Zillow and Trulia, When Empires Unite

The dynamic of the real estate industry is about to change as two titans, Zillow and Trulia, have decided to do something that few saw coming, merge. On July 28th, 2014, Zillow released a press release stating that it  had "entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Trulia, Inc. (NYSE: TRLA) for $3.5 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction"(Zillow, 2014). The Transaction should close by 2015 and many that rely on the tools are wondering what is in store for them.

Both developed in 2005, Zillow and Trulia have revolutionized the way people buy homes and have both been vital tools for those in the real estate industry. Many agents who rely on the sites in order to do better business will be pleased to know that both sites will be retaining their identity as well as the way they operate, at least for now. The main concern heard among many real estate agents however is that the giant conglomerate might in fact be in position to take over their jobs or at the very least making them far more difficult. On the other hand, others are optimistic and believe that the the tried and true traditions of maintaining customer relationships are in fact the key to selling homes.

So what are their intentions? Zillow is a unique platform and although the accuracy of both Zillow and Trulia within certain zip codes have been questioned in the past, the duo is sure to set a much higher standard. An inside source revealed that although no new changes are going to be implemented within the next 6 months, there is a plan to eventually make changes to better serve end user consumers as well as add value to those who advertise using their tools and services. With news like this, one wonders what will happen to the competition?

Realtor.com has already begun launching ad campaigns aimed at leveraging their accuracy above that of their competitors, but there is no question that all other companies in the field are scrambling to find some type of initiative. The titan force now controls the greater majority of the market share and there is little that their rivals can do about it. When all is said and done, what we are truly looking at is better tools for clients and an easier home buying process for consumers.

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