FTC Takes Zillow and Redfin Rental Partnership to August Trial
A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia declined to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust case against the rental-listing partnership between Zillow Group and Redfin, setting a two-week trial for August 24 and ruling that too many factual disputes remain to decide the case on summary judgment. The FTC and a coalition of states sued both companies in February 2025 after Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to become the exclusive provider of apartment rental information from Redfin’s properties.
Under the agreement, Redfin exited the apartment-listing market entirely, shutting down operations on Rent.com and ApartmentGuide.com and transferring customer lists to Zillow. Redfin laid off staff as part of the exit. Federal and state enforcers challenged the deal under both antitrust and merger statutes, arguing it effectively consolidated two of three dominant rental-listing platforms. Zillow already operates Zillow Rentals, Hotpads, and Trulia.
At Wednesday’s hearing, FTC attorney Allyson Maltas argued the partnership reduced competition in the internet listing services market for apartment rentals, noting that listing services remain a primary advertising channel for property managers. Zillow’s legal team countered that search and social media advertising are interchangeable substitutes, requiring a full evidentiary trial to resolve. CoStar Group, which operates Apartments.com and ten other websites, remains the largest provider in the apartment listings sector.
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