--- title: "Zillow Flex vs Premier Agent: fees and website inquiries" description: "Understand Zillow Flex, now Zillow Preferred, versus Premier Agent advertising. Compare fees, check eligibility, and test seller and buyer inquiry paths." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/zillow-flex-vs-premier-agent" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # Zillow Flex vs Premier Agent: compare costs and website inquiries Zillow Flex is the program Zillow now calls **Zillow Preferred**. Zillow Preferred provides connections through a program with payment at closing. [Preferred success-fee guidance](https://zillow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/33295568333843-Do-I-owe-a-Zillow-Preferred-Success-Fee-on-a-transaction), checked 2026.10.14. Zillow describes Preferred as the next evolution of Flex. [Zillow Preferred overview](https://www.zillow.com/preferred/), checked 2026.10.14. For Premier Agent market-based advertising, Zillow charges a recurring monthly subscription. The useful comparison is the payment model: advertising spend during the subscription versus a success fee on a qualifying closing. [Zillow’s market-based advertising terms](https://www.zillow.com/pro/mbp-product-terms/), checked 2026.10.14. [Zillow Preferred pricing](https://www.zillow.com/preferred/pricing/), checked 2026.10.14., [Preferred payment guidance](https://zillow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/33295568333843-Do-I-owe-a-Zillow-Preferred-Success-Fee-on-a-transaction). Give your own website a separate job. Specify the seller and buyer questions it should answer, where inquiries should arrive, and how you will record their source. Use the checks below to prepare that scope. They are recommendations, without a forecast of replacement inquiries. ## Compare what triggers the cost Use this table to identify the arrangement you are considering. Confirm its details against your own agreement and account. | Question | Flex, now Zillow Preferred | Premier Agent market-based advertising | | --- | --- | --- | | When do you pay? | A success fee is due on a qualifying closing. | Recurring monthly advertising charges. | | What determines the amount? | Buyer-originated fees vary by market, transaction price, and connection delivery date. | ZIP-code connection availability, competing advertisers, and their budgets can affect pricing. | | What should you obtain? | Applicable fee schedule, connection date, and participation agreement. | Written budget, billing date, term, and any signed Ad Order. | The payment and pricing descriptions come from [Preferred pricing](https://www.zillow.com/preferred/pricing/) and [Zillow’s market-based advertising terms](https://www.zillow.com/pro/mbp-product-terms/), checked 2026.10.14. [Zillow Preferred pricing](https://www.zillow.com/preferred/pricing/), checked 2026.10.14. The documents to obtain are recommended checks. Preferred charges a percentage of the full commission you expect to receive for your side of the transaction. Its published pricing page lists a 40% success fee for seller-originated connections. Use its ZIP-code lookup for the applicable buyer-originated schedule. [Zillow Preferred pricing](https://www.zillow.com/preferred/pricing/), checked 2026.10.14. For market-based advertising, Zillow's terms say predicted connection counts are estimates. They do not guarantee a delivered number. A signed Ad Order can also carry an early termination fee of twice the monthly minimum spend. [Zillow’s market-based advertising terms](https://www.zillow.com/pro/mbp-product-terms/), checked 2026.10.14. Keep the cost comparison in your approved business records. For Preferred, calculate the applicable success fee from your expected commission. Ask your broker how that fee interacts with your split and other charges. For monthly advertising, compare the agreed spend with your recorded closings over a defined period. Leave missing costs and unverified source assignments marked unknown. ## How do you get invited to Zillow Flex? The current route concerns Zillow Preferred. Participation remains invitation only. Zillow describes a proven closing record, use of its products, and market availability as considerations. It says Zillow Pro will become the primary route once available nationwide, while other routes can remain. [Zillow Preferred overview](https://www.zillow.com/preferred/), checked 2026.10.14. Ask Zillow which route applies in your market today. Request the current performance criteria, required products, costs, and obligations in writing. Confirm whether the invitation applies to you, your team, or your brokerage. Treat product purchases and program admission as separate decisions to verify. If you are considering joining a participating team, request its written compensation and assignment terms. Ask who receives connections, who pays fees, and what happens when you leave. Avoid treating a team's recruiting description as your own program agreement. ## Keep a website inquiry and its earlier source in the same record Zillow's payment guidance describes success fees on up to two transactions with a connection, subject to its stated time limits. It also describes possible exemptions for pre-existing relationships. The guidance says signed contract terms take precedence. [Preferred success-fee guidance](https://zillow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/33295568333843-Do-I-owe-a-Zillow-Preferred-Success-Fee-on-a-transaction), checked 2026.10.14. For a pre-existing relationship exemption, Zillow says to notify it within 48 hours of receiving the connection. It requires evidence of active two-way communications during the preceding 30 days. [Preferred success-fee guidance](https://zillow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/33295568333843-Do-I-owe-a-Zillow-Preferred-Success-Fee-on-a-transaction), checked 2026.10.14. Use a record that preserves both the current inquiry and any earlier contact. Record the website page, submission time, received message, and known prior source. When a Zillow connection overlaps, retain its delivery date and ask the responsible broker to confirm the fee treatment. Do not decide a fee question from the latest form URL alone. Keep a first contact and a later website visit as separate events. If the earlier source is unknown, preserve that uncertainty. Store customer records in your authorized business system. Give a website builder the required fields and sample test data. ## Specify a seller path and a buyer path on your own site Start with the question each visitor should be able to ask. For sellers, prepare a page explaining your actual representation, market coverage, and process. Support credentials and experience claims with approved evidence. Give the visitor a clear way to ask about selling. For buyers, explain the locations and property types you serve. Define how someone can send a property question. If on-site listing search belongs in the scope, confirm its source, permissions, provider, and maintenance responsibility before commissioning it. Write the receiving destination beside each page. Name the person responsible for replies. Specify which context should arrive with the message, including the page or property reference and the visitor's question. Keep your domain, hosting, content, and form access in the handoff checklist. Identify the account holder and renewal responsibility. Ask which website functions depend on outside subscriptions. Attach those dependencies to the written scope. - [Connect your real estate profiles to your own website](/articles/real-estate-portal-profiles) - [Own your real estate website: domain, hosting, editing, and leads](/articles/own-your-site) - [Test the seller inquiry path on your real estate website](/articles/seller-inquiry-path-agent-website) ## Test receipt before accepting the website work Use contact details you control and label each submission as a test. Agree on the receiving person's participation before running the checks. | Path | Test | Evidence to retain | | --- | --- | --- | | Seller page | Submit a question from a phone. | Matching message, reply details, page reference, and named recipient. | | Buyer or property page | Send a property question. | Received question with the intended property reference. | | General contact form | Submit with the phone keyboard open. | Usable fields, confirmation, and matching inbox receipt. | | Phone and email links | Inspect their destinations. | Correct number or address. | | Inquiry record | Inspect the stored test submission. | Submission time, page, source evidence where available, and reply owner. | Require the received message as part of acceptance. Keep the visible form confirmation beside the inbox receipt. Give a failed check a responsible person and a repeat test. After launch, compare website inquiries and portal connections using your own records. Count received questions, conversations, appointments, and closings separately. Record the observation period and costs. Keep duplicates and unknown sources visible. Use those observations before changing either budget. ## Bring the inquiry checks into the website brief The Flex comparison separates Zillow's payment models from requirements for your own service pages. Take the website receipt failures to [whole website fix: Flex website requirements](/for/real-estate). The whole website fix charges a fixed $2,000. [Flex website requirements, published scope, checked 2026.10.14](https://scalewithsearch.com/work). ## Related: Real estate - [Connect your real estate profiles to your own website](/articles/real-estate-portal-profiles) - [Own your real estate website: domain, hosting, editing, and leads](/articles/own-your-site) - [Test the seller inquiry path on your real estate website](/articles/seller-inquiry-path-agent-website) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. Scale With Search 2026 [scalewithsearch.com](https://scalewithsearch.com) ```