Zillow Group (NASDAQ: Z, ZG) has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Compass International Holdings (NYSE: COMP) and Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) that claimed the companies threatened to terminate its Chicago-area listings unless Zillow agreed to display Compass’ private listings nationwide.
Last month, Compass and MRED partnered to expand the latter’s private listing network to a nationwide access. Zillow, which restricts private listings on its platforms, claimed Compass has lobbied several MLSs to boycott Zillow’s data feeds until it reverses its policy on private listings.
The lawsuit added that MRED demanded Zillow include Compass’s private listings in the markets outside of MRED’s traditional Chicago-area service area. Zillow stated MRED threatened to block its access to Chicago-area listings unless it met the demand from Compass.
Zillow has asked the court to prevent MRED from blocking its access, and it is also seeking treble damages and attorneys’ fees.
“Compass and MRED – two competitors in Listing Creation and Distribution – cannot conspire to boycott a competitor’s access to Chicagoland listings,” the lawsuit said. “And MRED cannot use its monopoly power over those listings as a cudgel to prevent a competitor from effectively competing in Chicagoland or beyond.”
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