Trending Now - Compass Ends Lawsuit Against Zillow, Changing Real Estate Listings

WHO:

Compass, the largest real estate brokerage in the country

Robert Reffkin, CEO of Compass

Zillow, a major online real estate marketplace

Errol Samuelson, Zillow's chief industry development officer

Mike DelPrete, real-estate tech strategist and scholar-in-residence at the University of Colorado Boulder

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images photographer

WHAT:

Compass dropped its lawsuit against Zillow on March 18th, 2026

The lawsuit was over how home listings can be marketed online, referred to as the "Zillow Ban"

Zillow amended its listing rules, allowing listings on public-facing websites

Compass formed a partnership with Redfin to display its "coming soon" listings

Compass closed a $1.6 billion deal to buy Anywhere, the second-largest brokerage in America

Zillow announced a new program called "Zillow Preview" for pre-market home listings

WHERE:

The legal battle took place in federal court in New York

Listings are available on Zillow and Redfin, among other platforms

WHEN:

The lawsuit was initiated in June 2025

A New York federal judge denied Compass's request for a preliminary injunction in February 2026

The partnership with Redfin was announced three weeks before March 18th, 2026

Zillow's rule changes were announced on March 17th, 2026

WHY:

Compass claimed Zillow's rules were anticompetitive and designed to crush competition

Zillow argued that the "coming soon" listings fragment information and reduce transparency for buyers

HOW:

Compass encouraged agents to use "coming soon" listings as part of its marketing strategy

Zillow implemented a rule requiring homes marketed to the public to appear on its platform within one day of listing

Zillow attempted to discourage the use of private listing networks through its rules and new programs

(UPDATED March 19, 2026 17:24 UTC)

Compass has officially dropped its lawsuit against Zillow, which centered on how home listings can be marketed online, known as the "Zillow Ban." This decision follows Zillow's recent amendments to its listing rules, allowing for listings on public-facing websites, and comes just a day after the announcement of a new program called "Zillow Preview" for pre-market home listings. Additionally, Compass has formed a partnership with Redfin to showcase its "coming soon" listings and finalized a significant $1.6 billion deal to acquire Anywhere, the second-largest brokerage in the country.