Selective modification of zirconium alkoxide by acetic acid or acetylacetone was used in solution processing of PZT Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 thin films by 2-methoxyethanol route. EXAFS results clearly show a decrease of Zr-O-Zr links in the acetic acid modified PZT sol implying a more homogeneous constituent metal distribution. No such decrease in comparison to unmodified sol is found in acetylacetone modified PZT. Higher level of homogeneity achieved in modified PZT sols evokes the perovskite crystallization in thin films and decreases the crystallization temperature on (0001) sapphire. On TiO2/Pt/TiO2/Si the modifiers affect the relative orientation of the perovskite phase.