Zillow Settles FTC Antitrust Lawsuit Over Redfin Rental Listings Deal
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and five states settled antitrust claims against Zillow, alleging it paid Redfin $100 million to stop competing in apartment rental listings, driving up costs for landlords and renters. Under the settlement, Redfin must rebuild its rental advertising business within six months. Zillow denied wrongdoing, but the deal aims to restore competition in the online rental market.
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FTC Settlement Requires Redfin to Restart Rental Listings Business After Zillow Deal
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a settlement with Zillow and Redfin over claims that the companies made an illegal deal to suppress competition in online rental advertising. The FTC alleged that Redfin agreed to shut down its internet listings and exclusively repost Zillow's apartment listings in exchange for $100 million and other compensation, staying out of the market for up to nine years. The proposed order, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, requires Redfin to restart its standalone rental housing listings business and hire sufficient staff within six months or face financial penalties. The settlement also resolves litigation from state attorneys general in Arizona, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and Washington. Redfin, now owned by Rocket Companies, will continue syndicating Zillow listings but is free to advertise non-Zillow listings. Both companies maintain the partnership was pro-consumer and procompetitive.
Aggressive Antitrust Settlement Unwinds $100M Zillow-Redfin Deal
The Federal Trade Commission and five state attorneys general reached an antitrust settlement with Zillow Group and Redfin, unwinding a $100M deal that gave Zillow exclusive apartment listing rights on Redfin's website. The settlement, announced just before trial, forces Redfin to relaunch its apartment listings business as a competitor to Zillow, with the ability to hire Zillow employees. Regulators had sued in October 2025, arguing the original February 2025 deal was anticompetitive and would have raised costs for property managers and renters. Zillow's stock rose 3% on the announcement, while analysts called it an 'incremental positive' for Zillow by removing regulatory uncertainty. Redfin, owned by Rocket Cos., will face fines if it fails to become a full competitor. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led the lawsuit alongside attorneys general from Arizona, New York, Washington, and Virginia.
Why Zillow's FTC Settlement Is a Clear Win for the Company
Zillow Group resolved its antitrust lawsuit with the FTC and five state attorneys general, avoiding a federal trial. The settlement preserves Zillow's multifamily distribution partnership with Redfin through at least 2030, allowing listings to syndicate across Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, Rent.com, ApartmentGuide, Redfin, and Realtor.com. The agreement removes exclusivity terms from a 2025 deal where Zillow paid Redfin $100 million, but the cross-platform network remains intact. Since syndication launched, multifamily listings on Redfin nearly quadrupled and Zillow's inventory rose 40%. In Q2 2026, Zillow hit a record 79,000 multifamily properties and $209 million in rental revenue, up 31% year-over-year. Both platforms will introduce standalone multifamily advertising products, offering landlords more pricing choices. The FTC characterized the settlement as unwinding anti-competitive exclusivity, while Zillow called it pro-consumer and procompetitive.
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Zillow and Redfin Reach Settlement with FTC Over Rental Listing Partnership
Zillow and Redfin have reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and five states to resolve an antitrust lawsuit over their rental advertising partnership. The FTC announced a stipulated order that removes restrictions on Redfin's ability to compete against Zillow in the online rental listing market and requires Redfin to reenter the market. In February 2025, Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to exit the rental housing listing market for up to nine years, which the FTC claimed violated antitrust laws. Under the settlement, Redfin must restart its internet listing service (ILS) business within six months, spend millions to grow it, and hire staff. Zillow cannot interfere with Redfin's recruitment of its employees and must allow customers to renegotiate contracts. The FTC expects restored competition to lower costs and spur innovation for renters and property managers.
FTC Settles Antitrust Suit Against Zillow and Redfin Over Rental Listings Collusion
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement on Monday in its antitrust lawsuit against Zillow and Redfin, alleging the companies colluded to limit competition in internet listing services (ILS) for apartment rentals. The FTC order requires Zillow and Redfin to reverse a 2025 agreement under which Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to close its ILS service, repost only Zillow-provided listings, shift customers to Zillow, and stay out of the ILS market for up to nine years. Under the 10-year order, Redfin must relaunch its ILS rental advertising business within six months, hire staff, and spend millions to grow the business. Zillow must facilitate Redfin's reentry by providing employee information and waiving noncompete clauses. The settlement aims to restore competition in the rental listings market, benefiting renters and property management companies.
Zillow Settles Antitrust Lawsuit With The FTC
Zillow has reached a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over antitrust allegations. The FTC claimed that Zillow paid Redfin to stop competing on apartment listings, an agreement that unlawfully harmed competition in the real estate market. As part of the settlement, both Zillow and Redfin must change their business practices to comply with antitrust laws. The case highlights ongoing regulatory scrutiny of anti-competitive behavior in the online real estate sector. The settlement was reported by multiple outlets including Engadget, Reuters, WSJ, TechCrunch, and CBS News.
Zillow settles FTC claims it paid Redfin to stop competing on apartment listings
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and five states settled with Zillow on August 24, 2026, ending antitrust claims that Zillow illegally paid Rocket Companies' Redfin $100 million to stop competing in apartment rental listings. The deal, struck in February 2025, allegedly drove up costs for landlords and decreased listing quality for renters. Under the settlement, Redfin can continue displaying Zillow ads but must resume its rental advertising business within six months. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said the settlement supports President Trump's housing agenda. New York Attorney General Letitia James called it a win for competition. Zillow and Redfin maintain their partnership through at least 2030, while Redfin rebuilds its own rentals business. An expert estimated Zillow customers paid 14.5% more per listing after Redfin exited the market.
Zillow settles FTC claims it paid Redfin to stop competing on apartment listings
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and five states announced a settlement with Zillow, ending claims that the online real estate platform illegally paid Rocket Companies' Redfin $100 million to stop competing in apartment rental listings. The FTC and states argued the Zillow-Redfin partnership drove up costs for landlords and decreased listing quality for renters. Under the settlement, Redfin agreed to rebuild its rental advertising business within six months. Zillow has denied the arrangement is anticompetitive, stating it benefits everyone by making more listings available. The case was scheduled to go to trial before a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia. Virginia, Arizona, Connecticut, New York, and Washington brought the case alongside the FTC. Before the deal, Zillow and Redfin were competing to list vacancies in buildings with more than 25 units. After Redfin stopped competing, Zillow customers paid an average of 14.5% more per listing, according to an expert estimate.