In the wake of the news that MLSs Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) and Realtracs were partnering with Compass (additionally with United Real Estate for Realtracs) to take their platforms nationwide, the industry has been buzzing. The potential of further nationwide MLSs and the expansion of pre-marketed listings has been one of hottest topics. Now,…
Here, RISMedia CEO John Featherston talks about the continuing shifts, trends and battles ongoing in the industry, highlighted in three must-read stories: – Howard Hanna CEO Hoby Hanna’s outspoken op-ed on MLS governance – A data-ownership-driven partnership between HomeServices and Cotality – Zillow’s new lawsuit against Compass and MRED alleging ‘conspiracy’ to hoard listings. “Whether…
Above: HomeServices of America CEO Chris Kelly at RISMedia’s CEO & Leadership Exchange Event in 2025. Minnesota-based brokerage giant HomeServices of America and Texas-based franchisor Keller Williams has announced they are joining a “listing data interface” that will replace MLS entry with a “controlled, brokerage-level environment,” while still promising full support and compliance with local…
Chicago-based MLS Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) maintains a private listing network, which it has consistently defended even against pressure from other industry power players such as Zillow. Now, MRED’s private listing network is expanding outside Illinois, following an announcement on April 24 that the MLS is partnering with Compass to take its whole platform…
A little over a week after Zillow sought to clarify its discussions with Chicago-based Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) over restrictions on private listings, the MLS appears to be digging in, as this week MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen sent an emotional open letter to members defending its private listing network against a “one-size-fits-all model.” With…
Chicago-based MLS Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) just announced a seemingly transformative nationwide expansion of its platform (and private network), aiming to give agents across the country access to an MLS-backed platform for so-called “pre-marketed” properties as the industry rapidly shifts toward these new options. In an announcement shared with RISMedia, Compass International Holdings (which…
State legislatures across the U.S. have been seeing new bills that would restrict private real estate listings, with mandates that such listings also be publicly marketed. Wisconsin enacted such legislation in December 2025 (to take effect in January 2027), while another bill of this nature is under consideration in Washington state. Now, the Illinois legislature…
Portal giant Zillow largely receives listings from MLSs via internet data exchange (IDX) feeds, but at least in one major metro, that feed may soon see some disruptions. This year, Zillow has been in dispute with the Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) MLS, covering Chicago and surrounding areas and which boasts over 48,000 subscribers. Now,…
Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), which claims almost 50,000 members in the Chicago region, has issued a forceful public rebuttal to Zillow’s recent study alleging that private listings in Chicago reinforce housing segregation, pointing to internal Zillow documents as it argues the portal giant’s criticism may be driven more by business strategy than consumer protection.…
When Zillow announced its new rules restricting certain private listings, one MLS was quickly thrown into the spotlight—Midwest Real Estate Data, or MRED, in the Chicago region. That’s because for almost a decade, MRED has hosted an internal private listing service—properties shared within the MLS, but not necessarily to anyone else. While Zillow didn’t immediately…
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