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 regains Chicagoland’s listing feed after court order
On Friday, May 22, Judge John Tharp ordered MRED to continue feeding Zillow listings after Zillow filed a temporary restraining order against the MLS the day prior.
“Today’s ruling is an important first step for the Chicago homebuyers, sellers and agents who have been harmed by a coordinated scheme between MRED and Compass to reduce transparency in the housing market,” a Zillow spokesperson told RISMedia. “In the middle of a housing affordability crisis, powerful industry players colluded to hide listings, suppress competition and steer consumers toward a single dominant brokerage. The court immediately recognized what was at stake, not just for Zillow, but for every person trying to find or sell a home across Illinois and beyond. We will continue to fight to ensure this anti-consumer conduct is not allowed to take root permanently.”
However, the portal is also required to restore a handful of Compass listings it previously banned due to restrictions it placed on listings that were previously marketed “privately,” which Compass simultaneously celebrated as an affirmation that its “seller choice” principals would hold up in court.
“The judge’s ruling will reverberate across the country and eliminate Zillow’s ability to ban listings. The judges decision preserves seller choice,” the brokerage wrote on social media.
Tharp has asked parties to agree on a schedule to argue the case, with the current order restoring the listing feed set to expire June 5.
Zillow defends rental listing partnership in FTC antitrust case
On May 20, Zillow filed an answer in its lawsuit against the FTC and multiple states—Virginia, Arizona, Connecticut, New York and Washington—challenging its partnership with rival Redfin.
The states claim the deal to share apartment listings unfairly reduces competition, but Zillow says it actually helps renters by offering more listings and helps landlords by bringing them more leads.
Zillow argues that Redfin was struggling financially and couldn’t compete on its own, pushing back on arguments made by the FTC and the states that Zillow claims painted a false “rosy” picture of Redfin’s outlook.
Zillow also denied all major claims and said the states failed to prove their case.
Compass pushed to dismiss NWMLS counterclaims
In an ongoing dispute with Northwest MLS (NWMLS), Compass filed a reply brief on May 21, arguing that NWMLS’s counterclaims should be dismissed for missing a court deadline.
NWMLS filed the counterclaims in April, but the court’s deadline to file new claims had expired in November 2025, and NWMLS never asked for permission to file late.
Compass argued NWMLS had nearly a year and access to thousands of documents to prepare the claims but deliberately waited. Compass says the delay and failure to follow court rules means the counterclaims should be thrown out.
The court will decide whether NWMLS’s counterclaims can proceed or if they must be dismissed. NWMLS is also asking for a four-month extension in the case, previously claiming that Compass has failed to produce documents and data by both court-order and self-imposed deadlines.
RealPage settlements
Apartment managers named in lawsuits related to alleged antitrust violations through algorithmic pricing are collectively paying $359 million, according to court documents, after settlement amounts by 11 new settlements were unveiled on May 14.
Those defendants were allegedly part of a broad antitrust conspiracy coordinated by apartment pricing software company RealPage, which previously settled with the Department of Justice, which had accused it of facilitating price-fixing by various apartment management companies—including those that recently settled. The companies have denied the allegations.
Apartment managers also agreed to stop providing RealPage with their data as part of the settlement. All settlements must still be approved by a judge.
