Despite an announcement last week, Realtracs will continue sending listing feeds to Zillow until June 8, even though the deadline for Zillow to comply with Realtracs’ updated IDX display rules was Sunday.
Over the weekend, Realtracs warned brokers that Zillow’s access to its listing data could end June 8 if the two sides do not reach a new licensing agreement that complies with the MLS’s updated listing display rules.
The Nashville-based multiple listing service, which serves more than 19,000 real estate professionals across six states, said in a May 31 update to members that there will be no change to Zillow listing displays on June 1 despite the ongoing negotiations. The current Zillow license expires June 8.
A key goal of the new agreement is broker compensation for the use of listing content, according to the Realtracs announcement. The MLS reiterated its position that brokers own their listing data and said it is negotiating “on behalf of its members to see that the value of their work is recognized by platforms, including Zillow, that rely on listing information created by brokers and agents to operate their businesses.”
“Our responsibility is to the brokers, agents, and clients we serve, not to any particular business model,” Stuart White, president and CEO of Realtracs, said in the statement. “That means protecting seller choice, recognizing the value of broker-created listing content, and providing a platform that encourages cooperation while preserving flexibility and opportunity for everyone involved in a transaction.”
The backstory
On April 29, Realtracs updated its IDX display rules.The updated rules require that if a seller wants a listing to be publicly marketed, that property must appear in search results that match a buyer’s search criteria on any platform receiving the Realtracs data feed.
The MLS said all data recipients were notified of the rule change, its implementation timeline and the consequences of noncompliance. The rule took effect May 13, with full compliance required by May 31.
As of May 31, Zillow is the only platform that has not complied with the updated agreement terms, Realtracs told members. Zillow has cited an internal policy that “prevents sellers from choosing how their properties are marketed,” which Realtracs said has resulted in dozens of its listings being suppressed on the Zillow platform.
If no new agreement is reached by June 8, Zillow’s access to Realtracs data feeds “will terminate at that time,” the MLS said. The advance notice is intended to give brokers time to understand their options and make any necessary preparations.
Even if the license lapses, brokers will still be able to send listings directly to Zillow through GRID’s Broker Only Export program, which operates independently of the Realtracs–Zillow licensing agreement.
Part of a larger dispute
If Realtracs ultimately suspends Zillow’s listing feed next Monday it would be the second MLS to do so in recent weeks. In mid-May, Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) suspended Zillow’s listing feed over a “material breach of its license agreements.” Two days later, however, a Chicago federal court partially granted Zillow’s temporary restraining order, forcing MRED to restore the listing feed by the end of the day.
This dispute was part of a larger legal battle between Zillow, MRED and Compass International Holdings, in which Zillow has accused MRED and Compass of colluding. Earlier this spring, both MRED and Realtracs announced plans to expand nationwide, with both securing national listing feed agreements with Compass, as well as with United Real Estate for Realtracs.
This article was written by Brooklee Han with the assistance of HousingWire Automation, then reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication.
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