Zillow’s Shuttered House-Flipping Enterprise Misplaced $881 Million in 2021

The flipping outfit had been accountable for almost all of Zillow’s income lately however none of its earnings.

The corporate shocked the market in November by saying it was closing Zillow Presents as a result of the tech-powered platform didn’t precisely predict actions in house costs.

Zillow additionally lower about 2,000 jobs, or one-quarter of its workers, and wrote down losses of greater than a half-billion {dollars} on the worth of the remaining houses linked with Zillow Presents.

For the fourth quarter, Zillow reported a internet lack of $261 million, or $1.03 a share. Analysts anticipated Zillow to report a lack of 90 cents a share, in keeping with FactSet.

Class A Shares of Zillow had fallen about 1.3% on Thursday as of market shut however started rising throughout after-hours buying and selling.

There have been some optimistic outcomes for the real-estate firm, which was capable of capitalize on the crimson sizzling housing market. Income for the core phase of Zillow, based mostly round house listings on its web site, rose 30% in 2021, in contrast with the earlier yr. Margins on that enterprise have been 45%, measured on an adjusted earnings earlier than curiosity, taxes, depreciation, and amortization foundation, up from 38% in 2020.

Zillow mentioned in a Thursday letter to shareholders that it’s focusing on income of $5 billion by 2025, with 45% EBITDA margins. The corporate mentioned it generated about $8.1 billion in income final yr, although Zillow Presents was accountable for about $6 billion of it.

In an interview, Chief Govt

Wealthy Barton

mentioned the corporate would develop income by increasing the attain of its financing companies and dealing to get extra folks to make use of Zillow to tour houses.

“Clients who take a tour with us are 3 times as probably to purchase a house with us,” Mr. Barton mentioned.

Zillow mentioned that it had offered or had agreements to promote greater than 85% of its remaining stock of houses from its defunct flipping enterprise. Throughout the fourth quarter, Zillow misplaced a median of about $25,000 on each house it offered, earlier than curiosity expense, although it offered these houses sooner and at a lot smaller losses than it had anticipated, the corporate mentioned.

In accordance with YipitData, Zillow nonetheless has about 8,600 houses on its books.

It beforehand offered a few of its houses to giant buyers, like rental landlord Pretium Companions, which agreed to purchase 2,000 of them in November.

Zillo executives additionally spoke on a Thursday earnings name about constructing a “housing tremendous app,” investing in new merchandise for home-sellers and doubling the share of American house gross sales that occur on Zillow. “Our firm was constructed on massive swings and we’re going to maintain taking them,” Mr. Barton mentioned.

Write to Will Parker at will.parker@wsj.com