The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a settlement with Zillow and Redfin to resolve the regulator’s claim that the companies made an illegal deal to suppress competition in online rental advertising.
The FTC said on Monday that it filed a proposed order with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. It essentially requires Redfin to restart its standalone rental housing listings business, which the commission says will restore competition in the market for rental property listings. The settlement also resolves litigation brought by state attorneys general in Arizona, Connecticut, New York, Virginia and Washington.
“This settlement delivers better, quicker, more certain results for both renters and property management companies than we would have been able to achieve after prevailing at trial, including firm and enforceable commitments by Redfin to relaunch its rentals advertising business,” Daniel Guarnera, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said in a statement.
In its complaint filed almost a year ago, the FTC claimed that in exchange for US$100 million and other compensation from Zillow, Redfin had agreed to shut down its Internet listings and exclusively repost Zillow’s apartment listings, transition its customers to Zillow, and stay out of the apartment listings market for up to nine years.
The commission argued that the companies’ February 2025 pact violated federal anti-trust laws and could reduce incentives for competition, leading to higher prices and fewer choices for multifamily rental advertising customers.
Zillow and Redfin said their agreement was not anti-competitive and benefited renters and property managers alike.
The FTC’s proposed order requires Redfin to restart its rental listings business and hire enough staff to maintain it within six months of the order being finalised, or face financial penalties. The FTC said Redfin fired hundreds of employees shortly after announcing its deal with Zillow.
And while Redfin will continue to syndicate Zillow’s listings, it will be free to seek out and advertise non-Zillow listings, according to the FTC.
In a statement Monday, Seattle-based Zillow said it “has consistently maintained the partnership with Redfin is pro-consumer and pro-competitive, and we’re pleased to have found a resolution that enables its continuation”.
A spokesperson for Redfin, which was acquired by Detroit-based mortgage giant Rocket Companies last year, said on Monday that the agreement “allows us to maintain our rental partnership with Zillow through at least 2030 while building and investing in a standalone rentals business of our own”.
AP
