Real Estate Gets Unreal: Behind Zillow Gone Wild's Success

Table of Contents

• Realty Unleashed With Zillow Gone Wild

• Mastermind Behind the Madness

• Origins of Zillow Gone Wild

• Why beehiiv?

• Criteria for Zillow Gone Wild

If you're in the real estate industry or are looking to buy or sell homes, chances are you've heard of Zillow. Zillow is a leading real estate marketplace changing how people connect with homes. 

Established in 2006, this American tech-based company provides a comprehensive platform to buy, sell, or rent properties, compare Zestimate® home values, find a real estate agent, and explore mortgage options.

Zillow is committed to reimagining real estate and uses technology to make it easier for people to find their dream homes. 

Have you ever browsed through the countless homes listed on Zillow and wondered why someone would paint a room Tangerine Orange? Or are you curious about the platform's most unusual and bizarre homes? Don’t fret—Samir Mezrahi has already done the legwork for you!

Samir Mezrahi, the innovative mind behind Zillow Gone Wild, a popular social media trend, is revolutionizing how we perceive, view, and purchase homes through Zillow. What started as a fun hobby has turned into a thriving business.

We had the pleasure of discussing the success of Zillow Gone Wild with Samir.

Realty Unleashed With Zillow Gone Wild

Zillow Gone Wild is, in essence, a social media account that features some of the most unique, bizarre, and awe-inspiring homes listed on Zillow. From spaceship-like homes in Sand Springs to the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Zillow Gone Wild brings a whole new perspective to the real estate market.

But it's not just the homes that are drawing attention. How Zillow Gone Wild presents these properties— with humor, wit, and irreverence— has struck a chord with audiences. It's a refreshing departure from the typically staid world of real estate, and people can't get enough.

“I show wild homes, usually in America. It could be in any city. It could be anywhere. And what’s “wild” ranges from castles to mansions with something like a hockey rink to a home where the first floor is a manicured golf course and everything in between,” commented Samir as he discussed Zillow Gone Wild with us.

Mastermind Behind the Madness

The man behind this wild ride is Samir Mezrahi, a Tulsa native known for spotting the extraordinary in the ordinary. Samir created Zillow Gone Wild from a simple love for exciting homes and a desire to share his finds with others. Little did he know his unique take on real estate would resonate with millions.

“It’s a lot of fun. I’ve been doing it for about two and a half years and am just starting things,” said Samir during our conversation with him. 

Samir's background is as diverse as the homes he features. From his early days in digital marketing to his time at BuzzFeed, Samir has always been at the forefront of internet culture. But his love for real estate led him to create Zillow Gone Wild.

Origins of Zillow Gone Wild

Samir has been working in the digital marketing landscape for over a decade and Zillow Gone Wild was originally a hobby that gained traction. “I’ve launched a bunch of random little email newsletters that I’ve run for very short periods and lost interest. Zillow Gone Wild was the first newsletter I cared about,” commented Samir.

Watching Zillow Gone Wild gain millions of followers across social media channels is thrilling, but nothing compares to reaching 168,000 newsletter subscribers. 

“I’ve been in social media for over ten years, and social platforms are scary. They’re always changing the algorithms and decreasing your reach, and it’s always a constant chase. But with the newsletter space, you can connect with your audience and it feels more safe, and I haven’t been in that space before. Zillow Gone Wild is making its own spot, and I’m super excited,” Samir remarked.

Converting social media followers into email subscribers can be a challenging task. However, it is a valuable asset once accomplished. 

Zillow Gone Wild started gaining subscribers through Facebook, where Samir noticed an increase in signups after a few months of being active on the platform. This realization helped Samir recognize the potential of converting social media followers into email subscribers. 

“I started to focus on that [subscribers on Facebook]. The project trajectory has been awesome. It’s my favorite audience. To get the newsletter's subscribers and to have that interest and to have that growth. It has been exciting.”

Why beehiiv?

Managing multiple social media platforms while scaling and growing your brand can be challenging. Social media is an excellent tool for sharing content, exchanging messages with clients, and learning about your target audiences. 

However, there is one tool that is often overlooked but remains integral to building a community. Emails.

Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to promote your brand and drive engagement. Community newsletters are essential for keeping customers engaged and building a loyal base of followers.

“I started on Substack before coming to beehiiv. I was one guy doing Zillow Gone Wild, so my publishing frequency varied from every other week to every month or two. Now that I have shifted to beehiiv, I’m trying to monetize and grow aggressively. On beehiiv, it was first bi-weekly, but it seems like the audience is into weekly,” stated Samir.

beehiiv stands out from the competition with its unique features, making it a top choice in the digital landscape. The platform has an easy-to-use interface and a robust toolset that enables seamless collaboration and efficient project management for email campaign tools. 

Unlike other platforms, beehiiv provides real-time tracking, comprehensive analytics, and a customizable workspace. Its intuitive design ensures effortless navigation, while its advanced capabilities cater to the needs of diverse teams. beehiiv is a reliable and efficient solution for scaling email marketing campaigns.

Samir continued, “I wanted to focus more on the biggest possible scale, at least for now. I was thinking of ways and tools to help me scale. I’m not a blogger or in a specific niche that people may pay me for my writing. It’s more I’m trying to reach a larger audience.”

Criteria for Zillow Gone Wild

In the digital age, with consumers constantly flooded with emails, searching for ways to make your messages stand out is more important than ever. You must have captivating content and personalization to stand out as a newsletter.

So, how does Zillow Gone Wild choose homes to show?