Paying to Stand Out: Inside Houzz.com’s New Pay-for-Play Service

There used to be only two ways to get a front-page spot on the “Find Local Pros” page of remodeling and home design site Houzz.com: either become a power user of the site or else pray your listing will get picked at random by Houzz’s display software. Now there’s a third way that guarantees you’ll move to the front, but unlike the two alternatives, this one will cost you.

On Jan. 29, Houzz officially launched Houzz Pro+, a service whose biggest benefit entitles you to buy a place on the first page of results whenever a home­owner in your area clicks the “Find Local Pros” tab and then narrows the search to find pros in subgroups such as general contractors, design/build firms, architects, or kitchen designers. Houzz lists 20 pros on each results page. Under Houzz Pro+, 10 of those spots will be reserved for companies that buy the service.

Pro+ also will deliver other benefits, such as having a participating (or, as the company puts it, a “sponsored”) firm’s photos show up in every fifth spot of a picture gallery.

The price for this will vary based on the market and category selected, but it starts at a few hundred dollars per month, the company says. It has tested the program in several markets and already has sold out a few of the listings.

According to Houzz, the site gets 12 million unique visitors per month — 75% of them from the U.S. — and the average household income for a Houzz visitor is around $125,000. With demographics like that, Liza Hausman, Houzz vice president of community, argues the site is a great way for a remodeler to get exposure, especially if you want to branch out.

To sign up, you must contact Houzz (local@houzz.com) or call and talk with a representative to determine whether the service makes sense for your company. And if the price is too dear, remember that you still can get a high place on Houzz’s results if you’re willing to post lots of photos, answer questions promptly, and get good ratings. “There are times we’ll tell people, ‘You may be better off under the free program,’” Hausman says. —Craig Webb, editor-in-chief, REMODELING.