Buying a home just got a lot smarter, thanks to Zillow's newest feature. The popular real estate platform is now giving house-hunters a powerful tool to make informed decisions about their future homes and wallets, according to Axios.
Zillow is rolling out climate risk scores, interactive maps, and insurance information directly on its home listings. This update combines data from climate risk company First Street with Zillow's extensive property database, offering a one-stop shop for savvy homebuyers.
Want to know if that dreamy beachfront property might face flooding issues down the road? Or if that cozy cabin in the woods could be at risk of wildfires? Zillow's new feature has your concerns in mind. It provides historical data on past climate events in the area and future risk scores for floods, wildfires, high winds, extreme heat, and poor air quality.
Zillow is also the first to integrate insurance assessment data. This means you'll get a heads-up on potential insurance availability issues or price hikes before you fall in love with a property. Talk about dodging a financial bullet.
This move by Zillow is intended to help you find your dream home while protecting your investment and peace of mind. By arming homebuyers with this crucial information, Zillow is empowering us to make choices that are good for our families and our planet.
Zillow's chief economist, Skylar Olsen, puts it perfectly, saying, "Climate risks are now a critical factor in homebuying decisions."
And the numbers back it up. More new listings nationwide now come with major climate risks compared to just five years ago.
"Now, when homebuyers are searching for their forever home, they will not only see property-specific climate risk data, they will see insurance flags to alert them of potential availability or rapid price increase concerns," Matthew Eby, founder and CEO of First Street, said.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
