Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include Zillow Group, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. Accordingly, these interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and accompanying notes included in Zillow Group, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed with the SEC on February 19, 2020. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019, included herein, was derived from the audited financial statements of Zillow Group, Inc. as of that date.

The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly our financial position as of September 30, 2020, our results of operations, comprehensive income (loss) and shareholders’ equity for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, and our cash flows for the nine month periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. The results of the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020 or for any interim period or for any other future year.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the related disclosures at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the periods presented. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to the net realizable value of inventory, amortization period and recoverability of contract cost assets, website and software development costs, recoverability of long-lived assets and intangible assets with definite lives, share-based compensation, income taxes, business combinations and the recoverability of goodwill, among others. To the extent there are material differences between these estimates, judgments or assumptions and actual results, our financial statements will be affected. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced significant additional uncertainty with respect to estimates, judgments and assumptions, which may materially impact the estimates previously listed, among others.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance which simplifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity, including convertible instruments and contracts in an entity’s own equity. Among other changes, the guidance removes the liability and equity separation models for convertible instruments. Instead, entities will account for convertible debt instruments wholly as debt unless convertible instruments contain features that require bifurcation as a derivative or that result in substantial premiums accounted for as paid-in capital. The guidance also requires the application of the if-converted method to calculate the impact of convertible instruments on diluted earnings per share. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, with early adoption permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and can be adopted on either a retrospective or modified retrospective basis. Although we continue to evaluate the timing and method of adoption and impact of this guidance on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, upon adoption we expect this guidance to result in a reclassification of conversion feature balances from additional paid-in capital to debt and to decrease reported interest expense for our convertible senior notes.

In March 2020, the FASB issued guidance which provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that reference the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. This guidance is optional for a limited period of time to ease the potential burden in accounting for, or recognizing the effects of, reference rate reform on financial reporting. This guidance is effective from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Entities may elect to adopt the amendments for contract modifications as of any date from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020, or prospectively from a date within an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020, up to the date that the financial statements are available to be issued. We expect to apply some of the expedients and exceptions provided in this guidance to our credit facilities, warehouse line of credit and master repurchase agreements, all of which reference LIBOR in the applicable interest rate. While the goal of the reference rate reform transition is for it to be economically neutral to entities, we have not yet determined the impact the adoption of this guidance will have on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In December 2019, the FASB issued guidance which is intended to simplify accounting for income taxes. It removes certain exceptions to the general principles and clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. This guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, and early adoption is permitted. We expect to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2021 and do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.