Great place to work (for some). - Software Development Engineer Zillow Employee Review

3.0
Aug 28, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Zillow has a spectacular location in a downtown Seattle highrise with a very nice view: http://condodomain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/zillow-view.gif The laid back work atmosphere is comparable with many small startups and encourages innovation. The benefits are also competitive; comparable to those offerred by much larger companies. There are also lots of cool amenities in the workplace, like air hockey, ping pong, Xbox 360, free soda, red bull and a stocked kitchen. It can be a very rewarding place to work if you report to the right manager. Most of the employees are friendly and it is a genuinely fun place to work.

Cons

New managers are not given any sort of training, and can be very ineffective and "sell out" under pressure instead of trying to act in favor of their own employees. Also, requirements for advancement are ambiguously worded which senior management leverages to avoid giving deserved compensation and recognition. Only the people in high profile positions will be recognized for their accomplishments. Program Management is totally unstructured and requirements are often very poorly defined.

Explore other reviews about Zillow

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).

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