Lister vs. owner of record
The lister's name is matched against the owner in Travis Central Appraisal District records, handling formats like "LAST FIRST & SPOUSE". Renters only see a masked name.
Scammers copy a real home's photos, list it far below market, and collect a deposit by Zelle or wire. Renters find an empty lockbox, and the owner finds out from a neighbor. Today Zillow shows the same generic warning on every listing and removes fakes after someone reports them.
The lister's name is matched against the owner in Travis Central Appraisal District records, handling formats like "LAST FIRST & SPOUSE". Renters only see a masked name.
If the county sends the owner's tax mail to the house itself, it's probably their home, not a vacant rental, and "I'm out of the country" doesn't add up.
Photos are matched against the home's earlier listings even after cropping, recoloring or a stamped caption, using normalized thumbnails and cross-correlation.
Rent is compared with HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent for the ZIP and bedroom count. Zillow would use its Rent Zestimate.
Wire, Zelle or gift cards; "out of the country"; "keys will be mailed"; moving to WhatsApp; a deposit before a showing.
Owners verify against county records plus a code mailed to the property, then lock the home. Their own manager can be approved in one tap.
If a stranger lists a home its owner appears to live in, the listing is held and the owner of record gets a letter at their tax address. Its code lets them claim the home and answer in one step.
Removed scams leave a fingerprint: phone numbers, payment handles, wording and photos. A relist with a new name, a new address or one photo swapped is linked back and held.
It builds on things Zillow already has: home claiming, an archive of past listing photos, and the Rent Zestimate. County owner records are public in every U.S. county. Rollout can start with owner-occupied homes in the metros with the most scam reports.
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