Zillow to include climate risk data on property listings

Zillow announced a new feature that will display climate risk details on US for-sale property listings, covering weather trends and insurance recommendations. Each property will receive risk ratings that assess them on threats like wildfires, flooding, high winds and poor air quality on a scale of 1-10.

Partnership with First Street
Zillow has partnered with First Street, a company specializing in climate risk financial modeling, for the data, and it will be available on the property listing company’s website and iOS app by the end of the year, with availability on Android early next year.

How does this work?
The platform will highlight risk-prone areas using a color-coded map, with each risk—like wildfire or flooding—having its own color scale. Buyers can also see what types of insurance are recommended for properties, helping them understand future costs.

The initiative aims to better inform buyers, noting that many homes damaged in past disasters lacked proper insurance recommendations, which this update will help address. 

Rising costs and risks
Recent statistics from Zillow revealed that 16.7% of new listings are at significant risk of wildfire, while 12.8% face flooding threats.

Rising temperatures have already pushed average utility bills up 25% since 2019, highlighting the importance of understanding potential costs.