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Zillow seeks injunction to restore Chicagoland MLS listing data access
Zillow warned that losing MRED feeds, which cover nearly all Chicagoland listings, could set off a self-reinforcing drop in audience and revenue, with supply reduced below 50%.
Zillow, Compass and MRED have filed competing post-hearing briefs in a Chicagoland MLS lawsuit tied to Zillow’s bid for a preliminary injunction to restore access to listing data feeds. The filings follow a two-day hearing on Zillow’s motion, with the judge now weighing whether to bar MRED from suspending its listing data feeds to a Zillow online portal.
Zillow alleges MRED and Compass acted together to block Zillow’s Listing Access Standards, and says defendants revised display rules to target Zillow’s listing standards and create a basis to terminate its feed access. The company also argues that it lost direct broker feed options, including claims that Compass terminated direct broker feed agreements nationwide and that MRED warned members against providing Zillow with direct feeds.
Zillow’s filings say access to MRED is critical because its feeds cover nearly all Chicagoland listings, and that losing that supply would cause irreparable harm by triggering a downward spiral of lost audience and revenue that it said would be impossible to quantify. Zillow further argued that if listing supply fell to less than 50% in Chicagoland, it would undermine its brand promise and audience-driven business model.
MRED and Compass pushed back, saying any harm Zillow claims is self-inflicted because Zillow’s policies banned listings that were previously marketed outside the MLS. According to their joint brief, Zillow should not receive extraordinary relief, and they argue that if Zillow wants MRED’s feed it needs to avoid its own listing restrictions. Judge John Tharp Jr. is considering whether to grant the injunction, with replies due Monday.