sale (we currently [...]
Zillow’s API Expands the Reach of Real Estate Data on September 29, 2008 10:34 pm
[...] to the Zillow blog: The GetRegionPostings API takes a place (ZIP code, neighborhood, or even geo points) as an input [...]
A New Way to Integrate Mortgage Rates Into Your Web Site | Zillow® Blog on October 16, 2008 3:30 pm
[...] additional ways for Web publishers to utilize our data on their sites and the last addition to the Zillow API was for sale listings. We know school data, neighborhood boundaries, and local amenities are of interest, but I’m [...]
Frank Borges LL0SA- Broker FranklyRealty.com on October 19, 2008 8:58 pm
Your link to Redfin showing Zillow data, actually attributes the data to Owners.com via Oodle.com. So should it be owners.com via oodle.com via Zillow.com?
Frank
http://www.FranklyMLS.com
Drew Meyers on October 19, 2008 10:26 pm
Frank-
Redfin gets fsbo listings from a number of sources including owners.com and oodle. We send our listings straight to redfin, so there’s no intermediary in between.
Frank Borges LL0SA= Broker FranklyRealty.com Short Sales on October 20, 2008 5:35 am
I think you are missing what I am saying.
Yes, I understand they get FSBO info from a number of sources.
Was it your intent to link to a home that was NOT a Zillow showcased FSBO? Did you want to show people how they pull data from Oodle?
Effectively your link is saying “Look at Redfin and how they integrated Oodle’s API.”
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/10820-42nd-Ave-SW-98146/home/157817
My guess is they are pulling from both sites and the other site is set to WIN if there is a conflict.
You might want to find another example.
I can send you a screen capture in case you aren’t seeing what I am seeing.
Frank
Matt Goyer on October 20, 2008 12:26 pm
That may have been an example of home on Redfin that had a Zillow listing but it looks like it no longer does.
For the record Redfin pulls FSBO listings from a number of sources: Zillow, ForSaleByOwner.com and something like 50 smaller places via Oodle.
When a home is listed on multiple services (MLS or not) you will see a yellow bar across the top of the details page linking to the other listings.
mike on October 22, 2008 1:26 pm
this website experience be negative, as Zillow been. (but the earlier Zillow was great)
My negativity about Zillow being their endorsments received. In which Zillow removes addresses via the website. I know this as I been longtime searching properties —- that used to be on this same website.
Diverse Solutions Makes some Big Changes to their IDX Product | GeekEstate Blog on November 7, 2008 10:18 pm
[...] Ability to search FSBO listings and Make Me Move (TM) postings via the Zillow API [...]
Real Estate and Property » Blog Archive » Diverse Solutions Makes some Big Changes to their IDX Product on November 10, 2008 4:08 am
[...] Ability to search FSBO listings and Make Me Move (TM) postings via the Zillow API [...]
San Diego Luxury Homes on June 24, 2009 1:21 am
This is an incredibly dynamic time as property owners are presented with more choices for marketing their homes for sale on the web. The national and regional MLS groups had better learn to compete. Restricting the availability of information does not seem like the correct solution when there are alternatives available.