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Compass challenges its own Zillow tax math, citing pricing not value
Compass said Zillow listed homes sold at 98.7% of asking versus 100% for banned listings, but it argues the “Zillow tax” misreads agent-set list prices as market value.
HousingWire reports Compass claimed a “Zillow tax” after finding that homes shown on Zillow sold for 1.3% less than homes Zillow had banned, a calculation Compass linked to a $5,590 dollar figure.
The outlet says the measure is flawed because list price is set by the agent, especially in lower-exposure situations, so it cannot estimate how much sellers ultimately receive versus true market value.
HousingWire points to Compass data covering 296,966 listings from January 2025 through May 2026, including 806 banned by Zillow, where the banned homes were sold at 100% of asking while the homes shown on Zillow came at 98.7%.
It adds that because Compass set the asking prices in its comparison, the result reflects a test graded using Compass-written conditions, making the reported “Zillow tax” an unreliable proxy for seller losses.