Great Expectations - it's not all fun and games at Zillow. The company is headed for great things. - Software Development Engineer Zillow Employee Review

5.0
Jan 27, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fun. Beyond the team "morale" activities, sponsored ski days, ping pong, Guitar Hero, and other activities, the people at Zillow are friendly and warm. Laughter is a sound heard almost daily. People enjoy working at Zillow. Honest, approahcable leadership. The executive team is absolutely forthright about their decisions (and mistakes), the status of the company, and the direction moving forward. Furthermore, these honchos are down to Earth and easy to talk with. For example, the CEO sits on the floor during all-hand meetings and has even been known to kowtow in thanks for hard work. The company feels like one big team.

Cons

Hard economic times have especially affected start-ups like Zillow. Layoffs, the struggles to make profit in a down market, and the relentless pace of under-staffed development slowly sap the energy of a small company. Because the company is still young, there are limited resources for salary increases or other incentives. Stock options can only entice so much effort.

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5.0
May 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company to work for

Cons

Long hours with low pay

1
2.0
Jul 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Generally the people I work with are great. They are supportive, creative, and work well as a team. Work-life balance is good, although some teams have more on-call than others.

Cons

- Senior leadership has determined that inflation need not be a factor when calculating raises. - Also, we're having record profitability! But also money is very tight and we all need to tighten our belts. - Our stock is down 50% this year, but you all need to suck it up, even though stock is a huge part of pay. - We don't care that you are getting a 30% effective pay cut this year. - Performance ratings are calculated on vibes before reviews are actually written. - We've started outsourcing heavily to Mexico and India. - "We need to raise the bar" ("Please work harder for the same pay") - Health benefits have eroded for several years. - Other benefits have never been adjusted for inflation. - AI is becoming like a cult. We've actually been told that the dream is to never open a code editor again, despite the technology not being remotely ready for that (and with no proof that it is less expensive or saves time).

6
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