Zillow, Redfin Settle FTC Case; Redfin to Restart Rental Listings
Zillow and Redfin settled FTC claims; Redfin must resume rental listings business.
Why it matters: This settlement reopens competition in online rental advertising, impacting real estate tech regulation and future platform antitrust cases.
- On August 24, 2026, FTC settled with Zillow and Redfin over suppressed rental advertising competition.
- In February 2025, Zillow paid Redfin $100M to shut down rental listings and repost Zillow's properties exclusively.
- The FTC order requires Redfin to restart its rental listing business within six months or face penalties.
- Redfin will continue its rental partnership with Zillow through 2030 while rebuilding its platform independently.
On August 24, 2026, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with Zillow and Redfin to resolve allegations that their agreement suppressed competition in online rental advertising. The dispute originated from a February 2025 agreement where Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to shut down Redfin's rental listings business, repost only Zillow’s listings, and exit the rental market for up to nine years.
The FTC challenged this deal as an illegal suppression of competition. Under the settlement, Redfin must restart its standalone rental housing listings business within six months or face financial penalties. As part of the order, Redfin is required to hire sufficient staff to maintain its rental platform and regain the ability to list rental properties not affiliated with Zillow.
This move will reinvigorate competition in the online rental advertising market, which benefits renters and property managers with more options and pricing transparency. The settlement is supported by state attorneys general from Arizona, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and Washington.
Redfin, now owned by Rocket Companies, will continue its rental partnership with Zillow through 2030 even as it independently rebuilds its rental platform. Zillow stated it has consistently maintained the partnership with Redfin, while the FTC's Bureau of Competition director said the settlement offers quicker, more certain results than a trial.
This case sets an important precedent for how platform businesses in real estate tech are regulated under antitrust laws and signals that the FTC will actively scrutinize agreements that may reduce market competition.
By the numbers:
- $100 million — Zillow paid Redfin in 2025 to exit rental listings.
- 6 months — deadline for Redfin to restart its rental listings business under FTC order.
- 2030 — year until which Redfin and Zillow will maintain their rental partnership.