Zillow abandons its Climate Risk Score program after launch It has removed climate risk scores from more than a million listings after real estate agents complained that the data was misleading and was causing sales to decline,
In their place, the listing now includes a short link to data from Climate Risk Startup, the organization that provided the original assessment. Spokesman Matthew Eby said the startup is not very happy with the move. techcrunch That “the risk does not go away; it simply changes from a pre-purchase decision to a post-purchase liability.” First Street’s climate score still appears on listings from Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com.
The California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS) is pleased with Zillow’s decision, as it is primarily used by industry professionals. Art Carter, CEO of CRMLS That “demonstrating the likelihood of a specific home flooding this year or within the next five years can have a significant impact on the perceived desirability of that property.”
Carter also questioned the validity of First Street’s data, saying that areas that have not flooded in 40 or 50 years are unlikely to flood in the next five years. First Street responded by saying, “Our models are built on transparent, peer-reviewed science and are continually validated against real-world results.”
Zillow’s Climate Risk Score label has been controversial, especially among real estate agents, since the company launched the program in 2024. an agent told Last year he was “putting ideas into people’s minds about my list that normally wouldn’t be there.” More than 80 percent of potential buyers, yes, have these thoughts already in mind when they shop for a new home.
First Street says its climate risk scores are extremely useful to consumers, noting that its maps correctly identified the risk for more than 90 percent of homes that burned during the Los Angeles wildfires. The company says its internal maps are “significantly outperforming CalFire’s official state hazard maps.”
Engadget has contacted Zillow to ask about its reasoning. We’ll update this post when we hear back.
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