On Wednesday, a significant portion of Zillow’s Chicago home listings disappeared due to an ongoing dispute with Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), a local multiple listing service. This conflict, which has been escalating for about a year, led Zillow to sue MRED in federal court, accusing them of antitrust violations. Recently, MRED cut off Zillow’s access to its listings, although a federal judge has temporarily restored them. This move was reportedly influenced by Compass International Holdings, the largest brokerage in the U.S., which has previously attempted to sue Zillow under similar laws. Compass is now collaborating with other MLS providers nationwide, potentially causing Zillow to lose more listings across the country.
QUESTION: How might the ongoing conflict between Zillow and MLS providers impact the future of online real estate listings?
Zillow just lost most of its Chicago listings. Is the rest of the country next?
