Zillow.com, a real estate Web site is teaming up with 180 newspapers nationwide to launch co-branded real estate web sites. The newspaper sites can now include Zillow's search functionality to enable users to enter any home address or locality and find home values and home sale information.
This is a smart move for newspapers. The shift from mass marketing channels to digital has squeezed many small and large newspapers out business. A co-branded approach minimizes the need for staff to produce content and can command a premium online ad rate, which the papers desperately need to off-set the loss of classified revenue's on the print side. Especially in the Real Estate category.