Zillow has expanded beyond the syndication business with ‘Zillow Digs,’ a new remodeling platform in the style of Pinterest.

Zillow has taken a major step away from its core business model with the new “Zillow Digs,” a platform that, as AGBeat put it, is like a lovechild between Pinterest, Houzz and Tumblr, but with a fine splash of house porn thrown in.

Viewable on both the Web and iPad, Zillow Digs shows users the real costs of remodeling projects based on where they live, showing the prospective upgrades through a predominantly visual, tablet-friendly style – which, as Zillow explained, is intentional.

“Couch surfing and shopping for home improvement is a very mobile experience, and Digs is the first marketplace Zillow developed on mobile before the desktop, reflecting the company’s increasing mobile utilization,” it explained.

Remodelings Galore on Zillow Digs

The way Zillow Digs functions is fairly straightforward:

• Zillow Digs allows users to freely peruse the photos tens of thousands of photos of kitchens, bedrooms, basements and other living areas, and then, if they are signed in, save and share the photos on custom boards of their own, a la Pinterest.
• Additionally, users can comment on photos, follow users and connect with home improvement professionals, who are allowed to create free profiles on the site as well and list their credentials and contact information.
• Also, as previously stated, Zillow Digs features the new “Digs Estimates,” which provides estimations of how much the pictured remodeling would cost, factoring in housing data and research.
• And there will surely be interest among prospective home sellers; as AGBeat noted, home remodeling is now at a seven-year high.

Here’s a screenshot of how Zillow Digs operates:

Zillow Moving Beyond Syndication

Spencer Rascoff, the CEO of Zillow, said that Zillow Digs was the next natural step for the company.

“Tens of millions of home buyers shop for homes on Zillow each month, and home improvement is a natural next step for us in consumer empowerment and transparency of information to help people make smarter decisions,” Rascoff said.

And it’s certainly not surprising that of the social media models that Zillow could have expanded to, that it chose the Pinterest model. Not only is Pinterest exploding in popularity, but it acclimates itself quite naturally to real estate, what with its visual emphasis.

But what’s your take? Will Zillow Digs diversify the companies business and aid any of your clients, as they mull over remodelings in anticipation of listing their property, or will it go nowhere?