Senior Product Counsel, Real Estate Product

Zillow•Remote-WA, WA

5d•$191,300 - $305,700•Remote

About The Position

The Principal, Legal Counsel provides strategic legal guidance to senior leaders on complex, high‑impact matters, serving as a subject‑matter expert on real estate, technology, and regulatory issues that shape Zillow’s products and business operations. This role leads the design and negotiation of critical agreements, develops scalable legal frameworks, and proactively manages legal risk while enabling innovation and exceptional customer experiences. The Principal, Legal Counsel influences enterprise‑level decisions through data‑driven, practical advice and effective cross‑functional collaboration. Lead complex, high‑risk legal matters and provide strategic counseling to executives and senior leaders on issues that materially impact Zillow’s products, data, and business operations. Design, negotiate, and finalize sophisticated commercial, technology, and data‑related agreements, balancing legal risk with business objectives and long‑term relationship considerations. Anticipate and assess emerging legal, regulatory, and industry developments affecting online real estate marketplaces, and translate them into actionable guidance, policies, and scalable playbooks for business and legal partners. Partner with product, engineering, compliance, and operations teams to structure and launch new or enhanced offerings in a compliant, privacy‑ and consumer‑focused manner, embedding legal controls into core workflows. Lead cross‑functional responses to escalated disputes, investigations, and regulatory or industry inquiries, coordinating strategy, communications, and remediation to protect the company’s legal and reputational interests. Develop and refine legal standards, templates, training, and knowledge resources that drive consistency, efficiency, and high‑quality decision‑making across the Legal team and stakeholder groups. Mentor and informally lead other attorneys and legal professionals, modeling sound judgment, inclusive practices, and effective ways of working in a fast‑paced, highly matrixed environment. This role has been categorized as a Remote position. “Remote” employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice, which must be identified to the Company. U.S. employees may live in any of the 50 United States, with limited exceptions.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
Admission to at least one U.S. state bar in good standing.
10+ years of experience as a practicing attorney in a law firm and/or in‑house legal department, with significant work for technology, online platform, or real‑estate‑adjacent organizations at scale.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, enterprise‑level transactions, regulatory matters, or disputes with material business impact, including direct interaction with senior executives and external counterparties.
Proven track record of translating ambiguous, evolving legal and regulatory requirements into practical guidance for product, engineering, and business teams in a high‑growth, fast‑changing environment.
Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

Lead complex, high‑risk legal matters and provide strategic counseling to executives and senior leaders on issues that materially impact Zillow’s products, data, and business operations.
Design, negotiate, and finalize sophisticated commercial, technology, and data‑related agreements, balancing legal risk with business objectives and long‑term relationship considerations.
Anticipate and assess emerging legal, regulatory, and industry developments affecting online real estate marketplaces, and translate them into actionable guidance, policies, and scalable playbooks for business and legal partners.
Partner with product, engineering, compliance, and operations teams to structure and launch new or enhanced offerings in a compliant, privacy‑ and consumer‑focused manner, embedding legal controls into core workflows.
Lead cross‑functional responses to escalated disputes, investigations, and regulatory or industry inquiries, coordinating strategy, communications, and remediation to protect the company’s legal and reputational interests.
Develop and refine legal standards, templates, training, and knowledge resources that drive consistency, efficiency, and high‑quality decision‑making across the Legal team and stakeholder groups.
Mentor and informally lead other attorneys and legal professionals, modeling sound judgment, inclusive practices, and effective ways of working in a fast‑paced, highly matrixed environment.