engine - 5:40 pm on Oct 2, 2008 (gmt 0)

Zillow Launches Real Estate [blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com]Directory

Seattle startup Zillow just went public with a new professional directory that allows people to find out about local real estate professionals such as agents, stagers, lenders, contractors, landscapers and architects. Zillow Professional Directory includes the more than 150,000 real estate professionals with active profiles on Zillow and is open to any others. It is free for professionals and consumers, and allows people to search by specialty, business name, city, ZIP code and neighborhood. "This is a free opportunity for local professionals to market their services to Zillow's millions of visitors – 90 percent of whom own a home, and two-thirds of whom are buying or selling now or in the near future," Jorrit Van der Meulen, Zillow's vice president of partner relations, said in a news release. "In today's challenging market, it's a no-brainer."