Exposed: Advanced Search

Zillow has a cool enhanced search feature that we’re hearing is a bit difficult to find. On Zillow’s home page, within the search box, is an “Advanced Search” link. It’s also located on the Maps & Search page — just to the right of the search box — as well as on any home details page.

Once you click on the Advanced Search link, it opens up a menu of choices you can use to refine your search, including number of bedrooms, square footage, Zestimate value, and home type.

Being new to Seattle, I’m using Zillow to help me figure out where and what I might be able to buy within easy commute of our downtown Seattle HQ. Zooming around our maps gives me an initial feel for prices in neighborhoods. For example, West Seattle’s Zindex (median Zestimate) of $441,000 sounds more manageable than Madison Park’s lofty $649,000. With Advanced Search, I can search on homes in a certain area and for a certain value – in this case, a Zestimate value of $350-360,000 – and get a clear understanding of the amount of house that value range would offer for that area.

West Seattle comes up with many single family homes with 2-3 beds and around 1,100 square feet. This sounds like a whole load more space than the condos that come up in Madison Park with 1-2 beds and around 850 square feet. You can also use Advanced Search to dream about your ideal home. For example, a home with 6+ bedrooms in Seattle’s Madison Park will set you back a few million or more if you’re like me and you fantasize about having your own pier.