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Zillow Group, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 May 2026: press release, letter to shareholders. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 8 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue up 18%, near top of range: Revenue rose 18% to $708 million, near the high end of the range; management described the housing market as essentially flat. Source
  • Purchase loan volume up 96%: Purchase loan origination volume rose 96% to $1.5 billion, and Zillow Home Loans is now a top 25 purchase lender in the country. Source
  • Rentals revenue up 42%: Rentals revenue rose 42% to $183 million, driven by multifamily revenue up 57%. Management said Rentals revenue has grown 32% annually on average since 2022. Source
  • App traffic down, Comscore reach up: Traffic to the apps and sites fell 3% to 220 million average monthly unique users, and visits fell 3% to 2.3 billion. Comscore shows unique visitors up 12%. Source
  • Legal costs took 160 basis points: Incremental legal expenses of $11 million year over year were a 160-basis-point headwind to the Adjusted EBITDA margin; excluding them, the margin would have been 27%. Source
  • Back-half margin expansion expected: Management said full-year results imply margins expand meaningfully in the second half, with variable cost growth slowing and legal costs easing after the FTC trial. Source
  • AI mode live for 5% of audience: AI mode is live for about 5% of the audience, with broader access planned. Management said users in AI mode have deeper conversations than in traditional search. Source

“Zillow’s integrated platform is delivering meaningful value for buyers, sellers, renters and real estate professionals alike,”

Zillow Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Wacksman

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenue SourceQ2 2026$750 million to $765 millionNew
For Sale revenue growth SourceQ2 2026similar to Q1New
Mortgages revenue growth SourceQ2 2026similar levels to Q1New
Rentals revenue growth SourceQ2 2026approximately 30%New
Adjusted EBITDA expenses SourceQ2 2026$600 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceQ2 2026$150 million to $165 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA excluding incremental legal costs SourceQ2 2026$170 million to $185 millionNew
Advertising spend SourceQ2 2026approximately $80 millionNew
Rentals revenue growth SourceFull year 2026approximately 30%Kept
Fixed cost base SourceFull year 2026approximately $1.1 billion, growing with inflationKept
Variable cost headwind to Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFirst half 2026more than 400 basis points
Legal expense headwind to Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFirst half 2026approximately 200 basis points
Share-based compensation expense SourceFull year 2026down more than 15% year over yearRaised from down more than 10% year over year

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Share-based compensation expected decline raised from more than 10% to more than 15%. Source
  • New guidance: Range given for the three months ending June 30, 2026. Source
  • New: Zillow Preview collaboration with Realtor.com announced, extending pre-market listings across both platforms. Source
  • New: Shop with Pre-Approval feature now available across the platform. Source
  • New: AI mode consumer experience launched, live for about 5% of the audience. Source
  • New: Zillow Pro in beta, with more than 12,000 agents using the product. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue up 18%, near top of range: Revenue rose 18% to $708 million, near the high end of the range; management described the housing market as essentially flat. Source
  • Net income rose to $46 million: Net income was $46 million, a 6% margin, with diluted EPS of $0.19 against $0.03 a year earlier. Diluted adjusted EPS was $0.53. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA above company expectations: Adjusted EBITDA of $182 million, a 26% margin, was above prior expectations on lower-than-planned costs. Legal expenses held the margin flat year over year. Source
  • Operating cash flow up 92%: Net cash from operating activities was $200 million, up 92% from $104 million a year earlier. Source
  • Industry grew 2%, purchase originations fell: NAR data put residential industry growth at 2% in Q1; the company estimates industry purchase mortgage origination volume fell about 1% year over year. Source

For Sale: Residential and Mortgages

  • For Sale revenue up 12%: For Sale revenue rose 12% to $514 million. Residential grew 8% to $450 million, mostly from Zillow Preferred; Mortgages grew 56% to $64 million. Source
  • Purchase loan volume up 96%: Purchase loan origination volume rose 96% to $1.5 billion, and Zillow Home Loans is now a top 25 purchase lender in the country. Source
  • Market-based pricing revenue declining: Market-Based-Pricing revenue continues to decline as agent activity moves to Preferred partners; Zillow Preferred drove most of the Residential increase. Source
  • Revenue per TTV higher: On a trailing 12-month basis, For Sale revenue per TTV was 8.7 basis points at the end of Q1, against 8.0 basis points a year earlier. Source

“We’re embedding AI throughout the real estate experience in ways that make Zillow increasingly indispensable, and we’re innovating with speed and intention.”

Zillow Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Wacksman

Rentals and multifamily growth

  • Rentals revenue up 42%: Rentals revenue rose 42% to $183 million, driven by multifamily revenue up 57%. Management said Rentals revenue has grown 32% annually on average since 2022. Source
  • Multifamily listings up 38%: Multifamily properties advertising on Zillow reached 76,000 at quarter end, up 21,000 or 38% from a year earlier. Source
  • Property managers see strong return: Management said property managers see Zillow as delivering the highest return on marketing investment in the category; Zillow Rentals had 36 million average monthly unique visitors. Source
  • April launches for rental partners: In April, Zillow launched a live portfolio analytics dashboard and a paid social product that places listings on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Source

Audience and traffic

  • App traffic down, Comscore reach up: Traffic to the apps and sites fell 3% to 220 million average monthly unique users, and visits fell 3% to 2.3 billion. Comscore shows unique visitors up 12%. Source
  • Most users arrive directly: Management said roughly 80% of traffic comes directly to Zillow, and that Zillow is searched more often than the term real estate. Source
  • Larger daily app base than rivals: Management said Zillow has more than twice the daily active app users of its next closest competitor, per Sensor Tower data as of March 31, 2026. Source

“Zillow’s strong Q1 results reflect the consistency of our execution, the strength of our brand, our audience engagement, and the durability of our multi-year strategy.”

Zillow Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Wacksman

Costs, legal expenses and Adjusted EBITDA

  • Operating and cost of revenue up 11%: Total operating expenses and cost of revenue were $672 million, up 1% from Q4 and 11% year over year, mainly on higher lead acquisition and mortgage processing costs. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA expenses below range: Adjusted EBITDA expenses were $526 million, up 18% year over year and below the range set for Q1; mortgage headcount costs supported origination growth. Source
  • Legal costs took 160 basis points: Incremental legal expenses of $11 million year over year were a 160-basis-point headwind to the Adjusted EBITDA margin; excluding them, the margin would have been 27%. Source
  • Variable costs weigh on first half: Management expects variable costs to be a headwind of more than 400 basis points to first-half Adjusted EBITDA margins, moving close to neutral by year-end. Source

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Buybacks lowered cash balance: Cash and investments were $788 million, down from $1.3 billion at the end of 2025, after the company repurchased 13.5 million shares for $626 million in Q1. Source
  • Buyback capacity and liquidity: About $1.3 billion remains on share repurchase authorizations. With a $500 million undrawn revolving credit facility, total liquidity is $1.3 billion. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow up 44%: Adjusted free cash flow was $127 million, up 44% from $88 million, after $34 million of property and equipment purchases and $10 million of intangible asset purchases. Source
  • Capital priorities stated: Management said liquidity supports investment in growth, an adequate risk-based capital reserve, potential M&A and opportunistic share buybacks. Source

Margin path and advertising timing

  • Back-half margin expansion expected: Management said full-year results imply margins expand meaningfully in the second half, with variable cost growth slowing and legal costs easing after the FTC trial. Source
  • Legal headwind eases after FTC trial: Management expects legal expenses to be a smaller margin headwind in the second half, as the company gets through the FTC trial. Source
  • Q2 advertising weighted by launches: Q2 advertising is weighted higher than in prior years because of planned product launches; the second half is expected to follow a seasonal pattern. Source

AI, products and agents

  • AI mode live for 5% of audience: AI mode is live for about 5% of the audience, with broader access planned. Management said users in AI mode have deeper conversations than in traditional search. Source
  • Follow Up Boss moves to AI workflows: Follow Up Boss, used by more than 80% of the highest-volume real estate teams, is becoming an AI-powered workflow engine that handles coordination and outreach for agents. Source
  • Preview adds brokerages and Realtor.com: Zillow Preview launched seven weeks earlier with five brokerages and now has more than 60; a new collaboration extends pre-market listings to Realtor.com. Source
  • Zillow Pro in beta: Zillow Pro is in beta with more than 12,000 agents, and a broader rollout is planned for the second half of 2026. Source
  • Engineering output up with AI: Engineers ship about 40% more code per engineer on average, based on internal data and estimates for 2025; management says the gains compound over time. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 May 2026

  • Broader AI mode access planned: Broader access to the AI mode experience is planned as the company tests, learns and refines the experience. Source
  • Zillow Pro nationwide rollout: Management said Zillow Pro is on track for a broader nationwide rollout in the second half of 2026. Source
  • Preview agent onboarding under way: The company is onboarding agents to use Zillow Preview following the addition of more than 60 brokerages. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Average monthly unique users (apps and sites) Source220 million
Visits Source2.3 billion
Multifamily properties advertising Source76,000
Average monthly active rental listings Source2.7 million
Purchase loan origination volume Source$1.5 billion
BuyAbility enrolled users Source4.3 million
Enhanced Markets share of connections Source49%
Zillow Showcase share of new listings Source4.3%

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Legal expenses are expected to be about a 200-basis-point headwind to Adjusted EBITDA margin in the first half, tied to the FTC trial. Source
  • Demand: Visits fell 3% to 2.3 billion, while Comscore reported unique visitor reach up 12%. Source
  • Operational: Cost of revenue rose on higher lead acquisition costs under the Redfin rentals syndication agreement, which management said were within expectations. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Enhanced Markets reached 49% of connections, and management said the company is on the way to its intermediate target. Source
  • Not stated: Management said Rentals has a clear path toward a target of $1 billion or more in annual revenue. Source
  • Not stated: Management said it is executing against a $1 billion incremental mid-cycle revenue target in For Sale. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.