A settlement has been reached between Zillow Group and three multiple listing service organizations in a lawsuit involving the company’s ShowingTime product. The settlement, which was filed on June 13, will result in the dismissal of claims once finalized. Zillow had filed the lawsuit in December, alleging that the removal of ShowingTime from two of the MLS organizations and its replacement with the proprietary Aligned Showings platform would create a monopoly in those regions. Other member MLSs in the Aligned network were not listed as defendants in the complaint.
Zillow alleged that the MLS Aligned network conspired to remove the ShowingTime integration in favor of Aligned Showings instead of competing on the merits. Zillow tried to convince the two MLSs to keep ShowingTime as an additional option for their agent members, but they declined all alternatives, leaving their members with no choice. In response, attorneys for the two MLSs argued that adding a new management platform increased competition in the marketplace. They claimed that the loss of integration contracts in a national market should not give rise to antitrust liability.
The agreement between Zillow Group and the three MLS organizations is substantially complete and is expected to be finalized within a month. The terms of the settlement were not included in the June 13 filing. Zillow and ARMLS declined to provide further details while the settlement is being finalized. The lawsuit raised concerns about the monopoly that could be created with the removal of ShowingTime from certain MLS organizations and its replacement with Aligned Showings, highlighting the need for fair competition in the real estate market.
The dispute over the removal of ShowingTime and its replacement with Aligned Showings reflects broader issues of competition and antitrust concerns in the real estate industry. Zillow’s attempts to convince the MLS organizations to retain ShowingTime as an option for agents were unsuccessful, leading to the lawsuit. The response from the MLS organizations’ attorneys argued that the addition of Aligned Showings increased competition in the marketplace, downplaying the antitrust concerns raised by Zillow.
The settlement between Zillow Group and the three MLS organizations marks the resolution of the lawsuit regarding the ShowingTime product. The agreement in principle will result in the dismissal of claims once finalized and is expected to be completed within a month. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the court filing. The outcome of this case will have implications for competition and integration in the real estate industry, as well as the relationship between MLS organizations and technology providers like Zillow.
