Deepening User Engagement on a Zillow- or Redfin-Style Home Search App

You are a product manager for a real estate app such as Redfin or Zillow. How would you increase engagement with the app? Say which users you would target, what you would build for them, and how you would know it worked. ```hint Follow the housing cycle Most people move only once every several years. Consider what would bring someone back during the long stretches when they are not searching actively, and which kinds of engagement actually matter to the business. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does engagement mean activity during an active home search, or should the plan also reach casual browsers and homeowners between moves? - Which business model should I assume: selling leads and advertising to outside agents, or earning commissions through the company's own agents? - Is the scope buying only, or renting and selling as well? - Is there a specific engagement problem to fix, such as users who stop returning after saving a few homes, or is the goal general? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A definition of engagement tied to the business, separating high-intent actions (saved searches, tour requests, agent contact) from casual browsing - A deliberate choice among segments across the home-ownership cycle, with the reason the others wait - Pain points along the search journey and features mapped to them, prioritized by impact and effort - A success metric with guardrails for lead quality, notification fatigue and listing accuracy - Real estate risks such as fair housing rules, stale listings and unreliable price estimates ### Follow-up Questions - How would you keep a family that just bought a home engaged for the years until they move again, without flooding them with notifications? - If engagement rises but tour requests and closed deals stay flat, what would you conclude and change? - How would your plan change for renters, who search intensely but only for short windows?