The announcement of Open Real Estate was welcome news. It also raised an uncomfortable question: How did we reach the point where keeping the housing market open required an announcement? Buyers should be able to find available homes. Sellers should understand who can see their property and what they may sacrifice by limiting its exposure.…
In an entirely expected move last Friday, Oct. 16, Compass filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against California-based CRMLS, asking a judge to prevent the MLS from enforcing its “mandatory submission” policies that the brokerage argues violates antitrust policies. As it has continued to campaign for changes to certain MLS policies, a Compass spokesperson told RISMedia…
REBNY (Real Estate Board of New York) built the RLS (Residential Listing Service) opt-out for a reason. Some sellers have a legitimate need for privacy: a high-profile divorce, an estate sale, a public figure who cannot have their address splashed across a consumer portal. The “participants only” status lets those sellers still benefit from cooperation…
Last night’s ruling in Zillow’s lawsuit against Chicago-based MLS MRED and mega-brokerage Compass represented a significant legal setback for the portal, even as the larger fight over policy and market power plays out on multiple fronts. A source close to MRED told RISMedia shortly after the court ruling that the MLS is prepared to enforce…
New York looks likely to become the latest state to create restrictions on private listings. On June 1, the New York State Senate passed the Fair and Transparent Real Estate Listings Act, after amending the bill to include an opt-out option for sellers. The act’s intention is to prevent properties from only being available on…
Democratic firebrand Elizabeth Warren is joining a handful of other lawmakers in calling out Compass and MRED for their private-listing centered partnership, penning a letter with accusations that their practices could “perpetuate” discrimination and make housing harder to access. First reported by Realtor.com®, the letter is the second time in about two weeks that federal…
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)…
Google’s effort to embed listings directly into its world-dominant search engine just expanded nationally as the tech mega-company leans into the scramble for listing control and display. Starting this summer—but currently limited only to mobile—consumers across the country will see entire listings with photos, pricing, home characteristics and the identities of listing agent and brokerage…
Above, left to right: Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman, MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen and Compass International Holdings CEO Robert Reffkin Against the backdrop of a nationwide fight over listing access, data control and marketing strategies, Chicago has become a flashpoint, with MLS Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) recently cutting Zillow off from its listing feeds, ostensibly…
Above: CRMLS CEO Art Carter Back in 2020, the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP)—compelling agents to submit properties to the MLS within one day of public marketing—recieved immediate pushback. But the headlines mostly centered on the reactions of ostensible outsiders, including listing startups that filed lawsuits and antitrust law enforcement that flagged the policy as potentially…
| Older Posts |