Industry Relations Who Runs Bartertown?
Dec 17, 2025
A fierce clash brews between Zillow and MRED over private listing networks and who gets to control listing data. The hosts delve into MRED's alarming emails, warning brokers of looming disruptions and Zillow's outreach. With Zillow potentially seeking direct broker feeds, the stakes rise as they debate the power dynamics at play. Using a Mad Max analogy, they frame the struggle like a battle in Bartertown. Outcomes could reshape relationships between MLSs and portals, leaving brokers and sellers hanging in the balance.
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Dispute Is About Control Over Listing Data
- The Zillow–MRED dispute centers on whether Zillow can selectively exclude PLN listings while still taking an IDX feed.
- That legal and policy clash may set a national precedent for MLS–portal power dynamics.
Get Legal Review Before Direct-Feed Deals
- If brokers receive Zillow feed requests, consult legal counsel before signing long multi-year direct-feed agreements.
- Watch for assignment or derivative-works clauses and service-interruption provisions that harm broker rights.
Zillow Frames Calls As Seller Transparency
- Zillow frames outreach to sellers as a duty of transparency if listings might disappear from the portal.
- That consumer-notification argument clashes with MRED's view that Zillow's outreach is a pressure campaign.