Zillow’s New “Walk‑in‑The‑Street” Feature: Apple’s Look‑Around is Finally on iOS
Good news, house‑hunting heroes! The real‑estate giant has just added Apple’s Look‑Around tool to its iOS Zillow app, letting you stroll (virtually) around a property’s neighborhood before you even step foot inside.
Why This Rocks for Your Home Search
- Peel back the curtain: Peek the street corner, see playgrounds, coffee shops, and the nearest ice cream truck—no more blind spots.
- MapKit magic: Thanks to Apple’s new MapKit API for iOS 16, Zillow can now fetch panoramic HTML‑style street views right in your app.
- Smoothed decision‑making: No more pings of “is that a safe area?”—you can actually see the safety vibes before buying.
- Time‑savvy: Skip the drive‑by tour; your phone acts as a mini‑Tokyo‑Tour guide.
How to Tame This Feature
Step 1: Open Zillow on your iPhone.
Step 2: Find a listing and tap the property.
Step 3: Hover over the map; a little pop‑up says Look‑Around. Tap it and voilà—full‑360° street imagery appears.
Feel the Pulse of a New Place
With a few swipes, you can wander from the flashing neon of a 24‑hour diner to the quiet, leafy paths of a family’s favorite park. This isn’t just a cool tech feature; it’s a new way to feel a neighborhood before you commit to a move.
Bottom line? Zillow’s integration of Apple’s Look‑Around is a gameful leap forward for home buyers—turning the mystery of “what’s around here?” into a visual adventure you can preload, coffee‑shop‑by‑coffeeshop, before you even walk the actual street. Happy house‑hunting!
Zillow’s New 3D Map: Finally, a Real Virtual Tour!
Apple’s MapKit API just got a makeover, and Zillow is the first to sprint into the 3D arena. Gone are the days of static street‑view snapshots—now, put on your virtual explorer goggles and stroll through neighborhoods at a thousand‑thousand times the detail.
“Look Around” Goes Live (Just a Little)
Right now, only a handful of neighborhoods have the full Look Around experience, but Zillow’s chief aim? “Give buyers a real sense of the home and the surrounding community.” Think of it as a coffee‑shop‑sized tour: you can see the friendly bulldog on the lot, the perfect scattering of streetlights, and maybe even spot a kid’s soccer ball.
Sharing the Fun
- Share With You lets you ping Zillow listings straight through Messages, or drop them onto any Mac or iPhone nearby.
- SharePlay is the new kid on the block—sync up a virtual viewing session with friends or a budding partner for an instant, in‑app co‑experience.
All of it, for free
Download the Zillow app from the App Store—yes, the entire package is free, and the only thing you’ll need to pay for is the coffee it will likely inspire.
Happy house hunting!
