Zillow Home Loans Review 2025

Zillow Home Loans overview

Zillow Home Loans is a direct online mortgage lender affiliated with Zillow Group. It provides conventional, FHA and VA loans to borrowers across the U.S. (except New York). As the financing arm of a company famed for its online listings and valuations, it boasts an easy-to-navigate, information- and tool-packed website.

Pros and cons of Zillow Home Loans

How Bankrate scored Zillow Home Loans

Affordability: 5/5

Zillow Home Loans offers mortgages with minimal down payments and below-average APRs, awarding it 5 out of 5 stars for affordability.

• Interest rates: According to our research, Zillow Home Loans has mortgage rates below its competitors at the time of this review.
• Down payment: The lender offers FHA loans with 3.5 percent down, conventional loans with 3 percent down and VA loans with zero percent down.
• Fees: In 2023, Zillow Home Loans charged an average origination fee of $1,345,  according to HMDA data.
• Closing costs: Closing costs vary based on many factors and typically cost between 3 and 5 percent of the total loan amount. In 2023, Zillow Home Loans' average loan cost was $7,979, at 3.07 percent of the loan amount.

Availability: 5/5

Zillow Home Loans is available to borrowers in most states and offers various mortgage types from conventional loans to government-backed options. For these reasons, the lender scores 5 out of 5 stars for availability.

• Home loans offered: The lender offers conventional, jumbo, FHA and VA loans. You can also refinance your current mortgage through the lender.
• Footprint: You can get a mortgage with Zillow Home Loans in every state except New York.
• Where to find: Zillow Home Loans is an online-only lender.

Borrower experience: 4.4/5

Zillow Home Loans has a customizable rate tool on its site, but it offers limited tech convenience and only a few ways to contact customer service. For these reasons, the lender scores 4.4 out of 5 stars for borrower experience.

• Application and preapproval process: With Zillow Home Loans, you can get prequalified online in as little as three minutes. To get preapproved, you'll need to submit some documents and undergo a credit check. Once you find a home you like and the seller accepts your purchase offer, you can formally apply for your mortgage. Pending loan approval in the underwriting process, you'll be able to close on your home. 
• Transparency: Zillow Home Loans offers a customizable rate tool to help you get a handle on how much home you can afford.
• Customer service: You can contact Zillow Home Loans by submitting a contact form on its website or by calling 888-852-2212.

Zillow Home Loans reputation

Zillow Home Loans, though a relative newcomer to lending, has a mixed reputation. The lender is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, where it has been awarded an A+ rating. However, on Trustpilot, the lender has been graded as “Poor” and scored 2.5 out of 5 stars by 45 reviewers.

What consumers say about Zillow Home Loans

Bankrate user reviews for Zillow Home Loans are largely positive, with consumers appreciating the lender’s user-friendliness and smooth processing. Users remarked that loan officers were helpful and professional. Others noted that the lender sold the servicing rights to the loan and that the fine print made it difficult to qualify for Zillow’s on-time guarantee.

Zillow Home Loans special offers

1% Down Payment

Zillow Home Loans announced in 2023 its 1% Down Payment program. Initially offered on properties located in Arizona, the program lets borrowers who qualify put just 1 percent toward their down payment. Zillow Home Loans contributes an additional 2 percent at closing. The program is for first-time homebuyers who make 80 percent of the median income in the area where they’re buying. So as a borrower, you have to thread the needle of making a low enough income to qualify for the program, but a high enough income to afford the monthly mortgage payments.

Refinancing with Zillow Home Loans

Zillow Home Loans offers rate-and-term and cash-out refinancing options. The lender doesn’t display its refinance rates or fees online, however, so you’ll need to connect with a loan officer to determine whether a refi is worth doing.

How to apply for a mortgage with Zillow Home Loans

You can apply for a mortgage with Zillow Home Loans online or by phone at 888-852-2212. The lender offers prequalifications and preapprovals, which can help you estimate your house-hunting budget.