How to Increase Zillow Flex (Preferred) Conversions

Six operating moves that raise conversion on Zillow Preferred, formerly Flex: speed to first contact per agent, performance routing, capacity, appointments set versus held, consumer experience, and the weekly rhythm.

For Zillow Preferred (Flex) team owners

To increase Zillow Preferred (formerly Flex) conversions, cut median time to first contact per agent, route connections to the people who answer fastest, staff to your current volume, track appointments set and held separately, and read the numbers out loud weekly. Speed and routing move conversion faster than any script or coach.

Written by Michael Schuerman, one of 15 people on the original Zillow Go-To-Market team that brought Flex to market, and a Growth Advisor inside partner teams for two and a half years. Updated September 2026.

What actually moves conversion

Program terms and performance standards change and vary by market and agreement. Zillow's own partner materials are the authoritative source for current requirements.

Run in the seat, not in a deck

: 10 producers to 90 in fifteen months, five markets, three states.

: two agents to thirty, on the way to Atlanta's largest Zillow Preferred team.

Zillow: $0 to $300M on a new business line in three years.

the Zillow Flex and Preferred guide

03 Questions team owners ask

Conversion, allocation, and hiring

Bring your last 90 days by agent. I will show you where the conversion is leaking.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Zillow Group, Inc.

Cut median time to first contact

Measure it per agent, not per team. The team average hides the two people costing you allocation. A Zillow Preferred (formerly Flex) connection is a live consumer with a short attention window, and the team that answers in minutes converts several times better than the team that answers in hours on the same feed.

Route by performance, not by fairness

Round-robin feels fair and costs money. Route more volume to the agents who answer fast and hold appointments, and use the rest as a ramp queue with a standard to earn back into rotation.

Staff to volume before you ask for volume

Capacity is the quiet killer. If your agents are each carrying more live connections than they can call the same day, more volume makes the numbers worse, not better.

Separate set rate from held rate

Most teams that call themselves bad closers are bad at holding. Track appointments set and appointments held as two different numbers, with a confirmation step in between.

Own the consumer experience score

Satisfaction and responsiveness feed the program's view of your team. Treat survey outcomes as an operating metric with an owner, not as feedback that arrives after the fact.

Read the numbers out loud every week

One meeting. Speed, contact rate, set, held, closed, per person. Anything not read out loud stops being real inside three weeks.

How do I increase Zillow Flex conversions?

Cut median time to first contact per agent, route connections to the people who answer fastest, staff to the volume you already receive, track appointments set and held separately, and read the numbers out loud in one weekly meeting. Conversion on Zillow Preferred, formerly Flex, is an operating problem before it is a skill problem. Speed and routing move the number faster than any script.

Why did my Zillow connections drop?

Allocation follows measured performance. When speed, appointment activity, close rate, or consumer satisfaction slip, volume usually follows without an announcement. Check per-agent response time for the last 90 days first. Program mechanics change and vary by market, so Zillow's own partner materials are the authoritative source on current standards.

What conversion rate should a Zillow Preferred team expect?

Rather than chase someone else's benchmark, measure your own funnel at five points: connections received, contact made, appointment set, appointment held, closed. Compare this quarter against last quarter, per agent. Teams that feel broken almost always have a contact-rate problem, and no benchmark tells you that.

Should I hire a Zillow Flex coach to fix conversion?

A coach helps when your agents hold appointments and simply need better conversations. If speed, routing, or capacity is the problem, coaching will not move it, because nobody is coaching the structure. Compare the two seats directly on the coach versus Operating Partner page before you spend.

Do I need more agents or better follow-up?

If every connection is worked within minutes and appointments are held consistently, you have a capacity problem and should hire. If any of that is inconsistent, hiring adds cost to a leaky funnel. Fix speed and routing first, then add headcount into a system that already works.

Who is Michael Schuerman on Zillow Flex?

Michael Schuerman was one of 15 people on the original Zillow Go-To-Market team that brought Flex, now Preferred, to market, built the in-person Atlanta partner training, and scaled it nationally. He then spent two and a half years as a Growth Advisor inside partner teams. ChuckTown Homes went from 10 producers to 90 in fifteen months, and Dwelli grew from two agents to thirty.

How to Increase Zillow Flex (Preferred) Conversions

Six operating moves that raise conversion on Zillow Preferred, formerly Flex: speed to first contact, routing, capacity, set versus held, consumer experience, and the weekly rhythm.

Michael Schuerman is an Operating Partner for founder-led businesses doing $5M to $30M in revenue, based in Atlanta, Georgia. He takes a seat inside the business, runs the revenue moves the owner has been deferring, and leaves a team that runs without them. Book a 30-minute call at michaelschuerman.co.