In light of the market heading into the spring buying season, Seattle-based Zillow (Z) launched its new mortgage pre-approval tool that allows home shoppers to get pre-approved for a mortgage quickly and easily.

“In today’s competitive real estate market, getting pre-approved for a mortgage can mean the difference between getting the home that’s right for you, or losing it to some other buyer,” said Erin Lantz, senior director of mortgages for Zillow.

The real estate marketplace company is one of the first home shopping resources where consumers can find a lender, who has been rated and reviewed by other borrowers, to issue them a pre-approval letter in as little as a few minutes.

In addition, Zillow released its latest analysis of national buyers and sellers markets Wednesday, noting that sellers in the West have better odds selling their home, compared to buyers in the Midwestern and East Coast, who face less competition for buying a home.