Zillow

Rich Barton, Lloyd Frink, and Spencer Rascoff launched the digital real estate giant in Seattle during 2006 to transform how people find homes. The trio brought experience from Expedia and Hotwire to build a platform that aggregated listings and introduced automated valuation models known as Zestimate. This approach allowed users to see home values instantly without waiting for an appraiser.

The company expanded its footprint by acquiring niche platforms like StreetEasy for New York City rentals and Trulia for neighborhood data. These tools helped Zillow become the default starting point for millions of American homebuyers seeking transparency in a fragmented market. [edit]