Testing the Home Performance SCORE on Zillow (Under NDA)

home performance and building certification

Led remote usability testing of a Zillow partner’s Home Performance SCORE widget, generating recommendations now being implemented to improve clarity, discoverability, and adoption.

Timeline

February 2025 – March 2025

Role

UX Researcher

  • Study design

  • Moderation

  • Synthesis & recommendations

Leveraged Skills

Usability testing·moderated research·task analysis·affinity synthesis·stakeholder reporting

The Challenge

Our client partnered with Zillow to introduce a new Home Performance SCORE on property listings. The SCORE is designed to help buyers and sellers evaluate how well a home functions across key areas like safety, comfort, efficiency, and energy systems.

Our challenge: Would users notice it, understand it, and see enough value to act on it?

approach

We tested a Figma prototype with 14 homeowners across different segments: buyers, sellers, home improvers, and early adopters of energy-efficient technology.

  • Format: Remote, moderated 60-minute sessions

  • Tasks: Explore a Zillow listing, review the SCORE, interact with the registry map, compare detail pages, and claim a home

  • Focus: Understanding, trust, and ease of navigation

Visibility is a problem
Visibility is a problem

Most users didn’t notice the SCORE at first, they focused on listing photos and top-level details. Once they scrolled, the SCORE sparked interest, but its placement risked being overlooked.

Most users didn’t notice the SCORE at first, they focused on listing photos and top-level details. Once they scrolled, the SCORE sparked interest, but its placement risked being overlooked.

The SCORE concept resonates, but needs clarity
The SCORE concept resonates, but needs clarity

Participants interpreted the SCORE as a measure of energy efficiency and operating costs (a positive signal) but some compared it to a credit score and wanted to know how to “improve” it.

Participants interpreted the SCORE as a measure of energy efficiency and operating costs (a positive signal) but some compared it to a credit score and wanted to know how to “improve” it.

The registry map felt incomplete
The registry map felt incomplete

Users liked comparing homes by SCORE in a neighborhood, but found it redundant without context like home size, age, or upgrades. Several asked for features like filters, satellite view, or street view.

Users liked comparing homes by SCORE in a neighborhood, but found it redundant without context like home size, age, or upgrades. Several asked for features like filters, satellite view, or street view.

Detail pages created mixed reactions
Detail pages created mixed reactions

  • The checkmark icon was seen as trustworthy (like a social media verification badge), though tooltip wording caused confusion.

  • The Performance Value metric confused participants, while the Operating Cost Comparison (OCC) was seen as highly useful, especially when reframed in monthly or annual terms.

  • The checkmark icon was seen as trustworthy (like a social media verification badge), though tooltip wording caused confusion.

  • The Performance Value metric confused participants, while the Operating Cost Comparison (OCC) was seen as highly useful, especially when reframed in monthly or annual terms.

Claiming a home
feels valuable
Claiming a home
feels valuable

Most sellers said they would claim their home to boost their SCORE, and buyers saw it as a way to validate data. However, a few saw it as “just a way to collect data” without enough immediate benefit.

Most sellers said they would claim their home to boost their SCORE, and buyers saw it as a way to validate data. However, a few saw it as “just a way to collect data” without enough immediate benefit.

Design preferences
were clear
Design preferences
were clear

Participants strongly preferred the blue gauge and checkmark icon, associating both with accuracy and credibility.

Participants strongly preferred the blue gauge and checkmark icon, associating both with accuracy and credibility.

Recommendations
Recommendations

Move the SCORE higher on the Zillow page for visibility.

  • Simplify Performance Value language and align it with OCC formatting.

  • Add context and features to the registry map (e.g., home details, filters, richer navigation).

  • Make the SCORE acronym and pillars more visually distinct and interactive.

  • Refine claim process language (“House claimed by owner” instead of confusing tooltips).

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