Zillow adds interactive climate risk data to its property listings

Real estate platform Zillow has introduced comprehensive climate risk information to its property listings across the United States. It will soon feature data on five critical environmental hazards — flood, wildfire, wind, heat and air quality — for each home listed for sale. In addition to numerical scores, the tool provides potential buyers with interactive maps showing risks nearby, as well as historical data ("1 large wildfire within 20 miles since 1984") and projections ("this property has a 100% chance of flooding over the next 30 years"). The information is provided by climate risk modeling firm First Street, which provides a similar but less in-depth set of data to Zillow's competitor Redfin. 

Environmental concerns are making their way into real estate decisions. In a 2023 survey of 12,000 prospective buyers, Zillow found that 80% consider at least one climate risk when determining where to look for a new home. Most likely to do so? Millennial and Gen Z shoppers, who now comprise 54% of home buyers. Notably, just 23% of all buyers consider moving somewhere with fewer climate risks, while 27% plan to move to an area with more climate risks, where prices are likely to be lower. Affordability remains key, especially for first-time buyers.

That said, buyers and sellers will increasingly take climate risk data into account as home insurance premiums skyrocket and worries about health and safety escalate. Beyond real estate: which climate-related information should your company unlock to help people make better decisions? Which risks are specific to your industry, and how can you make them transparent and easy for the average consumer to comprehend and act on?