"Zillow promises its users a near-complete view of the housing market simply by scrolling on their phones. That vision is under threat. Compass CEO Robert Reffkin is leading the charge toward a more fragmented future in which more home listings are initially stashed away in private databases, available only to buyers who work with certain agents. Reffkin says this model would give sellers more control over where and how their homes are marketed."
"It's fending off a flurry of high-stakes lawsuits, including an antitrust claim from the federal government. Its attempts to stem the rising tide of "exclusive inventory" - homes marketed for sale but intentionally kept off portals like Zillow - appear to have fallen flat. And the company's chief rival in that fight, the real estate brokerage firm Compass, just announced a mammoth acquisition that could give it greater influence over the way America's homes are sold."
Zillow faces multiple challenges including high-stakes lawsuits, an antitrust claim from the federal government, and rising use of exclusive inventory kept off public portals. Compass's recent large acquisition and push by CEO Robert Reffkin toward private, agent-controlled listing databases threatens broad market visibility. Reffkin frames the model as giving sellers more control over marketing. Zillow and many industry participants maintain that wide listing distribution benefits buyers and helps sellers maximize sale price. Zillow retains significant reach with over 220 million monthly unique visitors and strong brand recognition, but the competitive landscape and listing fragmentation are increasing.
Read at Business Insider
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