This article was originally written by Marisa M. and appeared on LinkedIn.
Recently in San Diego, I had the chance to attend my very first Sales Enablement Collective dinner hosted by Zillow — an intimate gathering that brought together a room full of sales professionals who, let’s be honest, are professional networkers. The dinner was intimate enough that everyone could have meaningful conversations. For an introvert like myself, it was both a little overwhelming and oddly entertaining.
At one point someone asked me, “So, where are you guys headquartered?” and I couldn’t help but answer, “The cloud…”
The table laughed, and it sparked a conversation about Cloud HQ and what being remote-first has meant for our team. For many around the table, the idea of everyone sharing the same space on a screen really resonated — it levels the playing field and makes space for more voices to be heard. This, combined with leaders like Roz Harris asking for my opinion instead of just telling me what to execute, makes me feel like my perspective matters. That shift, from doing to shaping, was how I knew I belonged at Zillow.
Flexibility was another theme that came up. Attendees shared how much they value remote work, not as a perk but essential to doing their best work. Many admitted they couldn’t imagine going back to an office full‑time after adjusting to a working life in sunny San Diego.
AI also sparked a lot of curiosity. Candidates wanted to know how Zillow is approaching AI, and I shared that being remote-first in Cloud HQ has actually put us in a stronger position. Moving from an office culture forced us to document more — a building block for scalability — and AI now helps us supercharge that work. From tightening SOPs to streamlining workflows to analyzing data sets, it frees us up to focus on the more strategic, human side of the job. I also shared a quick example of how we’ve thoughtfully integrated AI into the hiring process for sales roles in Zillow Home Loans, showing candidates a tangible way this technology is already shaping how we work.
A fun twist: the Zillow Rentals crew happened to be booked in the same restaurant celebrating their top performers. With our group upstairs and theirs downstairs, check‑in came with a few funny mix‑ups — their presence was a small but memorable reminder that even in a remote‑first culture, we still find ways to come together to celebrate wins.
Walking into my first SEC dinner, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Turns out, it’s pretty fun to talk shop over arancini and steak. And it reminded me why it matters for Zillow to show up in spaces like this: to show how much we’ve evolved and to share what we’re focused on now, like building the housing super app. People lit up when we talked about it, and that kind of energy is contagious.
I walked away from the night feeling grateful — grateful for the chance to connect, to swap stories and to hear what matters most to today’s sales community. My hope is that people left with a clearer picture of today’s Zillow: a company that’s changed a lot, is still evolving and is building what’s next together.
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