Zillow surfing has become a pandemic pastime as thousands of Americans flock to the real estate listing website on a daily basis to try and escape from their pandemic reality or to find a new dream home. A new survey from Omnis Panels surveyed 1,500 American Zillow users to learn more about this emerging trend and their Zillow surfing habits.
Zillow surfing habits
The first part of the survey asked Zillow users specifically about their surfing habits. The survey found that 75% of Zillow users have used the platform to “Zillow surf” to try and find unique, odd, or luxurious dream homes. The survey next asked about buying intent when using Zillow and found from interesting results. They found that 83% of Zillow users have searched for homes without any intention of buying the home. On top of that, 45% of surveyed respondents said they have taken an in-person tour without any intention of buying.
Zillow user frequency
Omnis Panels was curious to learn about how often Zillow users are on the website or app looking for homes. They found that the average Zillow user spend 2 hours per session Zillow surfing. 56% of Zillow users say they use the platform either on a daily or a weekly basis. 62% have lost track of time and another 54% admit to staying up too late while Zillow surfing. Listed below are the full breakdowns of both how often users Zillow surf and how long users Zillow surf.
How often users Zillow surf
1. Weekly (44%)
2. Monthly (32%)
3. Daily (12%)
4. Rarely (11%)
How long users Zillow surf
1. Less than an hour (51%)
2. 1-2 hours (31%)
3. 2-3 hours (14%)
4. Over 3 hours (3%)
Zillow surfing during the COVID-19 pandemic
As you might imagine, many Americans have spent a lot of time at home on their phones and their computers this past year. As a result, many surfing habits are way up. When it comes to time spent Zillow surfing during the COVID-19 pandemic, 68% of respondents say that they have spent more time on Zillow during the last year than they did previously. Another 68% report that the time they have spent Zillow surfing has been both therapeutic and soothing.
Zillow surfing habits
Most people tend to do a lot of their internet browsing from their bed and this is indeed true for Zillow surfing. A majority of respondents (60%) said they usually Zillow surf in bed before falling asleep. Another 26% of users admit to surfing Zillow as soon as they wake up in the morning. Listed below is the full breakdown of where Zillow users surf the most:
1. In bed before falling asleep (60% of users)
2. In the bathroom (30% of users)
3. In bed after waking up (26% of users)
4. In the car (8%)
5. Other (13%)
Zillow dreaming
Many people use Zillow and similar housing websites to try and find their dream home. Omnis Panels asked how often Zillow users fantasize about their dream home. The set of responses can be seen below:
1. I fantasize about my dream home weekly (29%)
2. I fantasize about my dream home monthly (25%)
3. I fantasize about my dream home rarely (23%)
4. I fantasize about my dream home daily (22%)
The survey also asked if Zillow users have ignored a partner or loved one to Zillow surf. The results may surprise you. 28% of surveyed respondents say that they have ignored their partner or a loved one when they were Zillow surfing. 26% of users admit to choosing to Zillow surf over physical intimacy or sex.
Zillow surfing while at work
Many people admit to doing things on the clock not related to their actual job. For many, Zillow surfing fits under this bucket. Many Zillow users admit that their browsing habits have gone beyond their personal lives but also into their professional lives at work. Of those surveyed, 61% admit to spending time Zillow surfing during work hours. Another 23% of surveyed respondents say that they have been caught Zillow surging by either a boss or a manager at work.
Zillow snooping
The next part of the survey from Omnis Panels asked users if they have ever used the Zillow app to do things beyond looking for a new home. A few of the more common examples of Zillow user behavior unrelated to home buying including spying on their neighbors or looking up the price of a home of a friend, colleague, or manager to find out what they spent on a home.
When it comes to snooping on their neighbors, 62% of surveyed respondents said that they have looked up a neighbor’s home to see what it looks like inside. The number dropped slightly when the same question was asked but for a boss or manager instead a neighbor. 39% of surveyed respondents said that they have looked up a boss or manager’s home to see what it looks like inside. 62% of surveyed respondents said that they have looked up a friend or neighbor’s home to see the purchase price.
Zillow sharing
The final part of the survey from Omnis Panels asked about social sharing and how users use the functionality of the app itself. When it comes to sharing a listing socially with their friends or families, 52% of surveyed respondents said that they have shared a Zillow listing in either a group chat or over text with friends. 30% of surveyed respondents admit to sharing a Zillow listing on one of their social media channels. Surveyed respondents were also asked about if Zillow should allow users to have a comment section under each listing. A majority of respondents (54%) said that they believe that Zillow should have a comment section under each listing so that they can see what other potential buyers have to say about the listing itself. The full survey results and methodology from the survey can be seen in the graphics below.
Infographic by: omnispanels
