The history of clear cooperation
While this fight between Kompas and Zillow has its roots in the debate around the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), the complaint of course takes some time to dissect the history of the rule. Voted over in November 2019, CCP came into force in May 2020. In the complaint, Compass claims that the rule was first proposed as a response to the approval of an “Inventory-based” strategy, which says that it developed to “distinguish themselves from competing brokers in 2018-2019 and later private exexclives”.
“Private exclusives were exclusively marketed within compass brokerage to other compass agents and their customers. Coming Soons were publicly displayed on the website of Compass and other areas on the internet, but not in local MLSS,” the complaint says.
Compass claims that in response to this, Nar’s Board of Directors has accepted CCP, whereby agents must be stated to enter a list in their local MLS within one working day of the mention of the mention. However, the policy does contain a carve-out that makes ‘office exclusives’ possible, of which Compass claims that its private exclusive is eligible as.
“It was generally known in the real estate sector that the CCP efforts of Nar – supported by Zillow and other competitors of Kompas – were aimed at the early innovative efforts of Compass,” says the complaint. “In its early formulation, the CCP was even referred to as the ‘compass rule’ within the industry, clear retribution against compass for challenging trends in the industry.”
According to Compass, Zillow did not feel that the rule was going far enough, in which he requested that in September 2024 to strengthen CCP, with arguing in a letter that “NAR CCP should expand to prohibit exclusive office exclusive office.” While Nar CCP has changed in launching his new multiple list options for Sellers (MLOS) policy, which created delayed marketing -free offers, the exclusive carve -out of the office remains.
While Zillow is spreading to other facets of the house sales and sales process, through a Partnership with Ibuyer Opens and the launch of Zillow home loansTo help these companies grow, Compass claims that “Zillow must keep its monopoly on the market for searches.”
“To protect and retain his monopoly, Zillow chooses to sacrifice the profit in the short term and to end a profitable and already existing course of dealing with compass, as well as all other brokers who are currently listing a list of properties on Zillow on Zillow after pre-marketing of Zillow, but can now be stamped. “The Zillow ban therefore represents monopolistic behavior of the textbook, so that Zillow takes actions that would otherwise be to the detriment to improving and retaining his monopolistic power.”
Conspiracy claims
In addition to the claims of creating monopoly, Compass also claims that Zillow collaborated with Redfin, who has established a similar policy to come into force in September, and Exp Realty, That was the first company to register with Zillow’s policy.
“The plan of Zillow ultimately gave rise to the proclamation of the Zillow ban and a conspiracy guided by Zillow with fellow sample redfin and fellow-samenweerer Expp to Boycott,” says the complaint. “Zillow, fellow-samenweerder Exp, and fellow-samenweer Redfin knew that this policy would harm compass and hoped that the door was closed on the approach of Compass would arrest the wave of support and similar strategies that had begun to spread.”
Compass claims that the possibility for this alleged collusion was created through a deal to syndicate Redfin’s multi -family homes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly investigating the relationship between Zillow and Redfin, which was taken over by Rocket companies in March 2025. The FTC also investigated the acquisition of Zillow van Trulia, what Closed in 2015.
Moreover, the complaint claims that only 41 minutes after Zillow announced its policy, Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, has made an SMS to ask for a call “Despite the two managers rarely talk to each other.”
In a call of approximately 45 minutes with several Redfin and Compass executives and counsels who are on the line, Compass claims that Kelman revealed that, although he agreed with some of the points of Reffkin “with regard to pre-marketing and Zillow’s negative insights, Redfin had agreed to”.
“During the call, Mr Kelman revealed information that suggested that Redfin and Zillow had worked,” says the complaint. “Mr. Kelman asked Mr. Reffkin if Mr. Reffkin had spoken with the CEO of Zillow before Zillow’s announcement and implied that Mr Kelman had spoken with Zillow before the announcement.”
The complaint claims that Kelman Pushed to listen to Zillow ‘, which suggests that Zillow of Redfin would’ reward compass with pre-marketing options’, and that Zillow would ‘make it good to make it financially if compass would be to change his pre-marketing strategies or delay the policy.’
“On the critical, Zillow raised the same idea the next day on April 11, 2025 to contend the next day,” said the complaint. “That Zillow suggested the same idea shortly thus, Mr. Kelman Compass told that Zillow would do this-the existing conspiracy between Zillow and fellow-sammerer Redfin.”
As far as EX is concerned, Compass claims that Zillow has also done similar discussions with the Exp Realty Executives.
“About information and conviction, Zillow and fellow-samenerer have discussions about this policy and agreed to accept them together, with a public announcement,” says archiving.
Compasses that the interest of Exp in alleged conspiracy with Zillow is due to the general public of Zillow and the widespread brand recognition for consumers.
Quid Pro no
In addition to meetings with Redfin and Exp, the complaint also describes a meeting between Kompas and various Zillow managers, including Jeremy Wacksman, Lloyd Frick, Errol Samuelson, Jeremy Hofmann, Brad Owens and Jun Choo.
“During the meeting, Mr. Wacksman and Mr Hofmann Compass have warned several times that Zillow does not allow compasses that are not on Zillow,” said the application.
Then to hear that other brokerage companies, including Douglas Elliman And Sotheby’s International Realtylaunched their own private quotation networks, the complaint claims that Hofmann said that Zillow “would not allow that.” He reportedly had the same answer to information about the private listing network operated by Midwest Real Estate Data (MED), a non-RealTor owned by MLS.
Moreover, during this meeting, Compass claims that Zillow offered the ‘financial benefit’ if it left its three -phase marketing strategy, to which Kelman was also said to have referred during Redfin’s call.
“Like other monopolists trying to keep their dominance, Zillow had offered to pay off compass in order not to compete,” says the complaint. “Nine days later, where Compass refused the payment not to compete, Zillow made up for the threat and announced the Zillow ban.”
Compass demands a jury court, so if it is not arranged or rejected in advance, it can be up to a jury to decide how to view all this.
In an e -mail statement, a Zillow spokesperson said that the claims in the court case are ‘unfounded’, but the company has not yet answered questions about the alleged collusion.
Leo Pareja, CEO of Exp Realty, wrote in an e-mail that “any implication of conspiracy is categorically untrue. Our business strategies are independently developed in response to a rapidly evolving real estate market.”
Redfin has not returned a request for comment.
