How and Why to Claim Your Homes on Zillow

Did you know that more than 43,000,000 homeowners have claimed their homes on Zillow?

That's right — 43 million.

As a real estate professional, this is important information for you to know because it can be of great value when working with local and out of area prospects and clients on Zillow.

nIt's really simple. Here's how to claim your home:

Step 1: Go to Zillow and log in to your accountnStep 2: Type in your address, city and state to find the homenStep 3: Select 'More' and choose the 'Claim This Home' linknStep 4: Answer and complete the owner verification processnStep 5: Begin using the special features and tools availablen                  (here's a quick video tutorial)

You are now free to customize your home's property details page to your liking.

Homeowners are bringing their properties to life by adding a description and some photos. They like to contribute neighborhood information and what they love best about their home or the community. Some will share and discuss homes features while others will share location benefits and local demographics.

Now that you've claimed your home, here's what you can do:

Edit Home Facts

Since Zillow gets lots of data from public records, some home facts may occasionally be outdated or incorrect. Set the record straight by editing the home facts. This is a powerful feature that many owners have discovered, but many agents don't know about.

Create Your Own Estimate

We start owners off with our Zestimate™ home valuation, but you can show them how to fine-tune it by creating their own estimate and by adding information such as updated interior/exterior or a remodel. You can even provide them a CMA or show them where to add an appraisal.

As a real estate professional, having this information and knowledge is powerful. It shows consumers that YOU are the expert on Zillow, and that you know your stuff. Best of all, having and sharing this knowledge just might be why they will choose to work with you and to represent them.

Have you claimed your home on Zillow? Type your address here, and claim it today, then you can show others when the time is right, or the opportunity arises.

Don't miss any of these upcoming webinars at Zillow Academy!