Movoto Vs. Zillow: Battle Of The Real Estate Sites

If you’re in the market to buy, sell or rent a home, chances are you’ve used one of the major real estate sites like Zillow or Movoto. But what are the key differences between these two prolific property portals?

Which one should you rely on in your home search? Here’s an in-depth look at how Movoto and Zillow compare across key categories.

A Brief Comparison Table

Aspects	Movoto	Zillow
Founded	2014	2005
Monthly Visitors	11M	200M+
Listing Sources	Direct MLS feeds	Broker syndication
Valuations	Generally more accurate, especially in smaller markets	Larger error rates in some markets
Content Focus	Lifestyle and neighborhood data	Property history and price trends
Lead Generation	Provides buyer and seller leads to agents	Keeps leads for Premier Agent platform
Mobile Experience	Decent but lacking	Best in class mobile app and site
Rental Listings	Minimal rental listings	Robust rental property search
Revenue Model	Broker subscriptions	Agent advertising and subscriptions

Overview of Movoto and Zillow

Founded in 2005, Zillow has grown into the leading real estate marketplace in the U.S. They provide listings for homes for sale or rent as well as pricing data like Zestimates and rent Zestimates. Users can search for homes, connect with lenders and agents, and get advice.

Movoto launched in 2014 as a subsidiary of eBay before becoming an independent company. They also provide property listings and home value estimates. Movoto focuses on making home shopping fun while leveraging data analytics.

Both aim to simplify the housing search process by aggregating listings in one place. They also build tools to help buyers, sellers and agents make smart decisions around property transactions.

Movoto Pros

• Special Features

Movoto offers unique data-driven tools like Movoto Insights to uncover neighborhood demographic data. Their Rental Price Maps illustrate rental rates geographically.

• Creative Culture

Movoto injects humor and wit into real estate. They create viral blog content like photoshop battles and eye-catching infographics. The site feels more lively compared to Zillow.

• Home Value Accuracy

Movoto’s home value estimates tend to be more accurate according to some industry studies. In areas with less frequent home sales, Movoto valuations come closer to actual sale prices.

• Agent Reviews

Verified reviews help users select the right real estate agent. Movoto vets reviews to ensure legitimacy. Zillow displays unverified reviews, giving less useful insight.

• Hyper Local Focus

Movoto zone listings help users search within specific neighborhoods for a granular view of a local market. Zillow listings are more city-level focused.

Zillow Pros

• Brand Recognition

With over 200 million monthly users, Zillow enjoys unparalleled brand awareness. Most buyers and sellers are familiar with Zillow as a go-to real estate resource.

• Industry Data

Zillow publishes helpful industry reports like their Sold Homes Report analyzing macro real estate trends. Movoto lacks comparable data intelligence.

• Property History

Zillow provides detailed price and listing history for homes allowing users to analyze past sales, price changes and days on market. Movoto lacks historical listing data.

• Mobile Experience

Zillow offers a premium mobile experience with an app loved by users and industry awards like Google Play’s Users Choice Award. Movoto’s mobile presence falls short.

• Rental Listings

Zillow provides robust rental listings including both large-scale apartment complexes and rentals by owner. Movoto focuses almost exclusively on for-sale listings.

Also Read: Comparison Between Berkshire Hathaway And Keller Williams.

Key Differences Between Motovo And Zillow

• Valuations

As highlighted earlier, Movoto valuations tend to edge out Zillow in accuracy, especially in smaller markets with limited sales data. Movoto also provides interactive map-based comps.

• Listing Sources

Zillow pulls for-sale listings from broker syndication feeds. Movoto gets listings straight from MLSs for potentially greater accuracy and timeliness.

• Content Focus

Movoto emphasizes lifestyle, area and market data surrounding listings. Zillow fixates on the property specifics like price trends and tax history.

• Monetization

Zillow earns revenue via agent advertising and Premier Agent subscriptions. Movoto follows a more traditional portal model monetizing through broker subscriptions.

• Leads for Agents

Movoto provides buyer and seller lead generation for agents. Zillow keeps these critical leads to power their Premier Agent platform.

Which Platform is Best for Buyers?

For buyers, Zillow holds some key advantages:

• Zillow’s mobile app and search experience outperforms Movoto. Real estate shopping leans mobile, giving Zillow an edge.
• Granular price history data helps buyers negotiate and time offers strategically. Movoto just provides estimate ranges over time.
• Zillow’s brand clout generates more buyer traffic, giving sellers confidence they’ll reach more shoppers.
• Zillow rentals fill a key need for renters with robust listings and rental price data.

However, Movoto still adds value for buyers in certain areas:

• Hyperlocal neighborhood insights uncover lifestyle intel beyond just property data.
• Movoto valuations may provide greater accuracy in some market segments.
• Crowdsourced agent reviews help identify best agents to represent your purchase.

Which is Better for Sellers?

For sellers, Movoto holds some advantages:

• Direct MLS listing feeds may provide faster and more reliable for-sale listings.
• Buyer lead generation helps sellers connect with qualified, interested buyers through their agent.
• Movoto’s vibrant culture and content better highlights listings to drive buyer interest.

However, Zillow is still a powerhouse for sellers:

• Massive buyer traffic means exponentially greater home exposure.
• Recent sales data allows sellers to accurately set asking prices.
• Zillow advertising and Premier Agent subscriptions offer sellers marketing options.
• Trusted household brand name provides seller confidence.

Also Read: Comparison Between Coldwell Banker And Keller Williams

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Verdict

There’s no perfect solution – both Movoto and Zillow provide unique value. Here are some final recommendations:

For Buyers – Use both, but lean on Zillow for its superior search tools, data and mobile experience. Supplement with Movoto’s neighborhood insights.

For Sellers – Prioritize Zillow for its unmatched buyer audience, but also selectively utilize Movoto advertising for niche targeting. Provide listings to both for maximum exposure.

For Agents – Blend both sites into your marketing and recommendations to provide clients robust data and listings coverage.

As aggregators, neither fully replaces the need for an experienced local real estate agent. But both empower buyers, sellers and agents to make smarter decisions with property data intelligence. The real estate ecosystem will only grow more efficient and transparent with competition between innovators like Zillow and Movoto.