Zillow just announced a long term deal with ListHub syndication network. This is just smart business — in my mind, another strategic deal to combat the IPO questions they’ll get from investors. And, as a shareholder, I like it. It means they don’t have to worry about ListHub yanking their 2 million listings from 358 MLS’ out from under Zillow during the IPO process. I obviously don’t have insight into the money changing hands as part of this syndication deal (or even if there was any), but I know it’s worth SOMETHING to Zillow not to have to worry about ListHub being able to derail their IPO.

And I believe this deal confirms my suspicion that the Postlets deal was just as much for the value they hold in the rentals vertical as it was to give them strategic leverage against ListHub. I would be willing to bet a pretty penny that Zillow is starting to get some decent traffic in the rentals space with their Rental Zestimates (which I think was a brilliant move for them) and growth of rentals inventory on the site.

Onward toward the IPO they go.