When you’re browsing real estate and rental listings, both Zillow and Trulia are great resources. Both platforms will give you listing images, a listing description, the ability to contact the listing agent, and some details about the property’s school zones and neighborhood.
Since Zillow owns Trulia, many people assume the two platforms are exactly the same — but they would be wrong!
Although the differences between Trulia vs Zillow are subtle, each platform can and should be used differently to build your business. To summarize, here’s how the two platforms differ:
- Trulia: Trulia provides simple, user-friendly searches and a wealth of information about each neighborhood and community. It’s ideal for researching neighborhoods and understanding the local lifestyle.
- Zillow: Although it offers limited neighborhood details, its listing and marketing tools are second to none. Ultimately, Zillow is the real estate tool that agents need to actually move the needle in their business.
If you’re ready to generate leads, increase your brand visibility, and become a successful real estate agent, get started with Zillow today!
Trulia vs Zillow: Overview comparison
Here’s a visual description of the key similarities and differences between Trulia and Zillow, followed by a quick look at each platform’s pros, cons, and uses.
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Expert’s take: When to use Trulia vs Zillow vs an alternative
When you compare Trulia and Zillow, there really isn’t a winner or a loser. Both platforms are incredibly valuable for browsing properties, generating leads, and marketing listings for sale and for rent. However, when it’s time to stop browsing for fun and actually buy, sell, or rent, you need to understand which platform is going to help you the most.
Here’s my breakdown of when it’s best to use Trulia or Zillow. If you are:
- A renter looking for a new home: Trulia will give you firsthand insights about each neighborhood and community.
- An agent working with buyers: Both Zillow and Trulia can be used to search for properties. However, Zillow has a built-in communication platform and client insights to help you be extra efficient.
- A buyer’s agent with clients who are relocating: Trulia has much more in-depth insights on neighborhoods and lifestyles, which will help your clients feel confident about their new home.
- Listing a client’s house for sale: It’s not possible to list a home manually on Trulia, but Zillow’s free listing tools will be syndicated with Trulia.
- A rental property owner: Although you must list the property on Zillow Rental Manager, it will also be published on Trulia
- Looking for buyer leads: Zillow’s advertising platform will help you generate leads from both Zillow and Trulia.
- Looking for an agent: Zillow’s Agent Finder will allow you to look through local agents and teams, read reviews, and contact the one you want to work with.
When to use an alternative
Working with buyers is only part of growing a successful real estate business. If you’re an agent wanting to generate more seller leads, neither Zillow nor Trulia is an ideal option. As an alternative to Zillow, consider using a comprehensive platform like Market Leader, which is built to help you attract home sellers. It provides multiple strategies to target sellers in your area and even provides exclusive leads.
Estimate accuracy: Zillow wins
Even though Zillow owns both real estate platforms, Trulia and Zillow calculate their home value estimates differently. Zillow’s estimates — or Zestimates — come from a variety of data, including MLS data, information that is manually added by agents and home sellers, and from similar properties. Since these sources can sometimes be inaccurate, Zillow’s error rate is about 2.4% on active properties and 7.49% on off-market homes.
Trulia estimates are calculated using a “proprietary algorithm”, which takes into account information such as location, square footage, property tax information, and recently sold comparable homes. Some states are “non-disclosure states,” which means that public records don’t always have sale prices.
According to Trulia, their estimates can be within 5% to 20% of the final sale price. Overall, this makes Trulia’s estimates less accurate than Zillow’s estimates.
Here are a few examples of listings with Trulia vs Zillow estimates:
| 1410 NW 46th Terr, Gainesville, FL 32605 | |
| Zillow Zestimate: $483,500 Zillow estimated payment: $3,416 | Trulia median home value: $483,500 Trulia estimated payment: $3,336 |
| Actual sale price: $465,000 | |
| 3126 Shamrock St E, Tallahassee, FL 32309 | |
| Zillow Zestimate: $538,000 Zillow estimated payment: $3,712 | Trulia median home value: $538,800 Trulia estimated payment: $3,591 |
| Actual sale price: $520,000 | |
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Related article:
How Accurate is Zestimate?
Platform features: Zillow wins
On the surface, both Trulia and Zillow are real estate platforms with property listings (for sale and for rent), search filters, map searches, and property details. Both platforms also have plenty of resources for buyers, sellers, renters, agents, and even mortgage details and financing.
But with a closer look, you’ll see that Zillow undeniably leads the charge when it comes to additional features — especially for real estate agents who are growing their business. While Trulia offers incredible neighborhood features on every individual listing and neighborhood guides, Zillow offers tools that go beyond individual listings and neighborhoods.
Zillow’s platform is a one-stop shop for home buyers looking for a home and finding an agent, for agents generating and converting leads, for renters looking for their next home, and even for investors wanting to list a rental property and manage their tenants.
Here’s a comparison of just some of the features from Zillow vs Trulia:
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User experience: Trulia wins
When you’re browsing properties on Zillow or Trulia, you’ll notice a lot of similarities between listings on both platforms. Both platforms show listing images and important listing information, as well as the ability to contact a real estate agent. However, for users who are starting a search or evaluating individual properties, Trulia definitely stands out for its neighborhood and lifestyle details.
For example, at the top of Trulia’s home listings is a section with “local information,” including a map of the home’s location, a map of the assigned schools, and local shops and restaurants. Further down in the listing, you can see more details about the neighborhood and even get firsthand thoughts from current residents. Looking at a Trulia listing is like being able to talk directly to one of your potential neighbors.
Overall, Trulia is easier for home buyers and renters to scroll through and get a full understanding of the property and the area. On the other hand, Zillow’s listings focus more on mortgages and financing. This is probably one reason why Trulia is more commonly used to look for rentals.
Agent and seller tools: Zillow wins
This is an easy one — Zillow is the clear winner for agents and homesellers. In fact, when you have a real estate listing to market, Trulia doesn’t have a platform to upload information or promote the listing. Instead, everything you do to publish or promote your listing must be done through Zillow, and it’s automatically updated on Trulia.
However, as we already discussed, you don’t have to choose between Trulia and Zillow when marketing yourself or a property! Whichever tools or listing marketing strategies you choose are automatically done on both platforms.
Here are some of the agent and seller tools offered on Zillow (which also apply to Trulia):
- Zillow Premier Agent
- Zillow agent profile
- Listing analytics
- Zillow 3D Home Tours
- Zillow Immerse
- Zillow CRM
Pricing: Draw
The cost of using both Trulia and Zillow as a user is completely free. For real estate professionals who want to leverage the platforms to grow their business, the seller tools offered through Zillow Premier Agent require an investment. Since Trulia doesn’t offer any unique or separate programs, its pricing structure is exactly the same as Zillow’s.
Although the price of being a Zillow Premier Agent depends on a variety of factors like your location, average prices of homes, and competition, our research found that Zillow leads usually cost between $20 and $75 each.
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Related article:
Zillow Premier Agent 2025: Is it Worth the Cost?
Our methodology
At The Close, we have a specific methodology to give you the most accurate information from real estate experts. To accurately and objectively compare Trulia and Zillow, we thoroughly researched each platform, talked to experts who have used each of them as agents and investors, and only used data from reliable sources. Our focus is to help real estate professionals find the right tools for their business.
Our criteria include:
- Home value estimators: We researched proven statistics to determine how Zillow and Trulia estimates are made and their error rates.
- Traffic and brand recognition: Visibility is key for real estate sales, so we included verified data about each platform’s online traffic.
- Features and tools for agents: Online real estate platforms can be powerful for growing real estate agents, so we evaluated and compared agent tools on both websites.
- User experience: We tested both platforms and considered the pros and cons of each platform’s design and included features.
- Pricing: We considered the cost of Trulia vs Zillow since pricing is always a high priority for business decisions. However, the costs of these two platforms are combined.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Trulia and Zillow the same?
Trulia and Zillow are two separate real estate platforms. However, Zillow owns Trulia, so their marketing and selling tools for real estate professionals are exactly the same. You can use Trulia and Zillow to find different information on properties, but you cannot use them separately to market properties.
What is the difference between Zillow and Trulia?
Zillow and Trulia are both real estate platforms, and they offer a different user experience. Trulia’s listings include much more in-depth information on each neighborhood and lifestyle, and it’s easy to search for lifestyle-based properties on Trulia. Zillow’s listings focus more on individual property details.
Are Trulia and Zillow owned by the same company?
Yes, Zillow is the parent company of Trulia. While the two platforms offer different experiences for users, the marketing and selling tools for agents are combined.
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