Above, Jeremy Larson
As Zillow celebrates its 20th anniversary this week, the real estate industry itself looks radically different than it did two decades ago. What once depended on access to listings and information now hinges on expertise, interpretation and trust—themes reflected throughout Jeremy Larson’s career.
A longtime Zillow agent partner, Larson—CEO of the Larson Real Estate Team brokered by eXp Realty in Santa Cruz, California—says it’s an incredibly exciting time to be a real estate professional.
With more than a decade of experience through some of the most volatile market conditions in modern history, while Larson enjoys guiding clients through the largest financial decision of their life, it’s the feeling of helping a first-time homebuyer achieve homeownership that ultimately keeps him going.
Having survived the tail end of the 2008 housing market crisis, Larson highlights the importance of relationships and trust in building a sustainable business.
“The 2008 housing crisis taught me not to take opportunities and relationships for granted,” says Larson, who approaches every opportunity as if it could disappear tomorrow. “This business is fueled by relationships, and a real estate professional who has built relationships based on trust and professionalism will have a business that will sustain the changes that can take place in our industry,” he adds.
That foundation of trust and adaptability proved essential during the pandemic, when the way homes were bought and sold changed almost overnight.
Leveraging technology and maintaining personal connections with clients, Larson and his team adapted quickly.
“We had our team schedule two-hour blocks for our agents to call their clients and just check in,” he explains. “There was no call to action, no real estate headline, no new listing to brag about or mention, but just checking in human to human and saying, ‘Hey, I’m here as a local professional in our community, and if there’s anything you need or any way I can support you, let me know.’”
Coming off its biggest year to date in 2025, despite rising interest rates that have strained transaction volume across the industry, Larson credits a disciplined focus on relationships and open houses as key drivers of the firm’s continued growth.
But even more critical is the firm’s partnership with Zillow and its approach to servicing Zillow-generated leads.
Reflecting back on his career thus far, Larson notes that evolving with the consumer and being right where they are is what ultimately led to his decision to invest in a Zillow partnership.
“I admired the ease of use and all the information that Zillow made available for the consumer right in the palm of their hands at that point in time,” he says, “and as an entrepreneur, I always want to be where my consumer is going to be.”
Evolution of the partnership
Larson’s partnership with Zillow has evolved significantly since he first began using the platform in 2014. Early on, agent-consumer connections were simple and largely manual—often limited to a name, an email address and, if available, a phone number. From there, follow-up required persistence and guesswork, with agents chasing down leads and manually entering information into their CRM.
But today, according to Larson, that process is a lot more seamless.
“We get the live connection , and that consumer has agreed to be in our Follow Up Boss CRM—and as soon as we get connected, we’re putting a voice to a name. It’s a beautiful process,” says Larson, who goes on to explain that the live connection from Zillow has had the biggest impact on the way in which he runs his business.
“Live connections was a major shift, not only in our business, but our entire industry,” he adds. “It was the official moment when the consumer raised their hand and said ‘I want a fast process to work with a proven professional to see a home and get some guidance.’ And when that took place, you could feel the whole industry moving with more intention than ever to deliver a seamless process.”
That moment redefined not just how consumers engage, but how agents must respond—including the way in which real estate professionals approach converting Zillow leads differently than traditional referrals.
“Today’s consumer expects to press a button and get groceries delivered within a couple of hours—or a meal to be cooked, prepared and delivered in half an hour—and that has transcended into the real estate industry now,” says Larson. “Speed is really important, and Zillow has created the bridge for this consumer expectation with real estate professionals.”
It’s also important, according to Larson, to remember that regardless of what stage the consumer is at in the process, they’ve raised their hand and asked for a professional to educate and guide them through the home-buying or -selling journey.
At the forefront of Zillow’s consumer-driven product innovation is Zillow Showcase, one of the many new products Larson touts as an essential piece of his business.
The AI-powered premium listing experience offers an interactive listing design that combines high-resolution scrolling hero images and room-by-room photo organization with prominent agent branding—offering an immersive home shopping experience.
“Zillow’s Showcase platform allows listings to stand out, loop virtual staging and AI,” says Larson, adding that long-term success will belong to those who use technology to amplify the human side of the business.
“AI won’t replace great agents, but it will replace agents who add no discernable value,” he says. “AI will give us more time and better insight, which will allow us to provide a higher-quality client experience. If it doesn’t create leverage, then agents shouldn’t use it.”
Business building and differentiation
As consumer expectations continue to change, differentiating yourself from the competition is more important than ever before—not just when it comes to providing clients with clarity, but also when following up with those who find you through Zillow.
“We’re not being compared to any individual agent,” says Larson, “but we’re being compared to every single agent. Zillow has all the data, and as real estate professionals, we have the context—and so it’s a perfect match.”
With a follow-up system that is far more personalized and intentional today, balancing the cultivation of repeat and referral business while still investing in new lead generation through Zillow is all about having a design for both.
“This is the tension that every high-level agent is eventually faced with,” says Larson, who says that rather than choosing one or the other, it’s important to have two separate lanes: one for relationship work and the other for lead intake.
“Top professionals in our industry understand having clear expectations and volume management so that quality never drops,” adds Larson, as lead fatigue is a real thing.
“If I get flooded with a whole bunch of consumers that are interested in buying or selling, the level of service that I provide is going to go down, and so top professionals who are aware of that use Zillow as a rocket ship to boost their business,” he explains. “Zillow is an offense tool in slow seasons. It’s not a panic button when you’re desperate or need business, but it’s something that you can use to really fuel your business and help you in slow seasons.”
Looking forward
For those looking to build a business model that can weather market cycles—both good and bad—Larson points to approaching the business with a CEO mindset rather than a hustle-only mindset.
From emphasizing relationships over transactions early in one’s career to building systems before volume to normalizing disciplined financial behavior, agents new to the business must understand that it’s going to take time to start making the money they want to make.
“Focus on improving your skillset, especially negotiations and your psychology (your mindset). Ask what’s working and why, and understand that consistency will always be intensity,” says Larson, who is most proud of his firm’s ability to evolve throughout the years without losing its core.
“When I first started, success was about hustle and access, and today it’s about leadership, people, systems and trust,” he says.
And as Zillow celebrates 20 years of transforming the real estate industry, Larson shares his perspective on the company’s most significant contribution to how agents do business today.
“Zillow has created a big shift from access to expertise, from information to interpretation, from transactions to trust, and agents who embrace that shift are able to build durable, scalable businesses,” he concludes. “And that evolution, while uncomfortable at times, has ultimately made our industry better for both the consumer and the professionals who choose to lead.”
For more information, visit https://www.zillow.com.
