"Thanks to a deal struck by Zillow and Redfin in February, renters have had fewer options for browsing apartment listings, and they might not have even realized it. Now the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing the companies alleging that their partnership violates antitrust laws calling it, "an illegal agreement to dismantle Redfin as a competitor.""
"Zillow (which runs Trulia, HotPads, and StreetEasy) entered into a partnership in which it paid Redfin (which runs Rent.com and ApartmentGuide) to syndicate its ads for rentals. That means whether you were going to Zillow, Trulia, or Rent.com, you were seeing many of the exact same listings."
"Between its own listing sites, Redfin's and Realtor.com (which Zillow entered a partnership with in 2024) Zillow effectively controls the vast majority of rental listings online when it comes to larger apartment complexes. This could drive up costs for landlords looking to list their apartments on these sites and make it harder for renters to find properties outside of Zillow's network of advertisers."
The Federal Trade Commission sued Zillow and Redfin alleging a February partnership violated antitrust laws by reducing competition in online rental listings. Zillow operates Trulia, HotPads, and StreetEasy while Redfin operates Rent.com and ApartmentGuide. Zillow paid Redfin to syndicate rental ads so identical listings appeared across multiple sites. Redfin agreed to end advertising contracts, transfer them to Zillow, and refrain from competing for multifamily property listings for up to nine years. The FTC alleges Redfin laid off hundreds of workers and helped Zillow hire select employees. Zillow's combined partnerships give it dominant control over larger apartment rental listings, potentially raising listing costs and limiting renter options.
Read at The Verge
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