Zillow, the Progressive Policy Institute and the American Action Forum to Host Housing Forum in Washington, D.C.

SEATTLE, March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- While the housing recovery has been rather uneven across the country, most metros are experiencing some form of home value appreciation and have seen a bottom in home values. But such volatility can be confusing for those in the market and for policy-makers whose decisions are affecting millions of home buyers, sellers and owners. So what is in store for the future of housing demand and mortgage finance? How will the role of investors evolve throughout the housing recovery?

To help answer some of these questions, Zillow®, the leading real estate information marketplace, the Progressive Policy Institute and the American Action Forum will host the half-day "Forum on the Future of Housing: What's Next for Housing Demand, Mortgage Finance, and Recovery" April 18 at the Knight Conference Center at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

"Conditions in the housing market have been changing rapidly for the past year, and sometimes it can be hard to keep up," said Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries. "This forum will explore the most significant factors affecting today's market and will give attendees a handle on what to expect for the rest of this year."

"Housing has become a potential upside in an economy that is largely moving sideways," said president of the American Action Forum and former director of the Congressional Budget Office Douglas Holtz-Eakin. "It's time to develop a comprehensive plan for federal involvement in housing finance. The stakes are enormous. Washington will be well-served to hear from experts in the field on ways to move forward."

"Bringing together leading experts, influencers and policy-makers in a true bipartisan fashion is a rare occurrence in Washington these days," said Progressive Policy Institute Fellow for Financial Markets Jason Gold. "A flurry of hearings, bills and proposals have started to emerge from Congress, making this the perfect time to consider how each will impact the ever-changing recovery."

This will be the third housing forum hosted by Zillow. The first, "America's Housing Crisis: Private-Sector Responses and Public Policy Innovation," was held in New York last April, and the second, "California's Housing Market: Navigating the Post-Bottom Landscape," was held in San Francisco in September.

Full details of the Washington, D.C., event are below, and guests can register for this free forum at http://futureofhousingforum.eventbrite.com. More information and updates about speakers can be found at www.zillow.com/blog/category/housing-forum.

Forum on the Future of Housing: What's Next for Housing Demand, Mortgage Finance, and Recovery
April 18, 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Knight Conference Center at the Newseum
555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington D.C.

Keynote Addresses by:
The Honorable Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

The Honorable Jeff Merkley
United States Senator

Top Housing Experts in Public and Private Sectors Will Debate and Discuss in Two Panels:

The Future of Housing Demand
Moderated by Diana Olick, CNBC
and
The Future of Mortgage Finance
Moderated by Nick Timiraos, Wall Street Journal

Speakers and panelists include:

• Eric Belsky, Managing Director of Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard
• Amy Bohutinsky, Chief Marketing Officer, Zillow
• Mark Calabria, Director of Financial Regulation Studies, Cato Institute
• Doug Holtz-Eakin, President, American Action Forum
• Mike Fratantoni, Vice President, Mortgage Bankers Association
• Jason Gold, Senior Fellow for Financial Markets, Progressive Policy Institute
• Laurie Goodman, Senior Managing Director, Amherst Securities Group, L.P.
• Jerry Howard, CEO, National Association of Home Builders
• Chris Mayer, Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate, Columbia Business School
• Scott Simon, Managing Director, Pacific Investment Management Co.

Special overview of the nation's housing market by Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries.

About Zillow, Inc.
Zillow, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z) operates the largest home-related marketplaces on mobile and the Web, with a complementary portfolio of brands and products that help people find vital information about homes, and connect with the best local professionals. In addition, Zillow operates an industry-leading economics and analytics bureau led by Zillow's Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. Dr. Humphries and his team of economists and data analysts produce extensive housing data and research covering more than 350 markets at Zillow Real Estate Research. The Zillow, Inc. portfolio includes Zillow.com®, Zillow Mobile, Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, Zillow Rentals, Zillow Digs™, Postlets®, Diverse Solutions®, Buyfolio™, Mortech™ and HotPads™. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

Zillow.com, Zillow, Postlets and Diverse Solutions are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc. Buyfolio, Mortech, HotPads and Digs are trademarks of Zillow, Inc.

About PPI
The Progressive Policy Institute is an independent, innovative and high-impact D.C.-based think tank founded in 1989. As the original "idea mill" for President Bill Clinton's New Democrats, PPI has a long legacy of promoting break-the-mold ideas aimed at economic growth, national security and modern, performance-based government. Today, PPI's unique mix of political realism and policy innovation continues to make it a leading source of pragmatic and creative ideas. PPI is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization.

About The American Action Forum
The American Action Forum is a center-right policy institute providing data-driven insight and solutions to today's defining domestic policy challenges. AAF's products offer forward-thinking, relevant ideas for a better economic future with limited government. The American Action Forum is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and it is not affiliated with or controlled by any political group. Learn more at www.AmericanActionForum.org

SOURCE Zillow, Inc.