How to list on Zillow: by agent, by owner or as a rental

Three ways a home gets on Zillow

Zillow takes for-sale listings from MLSs as an MLS participant, using IDX feeds. Its search results split homes into Agent listings, which are on an MLS, and Other listings, which include For Sale By Owner homes, non-MLS auctions and foreclosures. Zillow says it can't combine the two tabs or move an FSBO listing into Agent listings.

Listing on Zillow through an agent and the MLS

Most homes reach Zillow this way, and the agent does almost all of it: the agent enters the listing, photos and details in the local MLS, and the MLS sends it to Zillow. Zillow's help center says most of its photos come from agents through the MLS via a listing feed.

• You don't post anything on Zillow yourself. Zillow says it can only display listings sent to it directly and can't pull them from other sites.
• Changes go through the MLS. Price, home facts and photos are updated by the agent in the MLS, and Zillow follows. Feed photos updated at the source appear on Zillow within 24 hours.
• Old photos don't carry over. Photos from a previous agent or owner can't be reused for a new listing, so plan a fresh set.
• If it's missing, ask your agent to confirm the listing is being sent to Zillow; Zillow says a syndicated listing should appear shortly after it goes active at the source.

A flat-fee MLS company is a middle route for owners: you pay to have the home entered in the MLS and it then reaches Zillow as an agent listing. Our for sale by owner guide compares it with plain FSBO.

How to list For Sale By Owner on Zillow

Zillow lets owners post a home For Sale By Owner for free in the US (not in Canada). You need a Zillow account, the property address, a price, photos, the home facts and your contact details. The steps from Zillow's help center:

1. Sign in to Zillow.
2. Find your home. Open the profile menu, choose Your Home and claim the home if you haven't. If Zillow has no page for it, hover over Sell and choose Post For Sale By Owner, then enter the address.
3. Open the FSBO form. On the Owner View, choose List Home For Sale By Owner.
4. Fill it in: set the price, add photos, edit the home facts and enter your contact information.
5. Agree to the Terms of Use with the checkbox at the bottom.
6. Click Post For Sale By Owner. The listing goes to review; Zillow says moderation can take up to 72 hours.

An FSBO listing stays active for 90 days and can be extended for 90 more from the More menu on the Owner View. Edits are reviewed before they go live, and Zillow emails you when they are published. To take the listing down, choose Cancel Listing under More and mark it Sold or No Longer For Sale.

How to list a rental on Zillow

Rentals are posted in Zillow Rental Manager, and one listing goes to Zillow, Trulia and HotPads:

1. Sign in to Zillow Rental Manager and click Add a property.
2. Enter the full address, the unit number if any, and the property type.
3. Fill in the property info, listing details, lease, media (photos) and amenities; changes save as you go.
4. Under Final details, add your contact information and tour availability, and choose whether to accept Zillow applications.
5. Verify your phone number. Zillow requires it for every new number, to cut scam listings.
6. Post for free, or upgrade to premium.

Since May 2022, listings posted directly in Zillow Rental Manager are free. Premium is a one-time $39.99 for up to 90 days, puts the listing higher in search and adds a tracking phone number; it does not renew automatically. Buildings with more than 25 units are pointed to Zillow's advertising team instead. Zillow says a new rental can take up to 24 hours to appear on its sites.

For the rental photos themselves, see rental listing photos with an iPhone.

Zillow photo requirements

Photos that miss these specs simply don't show up. Sideways photos usually have missing or wrong EXIF orientation data; you can rotate them on the edit page. For rentals, Zillow picks the primary photo itself and says a kitchen or living room as the first photo typically gets the most responses from renters. Rental photos can also be flagged if they contain personal information or don't show the property.

For the sizes other portals and MLSs ask for, see real estate photo size requirements.

Updating or removing photos on Zillow

• FSBO: sign in, open Your Home, click Edit Listing and scroll to Photos. Add photos, click one to remove it, drag to reorder, or add captions, then click Update For Sale By Owner.
• Agent listing: the agent changes the photos in the MLS; Zillow updates within 24 hours.
• Your own home's page: claim the home, open Edit Facts on the Owner View, then remove photos one by one, delete them all, or tick the box to hide them. For some recently sold homes Zillow only lets you hide all but the primary photo.

The full steps for Zillow and Redfin, including old photos after you buy a home, are in how to remove or update listing photos on Zillow and Redfin.

Zillow Showcase

Showcase is Zillow's paid listing type for agents. It requires Showcase media: HD photos, a virtual tour and an interactive floor plan, shot by a photographer with the equipment and training Zillow asks for. Since late September 2025 a Showcase listing can also carry one video of up to 120 seconds. An agent can switch an existing listing to Showcase later, using a Showcase credit. What is known about its cost and requirements is in our Zillow Showcase guide.

How long it takes to show up on Zillow

Getting the photos ready

Whichever route you take, the photos are what people see first, and Zillow won't reuse the last owner's. The October app is one way to make them: it guides you through each room on an iPhone 12 or newer, showing where to stand and keeping the phone level, and an image model then makes finished photos from your capture, usually within a few hours. A place is up to 6 rooms. Photos cost $49 a place, $99 with a walkthrough video, and the first place is free. Check each photo before you upload it, and follow your MLS's rules on edited photos. See pricing.

Step by step

1. Choose the route

   List through an agent and the MLS, post For Sale By Owner yourself, or post a rental in Zillow Rental Manager.

2. Prepare the photos

   JPG, GIF, PNG or TIF, at least 330 × 220 pixels and under 50 MB; Zillow suggests 1536 × 1152.

3. Create the listing

   For FSBO: sign in, open Your Home or choose Sell > Post For Sale By Owner, then add price, photos, home facts and contact details. For a rental: Add a property in Zillow Rental Manager.

4. Submit

   Agree to the Terms of Use and post. FSBO listings are reviewed, which can take up to 72 hours; rentals appear within 24 hours.

5. Keep it current

   Edit price and photos from the Owner View or Rental Manager, extend an FSBO listing after 90 days, and cancel it when the home sells.

Questions