Real EstateDifficulty: Advanced

Zillow Data Extraction

Extract publicly available data from Zillow at scale using AlterLab's API — JavaScript rendering, structured extraction, and automatic retries in one request.

Automatic renderingJavaScript supportStructured data extractionChallenge resolution

Website Compatibility Notes

Zillow uses advanced protections with dynamic property data loading via JavaScript API calls. Property detail pages show a skeleton layout on initial load, with actual price and listing data populated asynchronously. Search result maps load listings based on viewport coordinates. Zillow's bot detection includes TLS fingerprinting and JavaScript environment checks. Full browser rendering with challenge resolution is essential — static requests receive incomplete or blocked responses.

Technical Context

Zillow property URLs include a ZPID (Zillow Property ID) that uniquely identifies each listing. The URL pattern is /homedetails/{address}/{zpid}_zpid/. Search results load properties as GeoJSON tiles based on map bounds — to collect search results systematically, you need to vary the search bounds or use the textual search. Property detail pages are React-based with lazy-loaded sections for price history and similar homes.

Common Data Fields

Typical fields available when extracting data from Zillow:

Zestimate (estimated home value)
Listing price
Price per square foot
Bedrooms and bathrooms
Square footage
Lot size
Year built
Property type (single-family, condo, etc.)
Days on market
Price history
Tax history
Listing description
HOA fees
Rental estimate

Responsible Use

AlterLab is designed for extracting publicly available data. Always review the terms of service for any website you access, respect robots.txt directives, and ensure your use case complies with applicable laws in your jurisdiction. Do not use this service to access non-public, authenticated, or personally identifiable data without appropriate authorization.

Quick Start — Extract from Zillow

cURL
# Always verify the target site's robots.txt and terms of service before extracting data.
curl -X POST https://alterlab.io/api/v1/scrape \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/123-main-st/12345_zpid/",
    "advanced": { "render_js": true }
  }'

Need an API key? — no credit card required.

Python Example

Python
import requests

# Always verify the target site's robots.txt and terms of service before extracting data.
response = requests.post(
    "https://alterlab.io/api/v1/scrape",
    headers={
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    json={
        "url": "https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/123-main-st/12345_zpid/",
        "advanced": {"render_js": True},
    },
)

data = response.json()
print(data["content"][:500])  # First 500 chars of extracted content

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I extract Zillow property listings?

Send property detail URLs to AlterLab with JavaScript rendering enabled. AlterLab handles Zillow's dynamic content loading and returns complete property details including price, bedrooms, bathrooms, sqft, and listing history.

Can I extract Zillow search results for a specific area?

Yes. Pass Zillow search URLs with location parameters. AlterLab renders the map-based results and returns property cards with prices, addresses, and basic property details.

What property data does AlterLab extract from Zillow?

You can extract listing prices, property details (beds, baths, sqft), Zestimate values, listing descriptions, photos URLs, tax history, and price history from publicly accessible Zillow pages.

What is a ZPID and how do I use it?

The Zillow Property ID (ZPID) is a unique identifier for each property. It appears in the URL (/homedetails/{address}/{zpid}_zpid/) and can be used to construct direct links to specific properties for systematic collection.

Can I extract Zillow's Zestimate history?

Yes. Zillow displays Zestimate history charts on property pages. AlterLab renders the full page including this historical valuation data, which typically shows the estimated value trend over the past few years.

How do I collect Zillow rental listings?

Zillow rental listings are at zillow.com/homes/for_rent/. Filter by location, price range, and bedroom count using URL parameters. AlterLab renders these pages and returns rental listings with monthly prices, addresses, and unit details.

How do I extract Zillow property listings?

Send property detail URLs to AlterLab with JavaScript rendering enabled. AlterLab handles Zillow's dynamic content loading and returns complete property details including price, bedrooms, bathrooms, sqft, and listing history.

Can I extract Zillow search results for a specific area?

Yes. Pass Zillow search URLs with location parameters. AlterLab renders the map-based results and returns property cards with prices, addresses, and basic property details.

Related Use Cases

Zillow for a Specific Use Case

Business Data Guide

Your first scrape.
Sixty seconds.

$1 free credit — up to 5,000 scrapes. No credit card.Just a POST request.

terminal
curl -X POST https://api.alterlab.io/v1/scrape \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"url": "https://example.com", "formats": ["markdown"]}'

No credit card required · $1 free credit, up to 5,000 scrapes · Balance never expires