Is Zillow Premier Agent worth the cost?

As agents, Zillow is our best friend and worst enemy. Generally, it provides easy access to listings and gives our clients a glimpse of the market, but it can also be unrealistic with pricing, thereby giving false promises to home buyers and sellers. Either way, it is the go-to listing platform with about 227 million average monthly unique users, so having your smiling face on Zillow is a huge business opportunity.

This takes us to Zillow Premier Agent, the real estate agent-specific program created by Zillow to fuel agent pipelines with clients directly from listings on Zillow. As with other lead generation platforms, the biggest questions are: How does it work, and is the Zillow Premier Agent cost worth it for me?

After extensive research and reaching out to a few real estate agent friends, like Tom Tomasian, a diehard Zillow Premier Agent throughout his career in Massachusetts and Florida, we’ve got answers for you to determine if it’s worth the cost of becoming a Zillow Premier Agent.

What is Zillow Premier Agent?

Zillow Premier Agent is an advanced marketing and advertising program offered by Zillow that launched in 2008. At its core, Zillow Premier Agent connects agents with potential home buyers and sellers. The main goal is to enhance the visibility and reach of real estate agents.

By signing up as a Zillow Premier Agent, agents receive leads directly from Zillow based on their target zip codes, allowing them to focus on specific markets or neighborhoods. These leads are typically high-intent, as they come from users who have shown a direct interest in buying or selling property.

The value proposition of Zillow Premier Agent lies in its lead generation capabilities. Agents receive leads directly from Zillow based on their target zip codes, allowing them to focus on specific markets or neighborhoods. These leads are typically high-intent, as they come from users who have shown a direct interest in buying or selling property. In other words, ideal. Zillow Premier Agent allows you to reach a vast audience of active home buyers and sellers.

Additionally, Zillow Premier Agent includes tools for managing and nurturing leads, integrating with customer relationship management (CRM) systems and analyzing performance metrics. These resources are designed to help agents efficiently convert leads into successful transactions, thereby growing your business and market presence.

How much does Zillow Premier Agent cost?

Now that you know the ins and outs of how it works, let’s talk about how much Zillow Premier Agent costs. Unfortunately, we can’t give you an exact number because Zillow wants to get on the phone with you to provide custom pricing based on your location.

In general, leads through Zillow Premier Agent cost between $20 and $60 per lead. However, your actual cost is determined by a few factors, most out of your control. Here are the four main factors that will determine what your cost will be:

Your chosen zip code
Average home values
Number of competing agents
Overall market demand

The general rule is that the higher the property value in your zip code, the higher the Zillow leads cost. In addition, the more agents in your zip code, the smaller your share of leads, and you may need to pay more to grab a larger market share. Typically, Zillow Premier Agents pay between $300 and $500 per month in non-metro areas and $1,000 per month or more for metro areas.

How does Zillow Premier Agent work?

Example of Zillow Premier Agent feature (Source: Zillow)

When an agent signs up, they are featured as the “Premier Agent” on listings in their chosen ZIP codes. This means that your contact information and profile will be prominently displayed alongside properties you’re representing and in areas where you want to generate new business. When a potential home buyer or seller views a property listing on Zillow, they see your Premier Agent’s information and can directly contact you for more information or to schedule a showing.

Here are features that make Premier Agent work its magic:

Featured listings: Agents’ listings are given priority placement on Zillow and Trulia, increasing visibility to potential buyers.
Lead generation: The platform generates leads by connecting agents with buyers and sellers who are actively searching for homes on Zillow and its affiliate sites.
CRM integration: Zillow Premier Agent integrates with various CRM systems, allowing agents to effectively track and manage their interactions with leads and clients.
Performance analytics: The service provides detailed analytics on listing performance and lead engagement, helping agents understand their return on investment (ROI) and refine their marketing strategies.
Zillow Premier Agent profiles: Agents can build robust profiles with client reviews and ratings, enhancing their credibility and appeal to potential clients.
Exclusive advertising: Agents get exclusive advertising opportunities on Zillow and Trulia, providing them with a competitive edge in their local markets.
Training and resources: Zillow Premier Agent offers various educational resources, webinars and training sessions to help agents maximize their use of the platform and improve their overall real estate marketing skills. These features combine to create a powerful tool for real estate agents to increase their market presence, enhance their brand and drive more successful transactions.

Pros and cons of Zillow Premier Agent

Let’s break it down a bit further to see the pros and cons of using Premier Agent.

Increased exposure: Zillow is one of the largest real estate websites, offering agents a platform with a vast audience and enhancing their visibility to potential clients.
Targeted Advertising: Agents can select specific ZIP codes where they want to focus, allowing for targeted marketing in areas they know well or wish to grow their business.
Lead Generation: The platform provides a steady stream of leads from potential buyers and sellers, which can be crucial for business growth and maintaining a consistent client pipeline.
Tools and Analytics: Zillow Premier Agent offers various tools, including a CRM system and analytics, helping agents track, nurture and manage leads more effectively.
Reputation Building: With features for client reviews and ratings, agents can build their reputation online, which is increasingly important in the digital age.

Cost: The service can be expensive, especially in competitive markets, and may not be cost-effective for all agents, particularly those new to the industry or working in lower-cost markets.
Competition: Agents are often listed alongside other Premier Agents on the same listings, which can dilute the impact of their advertising and require them to work harder to stand out.
Quality of Leads: Not all leads provided by Zillow are high-quality; some may be early in the buying process or not serious, requiring agents to spend time qualifying leads.
Dependence on Platform: Heavy reliance on Zillow for leads can make agents vulnerable to changes in platform policies, pricing or market dynamics.
Learning Curve: Maximizing the benefits of Zillow Premier Agent requires understanding and effectively utilizing its tools and analytics, which can have a learning curve for some agents.

Alternatives for Zillow Premier Agent

We know Zillow’s lead generation is primarily for buyer leads, which are important to your pipeline. However, there are other types of leads that agents can target to build a business, plus a variety of systems that offer additional capabilities like a CRM, marketing suite, communication, etc. Here are other options to look at if Premier Agent isn’t for you:

Market Leader

$189/month

Targets buyers and sellers, and contains marketing and advertising capabilities

Visit Market Leader

Smartzip

~$500/month

Targets sellers with predictive analytics

Visit Smartzip

REDX

$50/month

Targets niche leads, i.e. expired, foreclosure, FSBO, FRBO

Visit REDX

8 best places to buy real estate leads in 2025

The 8 top real estate lead generation companies for 2025

FAQs

How do I get out of a Zillow Premier Agent contract?

If you’re on a month-to-month agreement with Zillow, you can cancel your subscription at any time. If you have a current contract, you can cancel it before the end of the current term, but you will be charged an early termination fee. The fee will be twice the monthly minimum spend outlined in your contract.

Can you remove a bad review on Zillow?

You cannot remove a bad Zillow review, but you can respond to it. However, if there is inappropriate content on the review, you can flag it with Zillow for their moderators to review and remove it.

Are paid leads worth the money?

This all depends on your lead generation strategy, but paid leads definitely do save time and effort, which does equate to your money and ROI. In that respect, paying for leads and getting to work them immediately is worth it for a lot of agents. However, if your budget does not allow for the additional spend at the moment, there are certainly free, organic ways to capture leads.

15 real estate lead generation ideas (+ expert tips & tools)

The full picture: Is Zillow Premier Agent worth it?

The question of the day! And the answer: it depends on what you’re trying to achieve, and if you’re willing to work within the Zillow system consistently. Zillow Premier Agent works best for agents who:

Seek to expand their online presence and lead generation in specific markets.
Have a strong understanding of their local real estate market and want to target potential clients actively searching for homes in those areas.
Want to leverage Zillow’s extensive user base to boost their listings’ visibility.
Aim to establish themselves in competitive markets.
Are adept at online communication and can promptly respond to inquiries.
Are willing to invest in marketing and understand the value of online platforms in today’s digital-first real estate environment.

On the other hand, Premier Agent might not be the best option for agents who:

Want to focus on seller or niche leads, like expired, foreclosure, etc.
Are in saturated markets, as it may cost more for leads in areas where multiple Premier Agents already have claimed territory.
Do not have a firm grasp on communication strategies; it would be best to hone those skills before spending money on Zillow.
Have zero experience talking to clients; you’ll be required to reach out to leads who inquire about listings, so practice having initial qualifying conversations before using Premier Agent.

Zillow Premier Agent is an industry leader for a reason. The agents who use it successfully understand the nuances of the CRM, the urgency of responding to leads and the importance of having a solid online profile when buyers and sellers are online shopping.

As with all things real estate marketing, only you can decide if Zillow Premier Agent is worth it. If you think you are up for the challenge, then investing in Zillow Premier Agent may be the thing you need to level up in your real estate business.

What is Zillow Premier Agent?

How much does Zillow Premier Agent cost?

How does Zillow Premier Agent work?

Pros and cons of Zillow Premier Agent