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Countless individuals have found themselves sequestered at home far longer than anticipated this year. This unexpected confinement has led many to fantasize about relocating, often while perusing Zillow’s extensive property listings.
Daydreams Amidst Listings
“I explore neighborhoods that are clearly beyond my financial reach as a student and envision my perfect home,” revealed Crystal Silva, a 20-year-old resident of North Carolina. She spends innumerable hours navigating the app, virtually touring houses she will never purchase.
Crystal is not solitary in this pursuit. Since March, Zillow’s traffic has surged, with a significant increase of over 50% in online visitors to for-sale listings compared to the same period last year.
Shared Obsessions and Viral Listings
People bond over these listings on various platforms like Discord, group chats, and “Zillow Twitter,” making unusual and obscure properties viral sensations. Curbed, a publication focusing on urban living, real estate, and design, recently launched a column titled My Week in Zillow Saves, where individuals, including the author, share their favorite Zillow discoveries.
Escapism Through Zillow Surfing
For many, perusing Zillow and similar web sites consisting of Redfin, Trulia, and Realtor.Com isn’t about creating a buy but envisioning an change existence. Zillow surfing has emerge as a primary form of escapism for those craving to break out their houses and the tough realities of 2020.
Ione Damasco, a 45-year-old academic librarian in Ohio, confessed to frequently opening Zillow during her lunch breaks. “It’s a deeply personal activity,” she stated. “Daydreaming about future possibilities feels therapeutic amid the current uncertainty. It gives me hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and one day, I’ll find my dream house.”
Detailed Fantasies
The wealth of data Zillow offers enhances these fantasies. While platforms like Pinterest and Instagram provide endless streams of beautiful interiors, Zillow delivers comprehensive images, data, video tours, and detailed information on each property. It’s easier to imagine a future when you can see the floor plan or know which schools your children would attend if you lived there.
Going to Great Lengths for Real Estate Dreams
Some users go to extraordinary lengths to discover new and intriguing houses. “I’ll see a house on Instagram, then use Google Maps’ street view to locate it, and finally check Zillow for its current value, ownership history, and price data,” said Kelsey Steele Cooper, a 24-year-old hotel manager in Arkansas. “Although I wouldn’t call it a hobby, I use multiple apps to scrutinize a house that’s a thousand miles away. That’s how much free time 2020 has given us.”
Shifting Housing Priorities
The pandemic has reshuffled many humans’s housing priorities; even people who by no means taken into consideration moving now dream of greater space or a outside. Jenny Xie, an editor at Curbed, cited that many people who weren’t formerly searching out a domestic are now deliberating a circulate or have expanded their housing searches.
“You often hear about friends or acquaintances moving,” Ms. Xie remarked. “If a friend recently bought a place, it sparks curiosity about what’s available a couple of hours outside major cities. This has led to heightened exploration of possibilities.” According to Zillow data, cities like Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta have become hot markets, with traffic to listings up 88% from last year.
The Thrill of the Hunt
Many Zillow surfers are simply captivated by the hunt itself. Tucker Boner, 27, began streaming Zillow hunts on Twitch nearly three years ago and has seen increased interest since the pandemic began. He noted that most of his viewers are young millennials or Gen Z members who may never have the financial means to buy a home. “This isn’t an economy where everyone gets a 9-to-5 job and buys a house,” he commented.
The sheer absurdity of some listings also makes for engaging content. “It’s amusing to have a virtually endless supply of fascinating properties to explore,” Mr. Boner said. “There will always be someone with too much money and creativity, resulting in some Frankenstein of a home.”
A Teen Sensation
Zillow surfing is especially popular among teenagers. A TikTok meme over the summer featured users discussing how they knew the layout of their friend’s or crush’s house before ever visiting, thanks to Zillow tours. Many young people maintain extensive lists of saved homes and share listings with friends.
“We don’t control where we live since most of us stay with our parents,” Ms. Silva said. “So, creating a world where I choose my residence regardless of price is enjoyable.”
A New Outlet for Creativity
Ariel Norling, a 29-year-old designer in Oakland, gained fame on Zillow Twitter by spotlighting unique, enviable listings nationwide. She subsequently launched a weekly house-hunting newsletter on Substack called I Know A Spot. “I’ve always been a Zillow scroller,” she said, “but it became a significant activity during quarantine. It felt like I was running out of things to do, and Zillow provided a different kind of outlet.”
A Daily Ritual
Ali Zaidi, a 40-year-old attorney in Boston, prefers Redfin over Zillow and has incorporated checking the site into his morning routine, despite no plans to buy a house. “It’s part of my morning ritual,” he said. “I check my work email, browse media outlets, and one of the websites I always open is Redfin.”
He compared the serotonin rush from viewing beautifully staged homes to the joy of seeing social media photos of people’s lives. “I derive similar pleasure from Redfin as I do from Facebook or Instagram,” he said. “It’s intriguing and almost voyeuristic.”
A Unique Digital Experience
What sets Zillow apart from social networks is the absence of personal engagement, as noted by writer Brian Feldman in his newsletter, BNet, this summer. “It lacks an engagement loop, social interactions, and network effects,” he wrote. “It is a vast canvas for people to project their desires and insecurities, constantly evolving as a document of the housing market and how people live.”
Despite not integrating social networking features, many users have urged Zillow to add a comment section for surfers to connect and discuss listings.
“For many, Zillow is the antithesis of doomscrolling,” Ms. Norling said. “You’re confined to your apartment and might not be able to move, but it’s easy to look at listings and imagine yourself in a different life. Perhaps in that life, Covid isn’t happening.”
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