Lever Time The Zillow And Redfin Convenience Trap
Oct 6, 2025
Helen Santoro, a Reporter at The Lever, dives into her investigation of Zillow and Redfin's one-stop real estate platforms. She reveals how these conveniences may disguise hidden costs for homebuyers. Exploring the lucrative mortgage market, Helen discusses the dangers of steering consumers towards in-house lenders and how this ties into regulatory issues. The conversation touches on the impact of the 2008 crisis on these platforms, the potential risks they impose on consumers, and ongoing scrutiny from regulators. It's a compelling look at the future of homebuying.
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Search Sites Became Housing Super Apps
- Zillow and Redfin built consumer-facing search tools that became cultural touchstones and massive data engines.
- They now aim to turn that traffic into an end-to-end "housing super app" that captures every step of buying and financing a home.
Zillow Bought A Mortgage Lender
- Helen Santoro recounts Zillow's purchase of Mortgage Lenders of America and its rebrand into Zillow Home Loans.
- That acquisition marked Zillow's active entry into mortgage origination and revenue growth from loans.
One-Stop Convenience Creates Steering Power
- Consolidating listings, agents, and lenders shortens a fractured homebuying process into a single flow.
- That convenience creates leverage for platforms to steer users into affiliated mortgage products.
