Zillow filed a federal antitrust lawsuit on May 12, 2026 against Midwest Real Estate Data, the Chicago area MLS, and Compass, alleging the two conspired to hide home listings from buyers and restrict competition, according to Zillow’s company statement.
The complaint says MRED and Compass worked together to pressure Zillow into allowing private listings on its platform, while threatening to cut off Zillow’s access to Chicagoland listing data if it did not comply. Zillow said the conduct violates the Sherman Antitrust Act and harms sellers, buyers and agents by limiting exposure and access to inventory.
According to Zillow, MRED and Compass announced a partnership in April 2026 to expand MRED’s private listing network nationwide. Zillow said MRED then demanded that Compass private listings be reinstated on Zillow, including listings outside MRED’s territory. Zillow also said Compass terminated its direct listing feed to Zillow nationwide on May 8.
The lawsuit centers on Zillow’s claim that hidden listings reduce competition by keeping some homes out of the public market and limiting the number of buyers who can see them. Zillow said the practice can lead to worse outcomes for sellers, fewer choices for buyers and higher barriers for smaller brokerages and independent agents.
Zillow is asking the court to block MRED from enforcing the challenged rules, stop the feed cutoff and award treble damages and attorneys’ fees.
The case adds to the broader national fight over private listings, MLS control and how far brokerages can go in marketing homes outside the public feed.
