Zillow’s iBuying service, Zillow Offers, resumed purchasing homes in five additional markets Wednesday.
The iBuyer paused its services on March 23 due to COVID-19 but resumed homebuying in Phoenix; Tucson, Arizona; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Charlotte, North Carolina on May 18.
Now, homeowners in Portland, Oregon; Nashville; Denver; Fort Collins; and Colorado Springs, Colorado will also have the option to sell their home directly to Zillow.
“We know that people still want to move, and Zillow Offers is a way for them to do so safely and easily,” said Zillow President Jeremy Wacksman. “With Zillow Offers, homeowners can sell their home without showings or open houses and can close digitally.”
“For Zillow-owned homes, we’ve rolled out new health and safety measures so buyers can feel confident during an in-person tour,” Wacksman continued. “We also provide a virtual tour option through our 3D Home feature.
In March, as states were issuing stay-at-home orders to stem the spread of the virus, home sellers who had pending contracts with Zillow got notices that those were being canceled. These “Coronavirus Termination of Real Estate Agreement” notices offered a $5,000 incentive or payment of seller costs to put the house back on the market.
As Zillow re-enters the market during the pandemic, it said it also is launching a health-safety initiative to protect its customers, employees and partners.
Zillow said for-sale homes will undergo an additional cleaning regimen, and personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, will be recommended for all people entering the properties. Also, the number of in-person tours will be limited to allow for healthy distancing.
While Zillow Offers has resumed, there will be no open houses, the company said. Zillow said that prospective homebuyers can virtually walk through homes with its 3D home tours, request a virtual tour or consultation, and in some markets, can use self-tour technology to visit a home unassisted.
According to Zillow, data shows there is increasing activity from buyers and sellers, as the number of newly listed homes, as well as home listing traffic and pending sales have increased in recent weeks.
