Zillow’s MRED feed remains safe, but Realtracs showdown nears June 8 deadline

A federal judge in Chicago has extended Zillow’s temporary restraining order against Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) in the listing portal giant’s antitrust lawsuit against the Chicagoland MLS and Compass International Holdings. 

On Thursday morning, Zillow filed a motion to extend its temporary restraining order against MRED, which required MRED to restore its listing feed to Zillow after the MLS suspended the feed for two days in May and for Zillow to not ban any MRED listings. The motion was unopposed and Judge John Tharp granted it Thursday afternoon.

The original temporary restraining order was set to expire on Friday.

According to Tharp’s ruling, the temporary restraining order will continue to be enforced until the court either rules on Zillow’s motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to block MRED from suspending Zillow’s listing feed or grants MRED’s motion to compel arbitration. A hearing for Zillow’s preliminary injunction motion is scheduled for early July. 

The temporary restraining order is part of an antitrust lawsuit Zillow filed in mid-May, claiming that MRED and Compass conspired to withhold listing data and pressure Zillow to carry private “hidden” listings nationwide. 

In an emailed statement, a Zillow spokesperson told HousingWire that the ruling is “great news for buyers and sellers, who will maintain full access to the Chicagoland real estate market on Zillow at least until our motion for a preliminary injunction is decided.”

“Notably, MRED did not oppose our motion to extend the order, and we are pleased they’ve agreed not to cut the listing feed again in the meantime,” the spokesperson added. “Zillow believes buyers, sellers and agents are best served by an open, transparent marketplace where listings are broadly accessible, and we will continue advocating for that principle.”

MRED did not immediately responded to HousingWire’s request for comment.

But while Zillow’s listing feed in the Chicagoland area is safe for at least another month, the portal’s listing feed for properties in the Nashville area appears to still be at risk. 

Last weekend, Nashville-based MLS Realtracs warned brokers that Zillow’s access to its listing data could end June 8 if the two sides do not reach a new licensing agreement that complies with the MLS’s updated listing display rules.

Realtracs updated its IDX display rules in April, requiring vendors or portals displaying its IDX data feed to display all listings that meet a buyer’s search criteria, as long as the seller has consented to the listing being publicly marketed.

The rule took effect on May 13 and the MLS required compliance by all vendors and portals by May 31. As of Monday, Realtracs said Zillow was the only platform that has not complied with the updated agreement terms. 

Neither Zillow or Realtracs responded to HousingWire’s request for an update on the situation as the June 8 deadline approaches. 

Last week, brokers across Tennessee were exploring their options to set up direct listing feeds to Zillow in order for their listings to still appear on the site even if Realtracs suspends Zillow’s listing feed.