Above: the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse in Chicago. CHICAGO—Zillow Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Hofmann testified Wednesday afternoon that a permanent loss of Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED)’s listing feed could trigger what he called a “downward spiral” for Zillow’s business, as testimony continued in the preliminary injunction hearing between Zillow, MRED and Compass.…

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Above, the Everett McKinley Dirksen Courthouse in Chicago where the hearing is taking place. Photo by Clarissa Garza.  CHICAGO—Zillow, Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) and Compass squared off in a Chicago courtroom Wednesday in a preliminary injunction hearing, kicking off two days of testimony, where a federal judge will decide whether Zillow can continue banning…

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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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Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Zillow-MRED-Compass Heads for Testimony July 1-2 RISMedia will be on the ground in Chicago July 1-2, covering the high-stakes trial between Zillow, Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) and Compass. The preliminary injunction hearing…

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Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Judge denies CoStar’s amicus brief in Zillow MRED Compass case On June 10, CoStar requested to file an amicus brief—a brief filed by a non-party, or a “friend of the court”—in the U.S.…

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The multiple listing service has always been a simple concept. But like a lot of straightforward ideas, everything gets a lot more complicated once you need to address competing interests, stakeholder priorities and operational requirements. Even so, MLSs remained a relatively unquestioned foundation of real estate for decades—until now. For the first time in the…

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Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. FTC lawsuit cost Zillow shareholders millions, new suit alleges A Zillow shareholder filed a securities class action in the Western District of Washington on June 9, alleging the company and its top executives…

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Above, Jessica Edgerton (courtesy of CMLS) Amid a fundamental reorganizing of the MLS space, the Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) announced that Jessica Edgerton, a lawyer who previously served in high-profile leadership roles at Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) and as a lawyer for the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) will…

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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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CoStar has filed an amicus brief—a brief filed by a non-party, or a “friend of the court”— urging a federal judge to deny Zillow’s effort to block Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) and Compass from cutting off its listing feed, arguing the portal giant is seeking court-ordered access to MLS listings while hoarding its own…

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