1. Identify the Zillow destination
“Put the video on Zillow” is not a complete task. Ask where the viewer should find it and who controls that surface before preparing a file or following a tutorial.
| Desired result | Current path to investigate | Do not confuse it with |
|---|---|---|
| Video inside the property's Showcase media carousel | Showcase listing, media provider, Aryeo upload, and Showcase editor selection | A URL pasted into public remarks or a general file-delivery link |
| Interactive property exploration | Zillow 3D Home, interactive floor plan, or another current eligible media product | A linear listing video |
| Media submitted through the local MLS | Exact MLS field, feed, current portal support, and published result | A guaranteed Showcase carousel position |
| Video on the agent's Zillow profile | Profile Spotlight Video using the current Zillow profile instructions | A property-specific listing video placement |
If the local MLS is the starting point, use the MLS video publishing guide to identify the field, host, clean version, feed, and supported displays. Then inspect Zillow separately; a successful MLS save proves only that the MLS accepted the record.
2. Save the current Showcase requirements
Zillow's current Showcase editing help describes the listing video workflow and content requirements. As of August 15, 2026, it says:
- The video must be created by the same photographer who provided the other media for the listing.
- The content provider uploads the video through Zillow's Aryeo workflow.
- Only one video can be displayed on the listing at a time.
- The displayed video must be no longer than 120 seconds.
- The video should focus primarily on the listing.
- Personal branding such as an agent introduction may appear.
- Persistent agent or brokerage logos, watermarks, and advertising are not allowed.
Save the help URL and review date with the delivery brief. Do not copy unsupported file size, codec, resolution, or upload steps from an old tutorial; the provider should use the current technical requirements presented by the active Aryeo and Showcase workflow.
Zillow also says a selected video appears as the second item in the Showcase media carousel and autoplays muted. That makes opening visuals and silent comprehension part of the review, but it does not justify adding persistent promotional graphics that conflict with the current content policy.
3. Coordinate the media provider and request
The agent and media provider have separate jobs. Zillow's current booking guide says an agent can select an available provider or invite a photographer; a new provider must accept the request and verify that they meet the technical requirements. Confirm the relationship before production rather than after a finished file is delivered.
- Open the correct property inside the agent's current Showcase or Workspace flow.
- Confirm the listing is eligible and the agent has the required access.
- Identify the photographer or content provider responsible for the listing's media.
- Send or confirm the media request through the current Zillow workflow.
- Have the provider confirm video eligibility, technical requirements, deadline, and upload responsibility.
- Record which person will notify the agent when the video is available in the listing media library.
Do not send credentials, bypass the provider, or assume that possession of an MP4 gives every party the authority or product access needed to publish it. Keep the photographer agreement, video rights, Zillow request, and agent approval connected to the property record.
4. Brief one eligible listing-focused video
Design the video for the current placement before the edit. The listing should remain the subject even when the agent appears, and the complete rendered file should fit the current policy rather than relying on a promise to change it after upload.
Listing / Showcase owner: [property / agent / workspace]
Media provider: [same photographer / accepted request / Aryeo responsibility]
Current requirement review: [Zillow help URL / date / provider confirmation]
Runtime: [no more than the current 120-second maximum]
Property story: [verified priorities / supporting scenes / accurate sequence]
Agent presence: [optional introduction / property-first role / approved statements]
Persistent graphics: [none that violate the current logo, watermark, or advertising rule]
Audio and mute review: [captions / text / visual opening / intelligibility]
Rights and releases: [footage / photos / music / people / transformations]
Fact approver / upload deadline: [name / date / correction route]
Keep a separate branded marketing version if the campaign needs persistent identity, a logo, contact details, or a promotional CTA. The branded and unbranded video guide helps define each version without assuming that a logo-free file automatically satisfies Zillow, the MLS, or another destination.
Review the file before provider upload
- The property, address treatment, facts, rooms, condition, view, and status match the approved record.
- The runtime fits the current Zillow maximum with no hidden slate or extra tail.
- The opening works when playback begins muted.
- Agent presence supports the property and does not turn the file into unrelated promotion.
- No persistent logo, watermark, brokerage mark, contact panel, or advertising remains.
- Narration, on-screen text, captions, music, and scene order are reviewed in the rendered file.
- Generated motion or editing does not bend, add, remove, or imply unsupported property features.
- The rights and approval record covers the exact file and provider submission.
5. Select the uploaded video in Showcase
According to Zillow's current editing help, the provider first uploads the video with the listing media through Aryeo. After it becomes available, the agent selects the video in the Showcase listing editor. Treat “provider uploaded” and “agent published” as two visible workflow stages.
- Have the provider confirm the property, upload, file, and completion state.
- Open the same listing in the agent's Showcase workspace.
- Edit the listing and locate the uploaded video in the media library.
- Preview the available file and confirm it is the approved render.
- Select the one video intended for the live listing.
- Save or publish through the current editor and record the completion time.
If multiple uploaded videos are available, Zillow says only one can be displayed at a time. Use a file name and approval ID that let the agent distinguish the current version before selecting it.
6. Inspect the live buyer experience
Do not stop at the editor confirmation. Open the public listing as a buyer on the supported experiences that matter to the campaign. Zillow's May 2026 Showcase update describes video alongside photos, 3D Home tours, and interactive floor plans, so confirm that the intended media is discoverable inside the actual listing experience.
- Open the correct public property URL without relying on an authenticated editing session.
- Confirm the video is present in the media carousel and is the approved file.
- Verify the expected second-item position and muted autoplay behavior on the live experience.
- Play from beginning to end with sound on and off.
- Inspect the first frame, crop, property identity, captions, agent segment, and last frame.
- Test a current desktop and mobile view; product presentation can differ by device.
- Check that photos, room groups, 3D media, floor plans, and video do not contradict one another.
- Save the public URL, verification date, device, and screenshot with the listing record.
7. Troubleshoot the actual path
Begin with the layer that should contain the video. Repeating uploads or changing hosts at random can create more versions without fixing the missing handoff.
| Symptom | Inspect first | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| No video option for the property | Showcase eligibility, account access, listing match, and current product workflow | Confirm with the agent's Zillow workspace or support before changing the media |
| Provider has no upload route | Media request, accepted provider relationship, correct property, and technical verification | Reconcile the request with the agent and provider inside the current workflow |
| Provider uploaded, agent cannot select | Upload completion, listing ID, media library, video length, and provider confirmation | Collect screenshots and exact identifiers for provider or Zillow support |
| Selected in editor, missing publicly | Save or publish state, live listing state, processing, device, and public URL | Verify again as a buyer, then escalate the conflicting records |
| Video is flagged or removed | Listing relevance, runtime, persistent branding, watermarks, advertising, and current policy | Have the responsible parties correct the cause and approve a new exact version |
| MLS link exists but no Showcase video appears | MLS field, feed behavior, portal support, and whether Showcase upload ever occurred | Treat MLS syndication and Showcase media as separate paths |
When escalating, include the property URL, listing identifier, account or workspace context, media-request owner, provider, upload time, selected filename, editor screenshot, public screenshot, device, and time of verification. Do not place private credentials or seller information into a public support post.
8. Maintain the placement
The video remains part of an active property representation. Assign an owner to review it when the listing, property, people, media rights, or Zillow workflow changes.
- Update or replace price, status, event, availability, condition, agent, or brokerage claims that become inaccurate.
- Confirm the selected video after a provider, media-library, or listing edit.
- Keep the approved source and delivered file instead of relying only on the live player.
- Record a new approval when selecting a different uploaded video.
- Review rights and the property record before reusing the file on another channel or after the listing ends.
- Define the remove, retain, archive, or replacement action at listing closeout.
Use the listing-video marketing checklist to connect the Zillow placement to property pages, YouTube, email, social, tracking, and later status changes without assuming every destination accepts the same version.
Keep profile video separate
Zillow's current professional-profile help describes a Spotlight Video added through the profile's social-media and links settings with a YouTube share URL. Use that route for an agent profile video. It does not replace the property's eligible Showcase media upload and selection workflow.
Create the property video before planning every placement
Westby turns an active public listing's available photos and details into a cinematic video preview. Review the property story first, then prepare the versions and provider handoffs supported by the current Zillow, MLS, brokerage, website, email, and social workflows.
Create a free listing-video preview.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload a video directly to a Zillow listing?
Zillow's current published upload instructions are for Showcase listings. In that workflow, the media provider uploads video with the listing media through Aryeo, and the agent selects the uploaded video in the Showcase listing editor. Do not assume an older Zillow app tutorial, an MLS virtual-tour field, or a pasted video link creates the same carousel placement.
What are the current Zillow Showcase video requirements?
As of August 15, 2026, Zillow says the video must be created by the same photographer who provided the other listing media, uploaded by the content provider through Aryeo, no longer than 120 seconds, and limited to one displayed video per listing. It should focus primarily on the listing. Personal branding may appear, but persistent agent or brokerage logos, watermarks, and advertising are not allowed. Confirm the current help article before every delivery because product rules can change.
Why is my listing video not showing on Zillow?
First identify which path you used. For Showcase, confirm the correct listing and media request, successful provider upload, video eligibility, agent selection in the listing editor, publish state, and live buyer view. For an MLS link or standard listing, verify the local MLS record and syndication but do not assume that path produces a Showcase carousel video. Contact the responsible MLS, feed vendor, media provider, or Zillow support with the listing and screenshots when the saved records disagree with the live result.
Can a Zillow listing video include agent branding?
Zillow's current Showcase help says videos may include personal branding such as an agent introducing themselves, but cannot include persistent agent or brokerage logos, watermarks, or advertising. The video must remain primarily about the listing. Apply the exact current Zillow policy to the complete rendered file rather than treating one unbranded opening frame as approval.
Is a Zillow profile video the same as a listing video?
No. Zillow's professional-profile help describes a separate Spotlight Video added to an agent profile with a YouTube share URL. That does not make the video part of a property's Showcase media carousel. Use the profile path for agent identity and the listing path for eligible property media.
Current first-party references
Zillow products, interfaces, eligibility, and media rules can change. Recheck the live help pages inside the active agent and provider workflow before preparing or publishing a file.