Zillow and Redfin reach FTC settlement over rental listings dispute

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Zillow have announced a settlement to resolve an antitrust case concerning a 2025 rental listings syndication partnership with Redfin. The regulator alleged that the two companies conspired to reduce competition, a move that resulted in fewer options and higher prices for renters.

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, Redfin is permitted to continue syndicating Zillow’s listings, but the deal must be free from the "anticompetitive restraints" of the original partnership. Crucially, Redfin is required to restart its own rental listings advertising business, which it had previously wound down as part of the arrangement.

The FTC’s original complaint alleged that Zillow paid Redfin to syndicate its listings while Redfin ended its own advertising contracts and promised not to compete with Zillow for multifamily listings. This consolidation of market power was seen by regulators as a barrier to entry for other providers.

Daniel Guarnera, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, stated that the settlement delivers "better, quicker, more certain results" for both renters and property management companies than would have been achieved after prevailing at trial. The statement underscores the agency’s preference for a definitive resolution over prolonged litigation.

The proposed settlement has also secured the agreement of state attorneys general from Arizona, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and Washington. These states had previously merged their own lawsuits into the FTC’s suit in November 2025, consolidating regulatory pressure on the online platform.

This resolution follows other recent settlements under the current administration in high-profile cases involving companies such as Live Nation-Ticketmaster and Realpage, suggesting a continued focus on antitrust enforcement in the digital and real estate sectors.