Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff works from a treadmill desk with a view of Seattle's Space Needle - take a closer look at his desk

Rascoff's main screen is flanked by two vertical monitors he uses for social media, especially Twitter.

But he's not just staring at technology all day. Rascoff keeps binoculars at his desk to take in the "stunning views" from his office of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, Puget Sound, the Space Needle, Smith Tower, and Mount Rainier.

"Plus, the city is exploding with development — we've had the most cranes in the sky, around 60 in 2017, for two years in a row — so I like to check out the buildings in progress," he said.

Rascoff also keeps hangers on hand at his desk, just in case he needs to change for a media interview or "transition climates" after traveling to Seattle from his home in Los Angeles. Also dotting his workspace are plaques made by Zillow Group's legal team to celebrate acquisitions, divestitures, and investments.

Another Zillow-specific object Rascoff keeps around is his anniversary sign. "Every employee has a little sign that looks like a real-estate sign on their desks to show how many years they've been with Zillow Group," Rascoff said. "As a founding team member, I currently sport a 12. You get a new sign every year on your anniversary of joining, and we also send out an all-company email on anniversaries so colleagues can congratulate each other."

Rascoff also hangs onto his leadership playbook, which he says seeks to "codify what being a great leader meant at Zillow Group" based on hundreds of employee interviews. "I keep it on my desk as a subtle reminder to lead by its principles: show you care, empower your team, know how to get it done, and communicate," he said.