Zillow has asked a court for a restraining order to restore its access to Midwest Real Estate Data’s (MRED) listing feeds, which were cut off on May 20. The move comes after the Chicagoland MLS decided to terminate Zillow’s feeds, a decision the portal calls “dramatic and unprecedented” in a court filing.
A judge has partially granted Zillow’s request for a temporary restraining order, according to an update.
The dispute between Zillow and MRED began when Zillow announced new listing access standards in April 2025, prohibiting listings that had been selectively marketed, such as those listed as “exclusives” via Compass’ 3-phased marketing strategy.
Compass, which had been using this strategy, sued Zillow two months later but eventually dropped the lawsuit.
Last fall, Compass International Holdings Chairman and CEO Robert Reffkin reached out to several MLSs, including MRED, asking them to terminate Zillow’s listing feeds, according to a court filing.
MRED President and CEO Rebecca Jensen appeared to agree with Compass’ stance, threatening to suspend Zillow’s feed if the portal did not comply with its demands.
Zillow declined to comply and attempted to prevent the feed suspension through a preliminary injunction on May 18.
The portal also reached out to Chicago-area agents and brokers with instructions for setting up a direct listing listing feed with Zillow.
Despite these efforts, MRED cut off Zillow’s access on May 20, citing a violation of its licensing agreement.
MRED said Zillow had effectively decided not to display 99.98% of its listings because it disagreed with the marketing strategy associated with the remaining 0.02% of listings.
Zillow’s Lawsuit
Zillow filed a lawsuit against Compass and MRED on May 12, alleging a “group boycott conspiracy” against the portal.
The lawsuit claims that MRED’s decision to cut off Zillow’s feeds is part of a larger effort to force the portal to abandon its pro-consumer transparency standards and participate in Compass’ hidden listing scheme.
Zillow’s motion for a temporary restraining order reiterates many of the claims made in the lawsuit, describing MRED’s move as a “dramatic and unprecedented decision” that has caused “monumental and irreparable harms” to the portal’s business.
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The motion states that Zillow is “effectively foreclosed from competing with Compass and MRED in Chicagoland” due to the loss of access to MRED’s listing feeds.
MRED’s Response
MRED has pushed back against Zillow’s claims, arguing that the portal’s harm is “self-inflicted, avoidable, and can be remedied today by simply complying with its license agreements.”
MRED characterizes Zillow’s lawsuit as an attempt to “secure the right to reduce output” by prohibiting certain listings, which the MLS argues is “contrary to antitrust theory and makes no economic sense.”
Compass has also responded to Zillow’s lawsuit, stating that any harm to the portal is “completely of its own making” and that Zillow’s refusal to reinstate the nine banned listings “makes no business sense, unless it is a litigation strategy designed to manufacture ‘irreparable harm.'”
Zillow has refuted these arguments, telling Real Estate News that MRED rewrote its rules to force the portal to abandon its pro-consumer transparency standards and become an unwilling participant in Compass’ hidden listing scheme.
The portal also pointed out that none of the Compass listings that MRED cut off its feed to protect are located in Illinois, suggesting that MRED is enforcing Compass’ business plan.
According to the antitrust laws, companies are prohibited from engaging in anti-competitive practices that harm consumers or other businesses.
Zillow’s lawsuit against Compass and MRED alleges that the two companies have engaged in such practices, and the portal is seeking relief through the courts.
The case is ongoing, and the outcome is still uncertain.
The dispute between Zillow and MRED has significant implications for the real estate industry, particularly with regard to the 65,000 listings that MRED manages.
Zillow’s loss of access to these listings has already caused harm to the portal’s business, and they are seeking to restore their access to the listings as soon as possible.
The court’s decision on Zillow’s motion for a temporary restraining order will likely have a significant impact on the outcome of the case.
The housing market is closely watching the developments in this case, as it may have a significant impact on housing sales in the region.
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