In-depth coverage of the MLS industry: lawsuits, policy, data and the fight over listings.
Zillow, Compass, Realtor.com, Redfin, Open Real Estate and the battle over listing distribution. New to the issue? Start with our explainer: Compass vs. MLSs lawsuit tracker.
RSS for this sectionOpen Real Estate's founders say listings must reach the MLS and consumer portals at the same time, but critics want clearer answers on who owns and controls the data and what choices sellers will have. The analysis looks at the governance questions the initiative still has to settle.
Executives behind Open Real Estate said the venture has a capital commitment, a launch timeline and rules on private listings, and said they intend to complete the project.
An explainer on the new Open Real Estate initiative. Its leaders say local MLS governance will stay in place, and the program is preparing for a rollout in the first quarter of 2027.
Keller Williams, HomeServices of America, eXp parent AGNT and Real REMAX Group launched Open Real Estate, a shared listing initiative. The founders position it as a response to the growth of private exclusives and say it is designed to work alongside the MLS rather than replace it.
Four large brokerage organizations are building what they describe as shared infrastructure intended to keep listings broadly distributed. The founding members of Open Real Estate are Keller Williams, AGNT (eXp and NextHome), HomeServices of America and Real.
Appraiser and columnist Jonathan Miller writes about Open Real Estate, the data-sharing initiative launched by major brokerages. The column argues it is the first serious competitor to brokerage-run private listing networks.
Independent broker Anthony Lamacchia commented on the listing-policy dispute in a video posted Oct. 19. According to the report, he criticized Compass's strategy and said he believes it is moving the industry toward a conflict over listings.
HouseCanary signed white-label brokerage Side as a partner in what it calls the Google Listings Program, which displays listings directly in Google Search. The deal adds inventory to Google's growing presence in home listings.
Robert Reffkin made his case for private exclusives, arguing MLS price and status histories can make homes appear damaged to buyers. He said 43% of listings had a price-drop history in September and 6% were taken off the market.
Zillow's Errol Samuelson told CMLS attendees that weakening the MLS could invite government regulation, pointing to congressional scrutiny of Compass and MRED and warning that restricting listing data carries risks.