This article originally appeared in Inside Climate News.
As climate change leads to more floods, wildfires, and extreme heat, home buyers need reliable information about climate risks. However, Zillow recently removed its climate risk feature, which helped users assess these risks when viewing real estate listings. This decision followed concerns from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service about the accuracy of the flood risk models Zillow used.
Now, Neil Matouka, a climate policy expert in California, is stepping in to fill the gap. He is developing a plugin that provides valuable climate data directly to users. When someone views a listing on Zillow in California, the plugin will show information about wildfire risk, flooding, sea level rise, and extreme heat. Matouka emphasizes the need for accessible and consistent information to help buyers understand their risks.
This situation arose just over a year after Zillow first introduced its climate risk feature, which relied on data from First Street, a climate modeling company. The California Regional MLS expressed concerns about the accuracy of the flood models, leading to Zillow’s removal of the data. Despite this change, other real estate platforms like Homes.com, Redfin, and Realtor.com continue to display risk data from First Street, which identifies more properties at risk than the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) outdated maps.
First Street stands by its data. “Our models are based on peer-reviewed science and validated against real-world outcomes,” they state. In fact, research shows that disclosing flood risk can lower home sale prices, highlighting the importance of transparent climate data in today’s market.
Experts indicate that understanding climate risk at a detailed level can be tricky. A home might sit right on the edge of a flood risk boundary, making it difficult to know exactly how safe or at risk it is. Chris Field from the Stanford Woods Institute notes that while climate risk models can provide broad insights, they become less precise when zooming in on specific properties.
Matouka’s plugin aims to communicate general area risks rather than pinpoint specific property vulnerabilities. Jesse Gourevitch from the Environmental Defense Fund highlights the advantage of having both public and private data sources for risk assessments, although challenges exist in accessing private sector methodologies.
Importantly, Matouka’s plugin utilizes publicly available data, which gives it a strong foundation for building trust. Feedback is welcome as he works to refine the tool, currently available in beta testing here.
Inside Climate News is a leading outlet dedicated to climate journalism.
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