Understanding Zillow's Divergent Apps for Agents and Users: A Comprehensive Guide

Why does Zillow have different apps for agents and users? This article delves into the rationale behind Zillow's dual app strategy, based on the experiences and insights of a former real estate technology professional who worked on Trulia's and Zillow's mobile products from 2011 to 2015.

Background: Dual App Strategy at Trulia/Zillow

The Zillow Premier Agent app traces its origins to the Trulia for Agents app developed in 2011, well before the companies merged. Trulia, a company pioneering in mobile technology, has consistently invested in mobile platforms for years, recognizing the potential of mobile apps in real estate.

The Emergence of Mobile Apps

The initial discussion centered on providing agents with a more comprehensive toolset on mobile devices, primarily focusing on Android and iOS. The primary objective was to enable agents to manage leads received via Trulia. The inspiration from Foursquare's check-in feature played a significant role, allowing agents to indicate homes they had firsthand knowledge of and generate deeper insights on agent performance. The core question was: Could agents be effectively encouraged to use the main consumer-focused app for these purposes?

Mobile App Strategies

Back then, app strategies tended to be one-stop shops for all features for all users. This was driven by the high costs associated with app acquisitions, activations, and repeat usage. Additionally, building and managing a single app was more efficient compared to multiple apps. However, unique challenges faced by Trulia and Zillow necessitated a different approach.

Challenges and Solutions

Consumers tended to use the platform without ever creating an account, while agents needed to log in to access their account information. This presented a significant challenge when trying to integrate both user types into a single app. Furthermore, the way agents and users interacted with Trulia varied widely, making it tricky to integrate them into one app.

The Decision to Separate Apps

The decision to create separate apps for agents and users took into account the perspective that mobile apps are akin to independently functioning software programs. Successful software programs like Microsoft Word and Excel, for instance, complement each other while maintaining their own identity and purpose. By adopting this strategy, the team could optimize the app's feature set more efficiently without internal roadmap conflicts. Additionally, marketing the agent app to agents became more effective as users were already logged in and clearly identified in the system, allowing for more targeted push notifications and re-engagement strategies.

Key Takeaways

This dual app strategy by Zillow offers several advantages, including:

More efficient internal management and optimization Truly personalized features for different user types Potential for more targeted and effective marketing

By understanding the rationale behind Zillow's approach, users and agents can better appreciate the tailored experiences each app provides.