Zillow removes climate risk ratings from property listings after real estate industry pushback

Zillow, America’s largest real estate platform, has quietly eliminated a climate risk assessment feature from its property listings following intense pressure from real estate agents and homeowners who claimed the data was hurting sales. The controversial decision highlights growing tensions between climate transparency and real estate market interests.

Launched in September 2023, the feature provided risk scores for wildfire, flooding, extreme heat, wind damage, and air quality across one million properties. Zillow partnered with First Street, a nonprofit climate research organization, to deliver what the company called “critical” information for modern homebuyers. However, the California Regional Multiple Listing Service and numerous agents complained the ratings appeared arbitrary and couldn’t be contested, ultimately pressuring Zillow to remove the on-site tool entirely.

Matthew Eby, First Street’s CEO, warns that eliminating climate data leaves buyers “flying blind” in an era of escalating weather disasters. “The risk doesn’t go away; it just moves from a pre-purchase decision into a post-purchase liability,” he explained, noting that families often discover insurance problems only after purchasing vulnerable properties. Last year alone, climate-amplified disasters caused $182 billion in damages across the United States.

The controversy reflects broader challenges facing the real estate market as climate impacts intensify. Rising insurance costs and company withdrawals from high-risk states like California are creating additional pressure to close sales quickly. While some experts question the accuracy of property-specific climate assessments, Eby defends First Street’s peer-reviewed methodology, arguing that hiding risk information ultimately harms consumers facing potentially devastating financial consequences.