Zillow removed its climate risk scores for home buyers in November, citing pressure from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service which questioned the accuracy of the flood risk models. The feature, which displayed wildfire, flood, sea level rise, and extreme heat data, had been live for just over a year before being pulled.

Now, climate policy expert Neil Matouka is developing a proof-of-concept plugin to restore this data directly to California Zillow listings. His tool will show wildfire and flood risk, sea level rise, and extreme heat exposure, arguing that publicly available, consistent information is crucial for understanding risk, even if the data isn't perfect.

The removal highlights the tension between real estate platforms and data providers like First Street, whose flood maps show more properties at risk than outdated FEMA maps. Other sites like Redfin and Homes.com continue to display First Street data. Zillow now only provides a hyperlink, which can be easy to miss for prospective buyers.