📆 November 1, 2023
Zillow Group Acquires Follow Up Boss
On Nov. 1, 2023, Zillow Group issues a press release via PR Newswire, “Zillow Group to acquire Follow Up Boss, an industry leader in customer relationship management.” In this press release, Zillow Group makes assurances to real estate professionals.
As part of Zillow Group, Follow Up Boss will be able to invest further in improving its product offerings, helping their clients deliver the best possible customer experience while supercharging their businesses.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ PR Newswire — Zillow Group to acquire Follow Up Boss (1) — Dated Nov. 1, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
Follow Up Boss will remain an independent brand and will continue to build its client base as a standalone product offering while serving all existing clients, regardless of whether an agent engages with other Zillow Group platforms.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ PR Newswire — Zillow Group to acquire Follow Up Boss (2) — Dated Nov. 1, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
“We’re excited to have more resources to invest in new features and functionality while still delivering the great experience our clients enjoy today,” said Follow Up Boss co-founder Dan Corkill. “Our mission remains the same — to serve top-performing real estate teams and agents by providing industry-leading technology to power their businesses. We know Zillow Group shares that commitment.”
Source: 💁🏻♀️ PR Newswire — Zillow Group to acquire Follow Up Boss (3) — Dated Nov. 1, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
Security and customer data privacy are a top priority for both Zillow Group and Follow Up Boss, and both companies have robust processes to secure customer data. The customer data that Follow Up Boss subscribers enter into the system is theirs, just as it always has been, and will stay within Follow Up Boss. In addition, Follow Up Boss will work with a third-party validator to ensure that the data stays safe and protected under the Follow Up Boss terms of use and privacy policy.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ PR Newswire — Zillow Group to acquire Follow Up Boss (4) — Dated Nov. 1, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
The acquisition purchase price includes $400 million of initial cash consideration and up to $100 million in a potential cash earnout. Follow Up Boss has approximately 100 full-time employees who will join Zillow Group once the acquisition closes, including co-founders Dan Corkill and Tom Markov.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ PR Newswire — Zillow Group to acquire Follow Up Boss (5) — Dated Nov. 1, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
Here’s What You Need to Know
That same day, Follow Up Boss CEO Dan Corkill publishes a blog post and video, “Follow Up Boss Agrees to be Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know.”
Source: Follow Up Boss Agrees to be Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know — Dated Nov. 1, 2023, Captured Nov. 1, 2023 by Archive.org
📆 December 8, 2023
Closing of the Transaction
Zillow Group’s acquisition of Follow Up Boss closes on Dec. 8, 2023.
That same day, Follow Up Boss republishes the Nov. 1 post with edits.
Source: Follow Up Boss Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know — Dated Dec. 8, 2023, Captured July 25, 2024 by Archive.org
Here’s What You Need to Know — Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, 2023
The Dec. 8, 2023, version updates the facts of the matter to reflect recent events. Other edits are more interesting.
Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, 2023
This acquisition means more resources to invest in making our software and service better for you. And we’ll be able to do it much faster than we could have on our own.
Follow Up Boss will remain an independent brand and a standalone product, with the same focus on support and community that you’ve come to expect; we’ll just have access to more resources and support.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ Dan Corkill, CEO — Follow Up Boss Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know (1) — Dated Dec. 8, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, 2023
The customer data you enter into Follow Up Boss remains yours, and our privacy and security investments continue.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ Dan Corkill, CEO — Follow Up Boss Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know (2) — Dated Dec. 8, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
Nov. 1, 2023
Customer data that you enter into the platform is yours. It stays in Follow Up Boss. It’s always protected and it’s never for sale.
Dec. 8, 2023
Customer data that you enter into the platform is yours, just as it always has been. It stays within Follow Up Boss. Zillow Group won’t be able to use it unless you give permission.
Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, 2023
The privacy and security of your customer data are our highest priority because we know it’s the foundation of your business. Over the years we’ve made significant investments in data security, including security-specific roles within our engineering team, third-party audits, an annual Google audit, SOC2 compliance, and more.
Note: 📒 The Dec. 8, 2023, version reads “SOC 2 compliance.”
Nov. 1, 2023
This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Zillow Group is acquiring Follow Up Boss to improve it for you. As part of this process, we’ll be working with a third-party validator so they can verify that customer data is staying safe and protected.
Dec. 8, 2023
This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: We wouldn’t have agreed to this acquisition if we weren’t confident we could keep your customer data safe and protected. But just to be absolutely certain, we’re also working with a third-party validator — unaffiliated with Follow Up Boss or Zillow Group — to make sure of that. They’ll issue SOC 3 reports regularly, beginning with one published on the day the acquisition closed. As FUB joins Zillow Group, these reports will continue to examine how customer data is handled.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ Dan Corkill, CEO — Follow Up Boss Agrees to be Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know (3A) — Dated Nov. 1, 2023, Captured Nov. 1, 2023 by Archive.org
Source: 💁🏻♀️ Dan Corkill, CEO — Follow Up Boss Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know (3B) — Dated Dec. 8, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
Nov. 1, 2023
Can Zillow Group access, use, or “scrape” your customer data?
No. The customer data you enter into Follow Up Boss stays within Follow Up Boss.
Dec. 8, 2023
Can Zillow Group access, use, or “scrape” your customer data?
No. The customer data you enter into Follow Up Boss stays within Follow Up Boss. Zillow Group won’t be able to use it unless you give permission.
Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, 2023
Can Zillow Group market to your clients based on your customer data?
No. Again, the customer data you enter into Follow Up Boss is yours, just as it always has been.
Can Zillow Group run analytics on, see the source of, or view reports on leads?
No, not if there is any customer data in the report.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ Dan Corkill, CEO — Follow Up Boss Agrees to be Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know (4A) — Dated Nov. 1, 2023, Captured Nov. 1, 2023 by Archive.org
Source: 💁🏻♀️ Dan Corkill, CEO — Follow Up Boss Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know (4B) — Dated Dec. 8, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, 2023
To close, here are a few key reminders:
Your customer data is yours. It’s safe and secure. You control it. Period.
We’ll keep improving Follow Up Boss guided by your needs, your feedback, and your success. And we’ll be supported in a way that allows us to innovate faster for you.
Source: 💁🏻♀️ Dan Corkill, CEO — Follow Up Boss Acquired by Zillow Group: Here’s What You Need to Know (5) — Dated Dec. 8, 2023, Captured March 30, 2026
Zillow Group is selling the “Your customer data is yours” mantra hard.
Jean Scott Homes Relies on Promises Made
Trusting Dan Corkill, I decide that Jean Scott Homes will remain Follow Up Boss’s customer. In retrospect, these assurances were carefully parsed at best.
For example, Corkill told customers their data was protected by “SOC 2 compliance.” SOC 2 stands for System and Organization Controls 2. It is an outside audit standard for five areas: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Security is about protecting the system against unauthorized access.
Zillow owns Follow Up Boss. Zillow accessing the system is not considered unauthorized access. SOC 2 compliance does not apply in this context. This is an old-fashioned smokescreen. All of it.
📆 October 15, 2025
Zillow Announces New Policies and Terms
Zillow announces sweeping new policies and terms that become effective Nov. 15, 2025. They conflict with Jean Scott Homes’ own Privacy Policy and the promise it makes directly to its customers.
That promise is, effectively, that a customer’s information is private and is not shared outside the team, including Keller Williams, except with the customer’s express consent.
It is the operational policy of Jean Scott Homes that team members may access private customer data only to serve the customer, and on a minimum-necessary basis.
The machinations Zillow deploys to invade consumers’ privacy and confiscate Jean Scott Homes’ IP are laid out in Chapters 3–3.5 .
The Nov. 15, 2025, deadline is about to become ominous.
Article text and tables licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source documents belong to their owners.
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