“MRED has made it clear to Zillow that selectively excluding listings may violate MRED’s rules, as well as the terms of Zillow’s license agreement with MRED, which requires Zillow to access and display all licensed listings without bias or restriction,” the email said.
Zillow claims that no notices of potential ad policy violations have been sent to agents in the Chicago area as the ad access policy is not yet in effect in the Chicago metro area.
“Chicago is one of the very last markets where Zillow’s Listing Access Standards have not yet launched due to the unique situation of MRED’s own private listing network,” a Zillow spokesperson wrote in an email. “We’ve been trying to work with them since the spring and have not yet issued any MRED listing access violations. This is an effort by MRED to protect its own private listing network. Hidden listing systems penalize sellers and buyers, and that’s what this is. Additionally, the data shows that 30% of potential buyers searching in Chicago are from outside the area, and both buyers and sellers are missing out on these opportunities.”
So far, Zillow said its listing access standards policy is live in 500 MLSs nationwide.
On Tuesday, MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen told HousingWire that the MLS sent the email after receiving reports that some managing agents had been notified that their active listings may not appear on Zillow if they had previously been on MRED’s PLN.
“We have confirmed directly with Zillow that this policy has not been implemented in MRED’s coverage area,” Jensen wrote. “At this time, Zillow continues to display all active listings of MRED.”
MRED and Jensen declined to comment on what would happen if they believe Zillow violates the terms of its licensing agreement.
Thad Wong, the CEO of Compass-owned @properties Christie’s International Real Estatewho was a recipient of this email from MRED, told HousingWire that he was proud of MRED for wanting to protect his PLN.
“MRED does what major Chicago institutions do: stand up for their professionals. By defending sellers’ choice, MRED preserves every homeowner’s right to choose how their property is marketed and sold. While some MLSs have chosen to align themselves with portals that promote a one-size-fits-all model, MRED champions innovation, entrepreneurship and competition,” Wong wrote in an email. “Those are the qualities that create better outcomes for homeowners.”
MRED launched its PLN Several years ago, the survey of subscribers revealed that many were frustrated with the number of paperback listings and sales. MRED’s policy required a property to be listed on the MLS within 24 hours of being publicly marketed, but agents and sellers had the option of posting it on an MRED’s private network, which allowed other MLS subscribers to see the listing, but it did not syndicate it, giving the seller more control over how the listing was marketed.
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