Zillow vs. Everyone

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Brad Cartier & The Nest
April 22, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Your weekly perch for all things real estate.

This week in real estate drama: Zillow just walked into the group chat and flipped the table. The portal giant is cracking down on “secret listings,” and agents are not taking it well. Also, California’s insurance market is teetering, mortgage rates are rising (again), and the feds are unfreezing green housing cash.

ZILLOW VS. EVERYONE

Story: Welcome to the real estate cage match no one asked for. Zillow, the 800-pound algorithm in the room, just dropped a bomb on the real estate industry by announcing it will blacklist listings that appear anywhere before hitting the MLS. That includes listings marketed first on brokerage websites (looking at you, Compass). This policy aims to eliminate "exclusive inventory"—those off-market, back-channel listings that only show up if you know a guy who knows a guy. Zillow claims it's all in the name of consumer transparency, but competitors say it’s more like a digital power grab wrapped in a consumer-friendly bow.

So What? This is about more than where your listing appears—it’s about control. Zillow wants to centralize listing visibility, which may level the playing field for buyers but strip brokers (and savvy investors) of early access leverage. This shift could also lead to fewer listings, making it to public portals and pushing more inventory into quiet backrooms and “office exclusives.” The result? A more fragmented and confusing marketplace for buyers—and potentially, less visibility for your for-sale properties unless you play Zillow’s game.

What’s Next? This turf war is only heating up. Some brokerages, like eXp and NextHome, have pledged loyalty to Zillow’s policy. Others, like Compass, are doubling down on exclusives. Watch for litigation, lobbying, and maybe even federal attention if transparency continues to erode. For now, real estate pros need to be clear with clients about where—and if—their listings will appear. Buyers, brace for a scavenger hunt.

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