Zillow (Z -0.46%) (ZG -0.69%) is about to become a much larger company. The operator of the popular real estate portal announced on Thursday that it plans to enlarge its employee rolls by over 2,000 people, or about 40% over the current level. It will do this with a nationwide hiring binge aimed at drafting new workers in a variety of roles.

In its announcement, Zillow pointed out that many of the open positions are either remote-work or hybrid jobs. The company didn't hesitate to claim that it was one of the first to offer an extended work-from-home option for scores of its employees during the pandemic.

Young family standing in front of a SOLD sign on a front yard.

Image source: Getty Images.

As for the current job openings, potential applicants can view these and apply at Zillow's careers site.

The company said that the new hiring push is "sparked by a year of impressive growth across the business and a historic year in the real estate industry."

Although the pandemic has damaged many aspects of the global economy, the real estate market has been a notable exception.

Mandatory and voluntary stay-in-place orders and the closure of many businesses during the outbreak have kept people confined to their residences. This is inspiring them to buy more-comfortable homes, or to feather their existing nests. Additionally, interest rates remain very close to historically low levels, which makes mortgages for even pricier homes affordable for many would-be homeowners.

Investors are taking the news of Zillow's expansion quite positively. Both classes of the company's stock closed well higher than the S&P 500 index on Thursday.