Key Takeaways

  • Zillow filed a federal Sherman Act lawsuit May 12 against MRED and Compass over hidden listings.
  • Compass terminated all direct listing feeds with Zillow nationwide on May 8.
  • Investors should watch for a federal injunction ruling on Zillow’s full Chicago listing feed access.

Zillow is taking its fight over hidden listings to court.

The company filed a federal antitrust lawsuit on May 12, 2026, against Midwest Real Estate Data and Compass, accusing the two companies of working together to keep some home listings away from buyers.

The case centers on MRED, the Chicago-area MLS with about 43,000 members, and Compass, now the largest brokerage company in the country.

According to HousingWire, Zillow claims the companies used control over Chicago listing data to pressure Zillow into changing its listing rules.

Zillow says the move amounted to a “group boycott” under federal antitrust law.

The lawsuit also says Compass ended all direct listing feeds with Zillow nationwide by May 8.

Zillow claims MRED then pushed the company to bring back Compass private listings in states such as Florida, Georgia and California.

Those markets are far outside MRED’s Chicago-area footprint.

The dispute follows an April 2026 partnership between MRED and Compass to expand MRED’s private listing network nationwide. Under that setup, Compass agents around the country could enter listings into MRED’s system and keep them off platforms that favor public listing access.

Zillow is asking the court for an injunction, triple damages and attorneys’ fees.

What Zillow’s antitrust lawsuit means for real estate competition

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“The writing is on the wall,“ the complaint states. “If defendants’ unlawful conspiracy is not enjoined, defendants will work to ensure no portal dares to enact similar policies to ensure transparency in real estate.

“Compass and MRED — two competitors in Listing Creation and Distribution — cannot conspire to boycott a competitor’s access to Chicagoland listings. And MRED cannot use its monopoly power over those listings as a cudgel to prevent a competitor from effectively competing in Chicagoland or beyond,” the filing added.

In an emailed statement a Compass spokesperson said Zillow was “punishing agents for merely following their clients’ lawful instructions on how they want their homes marketed,” per “HousingWire.” “Compass believes homeowners should have the right to decide how to market their homes. The industry is evolving to give consumers more choice and we support that progress,” the spokesperson added. “We remain committed to advocating for homeowner choice and an open, competitive marketplace.”

MRED did not immediately return the publication’s request for comment.