Zillow and Redfin resolve litigation over deal FTC claims suppresses rental listings competition
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission 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 Monday that it filed a proposed order with the U.S. District Court…
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a settlement with online real estate platforms Zillow and Redfin to address allegations of suppressing competition in the rental advertising market. The proposed settlement, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, requires Redfin to revive its standalone rental housing listings business, which the FTC claims will restore competition in the rental property listings market.
This agreement also resolves lawsuits filed by state attorneys general from Arizona, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and Washington. According to Daniel Guarnera, director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition, the settlement provides more favorable outcomes for both renters and property management companies compared to the potential trial results.
The FTC's complaint, filed nearly a year ago, alleged that Redfin agreed to cease its internet listings and exclusively repost Zillow's apartment listings in exchange for $100 million and other compensation from Zillow. The companies' February 2025 pact, as the FTC sees it, violated federal antitrust laws and could lead to higher prices and fewer rental advertising choices for consumers.
Zillow and Redfin maintain that their agreement was mutually beneficial for renters and property managers.
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