An open letter directed to MLS providers by Compass, Redfin and Rocket Mortgage was made public last week. It represents a new low in disingenuous behavior. In it, they make an argument for “seller choice” in permitting sellers and their agents to withhold listings from MLSs so they can be introduced in “private listing” networks…
Momentum seems to be building for Zillow Preview, with the portal announcing the addition of 24 additional brokerages to the program just one week after its launch. According to the company, Zillow Preview is designed to expand early visibility for sellers, agents and buyers at a critical moment in the home shopping journey, and the…
As a cascade of “premarketing” partnerships and programs sweep through the industry, Compass International Holdings (CIH), Rocket and Redfin have sent out a letter asking MLSs to change their policies to support phased listing distribution and cease punishments on agents for “seller-directed marketing plans.” The letter, obtained by RISMedia, was seemingly shared with MLSs and…
In more news surrounding the hot topic of private listings, a Washington state bill designed to severely restrict private listings has been signed into law after passing both the Senate and the House earlier this year. The bill was proposed in the Senate back in January, with the goal of explicitly banning real estate brokers…
The mad dash for premarket power is showing no signs of slowing, as mega-brokerage eXp announced that it is striking a listing partnership with Realtor.com®, Homes.com and ComeHome.com (HouseCanary’s portal in Google Search), just 24 hours after Zillow launched a similar partnership with five other big national companies. Starting next month, eXp agents will be…
It was April of 2025 that portal behemoth Zillow announced its “listing access standards,” taking a hard stance against so-called “selective access” to listings. As some brokerages—most notably Compass—pushed for “private exclusive” marketing plans, Zillow argued that properties for sale should be listed everywhere. Just under a year later, the company has joined what has…
Above, Howard “Hoby” Hanna Amid the broader—and increasingly complex—debate over private listings, one of the more independent-minded independent brokerages announced this week that it is launching its own private network as a “strategic initiative,” balancing the demand for so-called “seller choice” with MLS policies the company has previously criticized. HannaList, announced this week by Howard…
The headlines about the real estate industry are everywhere. Compass acquired Anywhere Real Estate to create the largest real estate company by agent count. Zillow and Compass are locked in a Goliath-versus-Goliath legal battle over private listings. A wave of RESPA-related lawsuits alleges undisclosed referral kickbacks between real estate agents and mortgage companies. And then…
Compass used its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call to unveil a sweeping three-year exclusive alliance with Rocket Companies that will push the brokerage’s private and coming-soon listings onto Redfin—a direct shot at the “Zillow ban” just weeks after a federal judge handed Compass a significant setback in its antitrust lawsuit against the portal. Under the deal,…
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…
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