Truelist’s Cross-Platform Analysis

When it comes to online listing performance, a view is not always a sign of real interest, but a save almost always is. Saves indicate intent: a buyer wants to track the listing, revisit it, or compare it against others as they move toward a decision.

To understand how the major real estate portals convert views into meaningful buyer signals, Truelist analyzed all of its customer listings on December 8 across Zillow (estimated), Redfin, Realtor.com, and Homes.com.

Using the view/save ratio (views ÷ saves) as the key metric, we found significant differences in buyer engagement between platforms.

Why the View/Save Ratio Matters

A lower ratio = stronger engagement.

• 20 views per save → buyers are highly interested

• 200 views per save → lots of window-shoppers, few serious prospects

When measured across the same listings on the same day, the ratio exposes real differences in portal traffic quality.

Zillow: Strong Engagement, Consistent Save Behavior

Zillow remains the most balanced platform, producing both large view volume and reliable save activity.

Across our December 8 dataset:

• Many listings fell between 20:1 and 40:1 views per save

• Even high-traffic listings maintained stable save conversion

This makes Zillow the “engagement baseline”—if a listing performs well here, buyer interest is healthy.

Redfin: Smaller Audience, Surprisingly High Intent

Redfin doesn’t match Zillow’s traffic volume, but it often produces better save efficiency.

In our analysis:

• Many Redfin ratios fell between 15:1 and 30:1

• Some listings showed stronger ratios on Redfin than on Zillow, even with fewer total views

Redfin users tend to be more deliberate and further along in the buying process.
A save on Redfin usually carries more weight than a save on any other portal.

Realtor.com: Moderate Engagement With Market-Dependent Performance

Realtor.com generally landed in the 30:1 to 60:1 range — solid, but noticeably weaker than Zillow or Redfin.

From the December 8 dataset:

• Many suburban listings generated good view volume but only modest save counts

• A handful of listings performed closer to Zillow-level ratios, but these were the exception

Realtor.com acts as a mid-funnel discovery platform — useful reach, but buyer intent signals are more variable.

Homes.com: Lots of Views, Very Few Saves

Homes.com produced the most dramatic pattern in our study.

Across all Truelist customer listings on December 8:

• Homes.com often delivered hundreds or even thousands of views

• But many listings had zero or near-zero saves

• Listings with saves typically showed ratios far above the other portals

For example:

• One home in Arizona showed ~400 Homes.com views per save, compared to ~25 Zillow views per save for the same property

• Another listing received over 600 Homes.com views and no saves at all

This aligns with what agents experience:
Homes.com’s paid traffic strategy inflates view counts, but the save conversion rate is extremely weak.

Engagement Comparison Summary

Key Takeaways for Agents & Sellers

1. Saves tell the truth — views don’t. Views can be inflated by paid clicks, low-intent browsing, or search-engine spillover. Saves require real interest.

2. Zillow and Redfin are the best indicators of buyer demand. These two consistently convert views to saves at healthy rates.

3. Realtor.com adds helpful reach but isn’t as strong on intent signals.

4. Homes.com should be treated like top-funnel ad traffic. Good for exposure, not as predictive for buyer action.

Want to see exactly how your own listings perform across Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and Homes.com? The only place you can do that is on Truelist.

👉 Apply for your free Truelist trial today.