The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has penned a letter requesting that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate mega-brokerage Compass for its several recent partnerships with MLSs that simultaneously expanded their platforms nationwide, alleging that the deals “raise significant anti-consumer concerns” and potentially “violate fair housing protections.” Specifically, the…

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In the continued evolution of the MLS landscape as of late, California Regional MLS (CRMLS) recently announced a “Limited Exposure in Coming Soon” option for listings. A post on the MLS’s Knowledgebase blog details that the option will prevent a designated listing from being circulated through IDX feeds. Specifically, CRMLS stated that the new option…

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Editor’s note: RISMedia will be on the ground in Chicago this week to provide live coverage of the hearing. Stay tuned to RISMedia.com for the latest updates.  A long-simmering dispute between Zillow and Chicago-based MLS Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) exploded into a public battle last month, ending up (like many recent industry disputes have)…

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Northwest MLS (NWMLS) on Thursday, defended its countersuit against Compass in the Western District of Washington, urging Judge Jamal N. Whitehead to allow the MLS’s fraud, Consumer Protection Act and tortious interference claims to proceed against the mega-brokerage in a high-profile battle over MLS policies that is likely to reverberate across the industry. Responding to…

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Washington’s law restricting private home listings took effect June 11—and both sides of the state’s high-profile fight over listing policy have very different takes on the new rules. Senate Bill 6091, signed in March, requires that any residential property publicly marketed in Washington be concurrently marketed to the general public and all real estate brokers. …

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A transaction starts with a seller, and ends with a buyer. Everything in between is theoretically flexible—though for many years, not much has changed, as sellers have relied on agents to list properties directly on local MLSs, which subsequently syndicate properties to consumer portals that have the most reach with buyers. Today, the industry faces…

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The real estate industry is consolidating around national MLS platforms like MRED and Realtracs. On the surface, it’s a straightforward story; bigger platforms offer better technology, lower costs and easier operations for brokers who work across multiple states. But when you talk to the brokers actually managing this transition, a different picture emerges. The shift…

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The June 8 deadline for Zillow to fall in line with Realtracs’s updated listing rules came and went on Monday, with no immediate disruption or impact on listings. Rather than suspend Zillow’s access to its MLS data feed as it had threatened, Realtracs said negotiations with the portal remain active and will continue beyond the…

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In a bold move that underscores deepening tensions between MLSs and major real estate portals, Realtracs—in an email sent to its members Wednesday morning—has announced that it intends to cut off Zillow’s access to its MLS data feed effective June 1. The decision comes after Zillow allegedly refused to comply with the new IDX display…

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Above, Brian Donnellan, left, and Brian Schneider In an op-ed published earlier this month, Brian Donnellan, CEO of Bright MLS, referred to much of the recent industry upheaval as “noise.” Partnerships, consolidations, new entrants—all things that “sidestep” issues that directly affect real estate professionals, he argued. Also in that op-ed, Donnellan revealed that Bright was…

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