DoorlarkHow the math works
GCI = sale price × your side % Zillow fee = GCI × Zillow success fee % After Zillow = GCI − Zillow fee Brokerage share = after Zillow × split %, but never more than what's left on your cap Your take-home = after Zillow − brokerage share Own-lead take-home = GCI − (GCI × split %, capped) What the fee costs you = own-lead take-home − Zillow take-home
Zillow's fee comes off before your split. Zillow's Help Center says success fees "are based on your GCI before any splits or incentives" and that "commission splits that you pay to your broker are not eligible for deduction." This calculator assumes your brokerage then takes its split from what's left, so you and the brokerage share the cost. If your brokerage takes its split from the full GCI and leaves the whole fee to you, the example deal pays you $3,000 instead of $4,200. Ask yours which way it works.
Worked example (the default numbers)
| $400,000 × 2.5% | $10,000 GCI |
| 40% success fee to Zillow | −$4,000 |
| 30% brokerage split on the $6,000 left | −$1,800 |
| Your take-home on the Zillow deal | $4,200 |
| Same deal from your own lead ($10,000 − 30%) | $7,000 |
| Same Zillow deal at a 15% buyer-side fee | $5,950 |
Example inputs. The 40% is Zillow's published seller-side fee. Your buyer-side fee depends on the ZIP code and price.
What counts as GCI (and what you can't deduct)
- Added to GCI: agent bonuses on the settlement statement, and any flat fee you charge on top of your percentage.
- Can be deducted: a credit or rebate you give your buyer or seller, if it shows on the settlement statement as a credit from you.
- Can't be deducted: your brokerage split, admin or transaction fees you pay your broker, costs you pay a third party, and other referral fees (unless Zillow grants an exemption for a client you already knew).
Giving a closing credit? Lower your side % so the GCI matches your commission minus the credit.
Before you accept the invite
- Look up your buyer-side fee. Zillow's pricing page has a ZIP code lookup. Seller connections are 40% in every market.
- Count closings, not leads. On the example deal, a Zillow closing nets $4,200 and one of your own nets $7,000, for about the same work. If Zillow deals take time you'd otherwise spend on your own leads, you need 1.7 of them for every deal of your own they replace.
- Compare it with what you pay for leads now. Run your current paid sources through the Lead Cost Calculator to get their cost per closing. The "What Zillow's fee costs you" line above is Zillow's cost per closing on this deal.
- Add Follow Up Boss. Zillow's FAQ lists a Follow Up Boss subscription as the one required cost besides success fees. Our Follow Up Boss pricing guide has the plan prices.
Sources, checked Oct 19, 2026: Zillow Help Center, How to Calculate Success Fees (updated May 22, 2026); Zillow Preferred pricing; Zillow Preferred FAQ; Zillow Preferred: The next evolution of the Flex program. Zillow can change the fee with 15 days' notice, so check the pricing page before you sign. Doorlark isn't affiliated with Zillow, and your contract terms take precedence over anything here.
Related free tools and guides
- Commission Split Calculator: your take-home on one deal after referral fee, brokerage split, cap and fees.
- Lead Cost Calculator: what a closing from each lead source costs you, and what it nets after your split.
- Follow Up Boss pricing: Grow, Pro and Platform plans and team cost math.
FAQ
How much are Zillow Preferred fees?
There's no upfront cost. You pay Zillow a success fee only when a Zillow Preferred connection closes. Zillow says it currently ranges from 15% to 40% of your GCI, depending on the ZIP code and sale price, and seller connections are 40% in every market. The only other required cost Zillow lists is a Follow Up Boss subscription.
Is the Zillow Preferred referral fee the same as the success fee?
Yes. Zillow uses both names for the same fee: a percentage of the gross commission you earn on a deal from a Zillow Preferred connection.
Is Zillow Flex the same as Zillow Preferred?
Zillow calls Preferred "the next evolution of the Flex program." Agents and teams in Flex on or before October 15, 2025 moved into Preferred automatically, so questions about Flex fees and the Flex fee schedule are now answered by the Zillow Preferred pricing page.
How do Zillow Flex splits work?
Zillow takes its fee from your full GCI first. In this calculator, your brokerage split then applies to what's left. If you're on a team, enter the share the team and brokerage keep together as the brokerage split, then check the order in your team agreement.
Is Zillow Preferred worth it?
It depends on whether the deals are extra or take the place of your own. With the example numbers, a Zillow closing nets $4,200 and the same deal from your own lead nets $7,000. If Zillow deals take time away from your own leads, you need about 1.7 of them for every deal of yours they replace. Put in your own numbers and compare with what your current lead sources cost per closing.
Does Doorlark save my numbers?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and nothing is sent to us.
By Doorlark Editorial Team. For planning only, not legal, tax or financial advice.