Top Agent on Zillow Badge: The Ultimate Symbol of Excellence

• How the Top Agent on Zillow badge is awarded
• How the Top Agent on Zillow badge benefits agents
• Where you can find the Top Agent on Zillow badge

Zillow is excited to officially launch a new Top Agent on Zillow badge. The badge is more than just recognition for high-performers – it’s also an important signal to let customers know they’re working with a top-performing agent.

Near the end of 2022, Zillow conducted a series of in-depth focus groups with agents to study what sets high-performers apart from everyone else. Our researchers spoke to all kinds of professionals – team leads, brokers, individual agents, Premier Agent partners, and others who had no affiliation with Zillow. Interview after interview, top agents kept bringing up the same point: They believed their success was based on their ability to create and maintain trusted personal relationships. 

The same agents revealed they search for technology that frees up time so they can focus on making meaningful connections. There’s a sweet spot, however, when tech can simultaneously free up time and help build trust. 

As Zillow Premier Agent VP Tim Stanislaus puts it, “When we empower customers with useful information, we all win.”

How the Top Agent on Zillow badge is awarded 

“We’ve listened closely to your feedback,” Stanislaus says. “The new process is all about transparency so every agent knows what leads to the score and the badge.”

Six metrics go into calculations for the badge:

• Answer rate: how often agents answer new connection calls over the last three months. (While we don’t expect agents to answer every call, top-performing agents make it a priority to field new connection calls.)
• Appointment rate: how frequently agents ask for an appointment on initial connection calls over the last three months. We use natural language processing to track this on live connection calls.
• Show rate: how often agents help customers tour properties virtually or in person. This is measured by assessing how many connections move into “Showing Homes” status in the Zillow Premier Agent app.
• Conversion rate: the percentage of connections that result in a closed transaction within the previous 12 months.
• Customer satisfaction: Measures customer service, based on direct feedback from customers at different moments during their journey with an agent.
• CRM usage: how often agents use the Zillow Premier Agent app to communicate with and/or update connections.

Today, roughly the top 15% of agents on Zillow will earn the badge. 

How the Top Agent on Zillow badge benefits agents

Developing excellent people skills can certainly boost an agent’s reputation, but the digital details are just as important. Public profiles, customer reviews, and agent ratings – they’re often some of the earliest signs someone sees when they start doing research. Think of the Top Agent on Zillow badge as a great first impression. 

Part of Zillow’s promise to partners is offering a platform that leads to high-quality connections. With over 200 million buyers and sellers visiting Zillow each month as part of their home search, the badge becomes immediate proof that an agent guides clients with exceptional service. This represents something agents have to earn; it’s not something anyone can purchase.

Plus, the more agents encourage people to click into their profiles, the better. Agents never know what could resonate with a potential client once they’re intrigued. One agent told us, “I actually got a client because I put in my profile that I fish.” 

The badge has the power to impact more of those connections. It lets customers know that agents have a clear record of exceptional performance in guiding clients through their home journeys. That warm introduction can kickstart a relationship from the very first conversation.

And Zillow conducted extensive research on the design to ensure it conveyed the right message. The ribbon design you see here was the clear winner among consumers and agents.

During the research phase, people told us that when they see a reputable company like Zillow identifying someone as a top agent, they know the agent will be an excellent performer. As one customer put it: “Top Agent gives me confidence.”

Where you can find the Top Agent on Zillow badge

As of September 1, 2023, qualifying agents (either on their own or on a team) will see the Top Agent on Zillow badge on their agent profiles and in Agent Finder searches.

  

Just like agents believe their success is based on building strong relationships with customers, Zillow knows that our success depends on having equally strong relationships with agents. That’s why we’re so excited to introduce the badge, recognize exceptional agent performance, and deliver more opportunities for customers to feel confident as they embark on their home journey.