Maturing sign-in at Zillow
Zillow used sign-in unconventionally. This hurt customers. Experiences weren't personalized or connected, making forward progress for customers difficult and fragmented, and data was not always protected.
Migrate 100% of Zillow to a more secure platform that:
- Personalizes customer experiences and eliminates unnecessary disruptions
- Protects customer data
- Sets Zillow up for success
The team updated the visual design bringing it into a more modern visual aesthetic that matched where the rest of Zillow was headed.
In the new design, we sought to incorporate direct, and actionable messaging that clearly stated to the user what they should do.
We also incorporated an identifier first sign-in method to allow for greater personalization and more security in handling customer data.
On desktop, we incorporated new visual imagery to evoke a sense of home with customers. The component was built to allow for easy updating of the image or the ability to remove it depending the context.
Introducing one-time passcode on Zillow Home Loans led to a:
- 35% reduction in sign-in drop off
- 18% increase in qualified leads
- 1% decrease in password use
After experimenting with one-time passcode on Zillow Home Loans it was introduced to the touring experience. This test led to a:
- 13.5% increase in connections
- 2.35% decrease in tour submits
After the team's work with Zillow Home Loans and touring, I created a toolkit for other teams to leverage, allowing them to self-serve and free up time on our team to dedicate to more strategic initiatives.
Our North Star for sign-in was always to test new and innovative methods, and at the time of this experiment that was by introducing Passkeys. Passkeys launched on Zillow Home Loans in December 2025.