Jennifer Jung 
The home-flipping business of Zillow, once seen as a potential game-changer in the real estate industry, has recently announced its intentions to close down operations. This news serves as a reminder of the risks of the house-flipping business and highlights other existing iBuyers.
In this article, we will discuss the reasons behind the demise of Zillow’s home-flipping business, the current state of the iBuyer market, and implications of the closure.
Zillow’s Home-Flipping Demise Puts Other iBuyers on the Spot
When Zillow announced that it was shutting down its home-flipping business at the end of this year, it was a telling sign of the mounting pressure that iBuyers – firms that use technology to buy homes quickly and then resell them – are feeling. While they have all been pursuing similar strategies, their relative success has varied widely, especially in light of the disruption caused by COVID-19 on the home market.
Zillow’s foray into premises flipping in 2017 was intended to work with its services for connecting buyers and sellers. As such, when demand for quick property sales outstripped expectations, Zillow took advantage. As a result, from 2017 to 2019, Zillow had invested nearly $2.5 billion into expansion projects such as its technology platform Zestimate and buying over 8,000 homes directly from customers before ultimately deciding to pull out of what was likely proving to be an unprofitable venture.
Although other iBuyers such as Open Door or Knock have enjoyed success even during the pandemic when many traditional homeowners reverted their real estate plans until better times arose, they too will face challenges posed by weakened demand as buyers become increasingly hesitant on making purchases and greater monetary reserves needed for investments due to increasing economic instability both domestically and in global markets. How these firms respond to these threats will largely determine how they fare in a rapidly evolving market.
Reasons for the demise of Zillow’s home-flipping business
In recent months, Zillow Group has announced the winding down of its home-flipping business, which involved buying and selling existing homes as investments. This decision primarily responded to the financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on home-flipping activities.
The core problem that Zillow ran into was that it struggled to find buyers for the homes it purchased. With few buyers, Zillow struggled to profit from each sale and generate enough revenue to sustain its operations. In particular, with more people staying at home during the pandemic and taking on more DIY projects instead of hiring contractors, there were fewer potential buyers for high-end remodelled homes which yielded higher profit margins.
Moreover, with traditional housing markets stalling due to economic difficulties due to COVID-19, Zillow’s attempts to time market cycles may have backfired with costly losses incurred from sometimes volatile housing markets. Lastly, mortgage interest rates had stayed low in recent years, leading to added competition from real estate agents and existing homeowners who could now afford more expensive properties despite an overall turbulent market year.
All taken together, these factors compounded onto each other contributed to what appears to be the ultimate demise of Zillow’s home flipping operations. As Zillow exits this market segment for good however, this presents an opportunity for other iBuyers such as Open Door or Redfin Now to grow their share in this sector of home buying services by learning from some of Zillow’s mistakes in their strategies going forward.
Impact on Other iBuyers
The news of Zillow’s decision to shutter its home-flipping business has left the real estate industry wondering what the impact will be on other iBuyers. The amount of money Zillow had invested in the business will likely have repercussions through the industry and could affect other players in the space.
We will look at the potential implications of Zillow’s decision and what it could mean for other iBuyers.
Impact on the home-flipping industry
Zillow’s decision to exit its home-flipping business has led to a seismic shift in the home-flipping industry. Moreover, the ripple effects of this pivot by the largest online real estate broker are felt by other iBuyers in the market. As a result, many analysts and industry observers wonder how this move might affect the future of home-flipping businesses, both now and in the long run.
Zillow’s departure has left a market gap, particularly compared to rivals such as Opendoor and Offerpad. As a result, these companies are taking on more risk as they attempt to fill Zillow’s role in the industry. They must find ways to raise capital, secure deals with investors, and innovate their products to compete with one another for market share.
Furthermore, there could be a negative impact on consumer confidence as people now may have less access to available offers from iBuyers due to reduced liquidity from fewer providers operating in the space. Additionally, without Zillow’s presence, existing iBuyers may look at potential deals less favourably, putting more pressure on homeowners looking for sales that don’t pan out easily or quickly.
Ultimately, other operators are challenged as they try to pick up where Zillow left off and compete for smaller market share. It remains uncertain what effect this will have on iBuyer markets nationwide over time—the post-Zillow era of home flips is likely still being written.
Impact on other iBuyers
With the recent announcement of Zillow’s move to transition away from its home-flipping business, investors and the CEOs of other ibuyers have been left wondering what this could mean for their businesses. In addition, it is uncertain what effects this transition will have on short-term profits and how it will impact the buyers who employ similar investment strategies.
The decision by Zillow to suspend its home-flipping business was prompted by drastic top-to-bottom analysiss of the company’s operations and structural changes in 2019. In addition, the flailing real estate market during 2020 caused further uneasiness about large investments being made in a fragile market, prompting the decision of ceasing purchasing activity and reallocating resources in other directions.
However, other iBuyers remained optimistic that the decision would not negatively affect them too heavily. For example, executives at Opendoor have expressed an intention to remain committed investment strategy, emphasising a focus on customer service instead of price competition with traditional real estate brokers and agents. Similarly Invitation Homes also expressed confidence in their long term investment despite slowing growth due to increased scrutiny and greater regulation within the industry.
Overall while Zillow’s shift away from its home-flipping business may leave some questions unanswered for now but do not appear to be overshadowing American homes or ibuyer values heavily going into 2021 for now at least. Therefore investors remain confident that there will be a future for buyers within America’s real estate markets going forward into 2021 and beyond.
What the Future Holds
The demise of Zillow’s home-flipping business has sent shockwaves throughout the real estate industry. The sudden and unexpected closure of a major iBuyer has left many questioning these companies’ future and ability to operate in an increasingly competitive market.
In this heading, we’ll explore the potential implications this could have on other iBuyers and the future of home-flipping.
Challenges faced by other iBuyers
The news that Zillow’s home-flipping business suffered heavy losses in 2020 has put other players in the iBuyer market on the spot. In a time of global economic uncertainty, investors and iBuyers may need to develop new strategies to stay afloat.
One of the biggest challenges faced by other iBuyers is the competition from Zillow and other larger competitors. Zillow’s massive online advertising budget gives them an advantage over smaller firms, who must rely on more creative methods to target potential customers. Additionally, many investors and buyers feel squeezed by rising prices, making it difficult for smaller firms to find deals that meet their profit margins.
Furthermore, buyers must now navigate a real estate market with numerous regulations and guidelines cut across federal, state and local governments regarding real estate protections for buyers and sellers. A deep understanding of these regulations is often necessary for successful iBuyer operations, so smaller players may also be at a disadvantage.
Finally, low inventory levels along with greater cash competition have made it difficult for smaller firms to compete with larger companies when it comes time to purchase properties. The tight inventory means there are fewer deals available while travel restrictions due to Covid-19 have limited buyers’ ability to assess properties pre-purchase resulting in increased reliance on technology such as 3D home tours or AI “bots” which can give a viewable experience without physically viewing the property. Therefore, buyers must make decisions quickly when they find potential homes or lose out on them due to competition from larger entities that can offer quick cash deals with less scrutiny or due diligence than traditional lenders typically require for mortgages or home refinancing loans.
Strategies to remain competitive
In the wake of Zillow’s announcement that it will shutter its home-flipping business, other iBuyers are placing their bets on different strategies to remain competitive in the housing market.
Aside from Zillow, Opendoor and Offerpad are two of the most established iBuyers, offering services enabling savvy homeowners to “buy” their new house before selling their current one. These companies have been using technology and data to help streamline the home-buying process, creating more convenient and efficient buyer approaches and increasing sellers’ profits.
Now that Zillow has exited from direct home-flipping activities, Opendoor and Offerpad may focus more on expansion opportunities. For example, both companies may consider partnering with local brokers or real estate agents to pay lower fees for listings and gain access to a larger pool of properties. By emphasising rental partnerships with institutional investors and expanding into new markets, these two iBuyers hope to stay ahead of competition while continuing to make buying a home easier for consumers around the country.
As iBuying evolves into a more developed industry sector, other companies may introduce innovative models that leverage technology and data to remain competitive in today’s digitally driven environment. In addition to pursuing expansion opportunities, these businesses should explore alternative ways of incorporating services such as tax advice or title insurance into their platforms to better address the needs of both buyers and sellers alike.
