Zillow eliminates climate risk data from its listings

Real estate listing site Zillow recently deleted climate risk data from its listings after complaints from real estate agents and some homeowners.

Last September, Zillow introduced a tool showing the risk of wildfire, floods, extreme heat, wind, and poor air quality for one million listings. The data appeared arbitrary, hurt sales, and could not be challenged, agents and homeowners charged.

Zillow will still indirectly offers some information on climate risk. Its listings now include links to the website of First Street, a nonprofit that provides climate-risk assessment that had provided data for Zillow’s on-site tool. Assigning climate risks to individual properties is controversial, with some experts questioning if accurate assessments can be made on an individual-property level.

Advocates for climate risk housing data counter that the information is essential for buyers as they make life-changing decisions.