Zillow Lawsuit: Inside the FTC's Antitrust Trial Over the Redfin Rental Deal
When people search "Zillow lawsuit" in 2026, they usually mean one specific case: the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust suit against Zillow and Redfin over a $100 million rental-listings deal the two companies signed in February 2025. The FTC and five state attorneys general (Virginia, Arizona, Connecticut, New York, and Washington) say the deal killed competition between two of the three biggest national rental-listing platforms — and could let Zillow push rents higher. A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia has already rejected both sides' attempts to win early: the companies' bid to dismiss the case, and the government's bid to fast-track a win. A bench trial is scheduled to begin August 24, 2026. There is no settlement, no claim form, and no payout — this is active litigation, not a class action.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What Zillow Is Accused Of: The $100 Million Redfin Deal
In February 2025, Zillow and Redfin — two of the three largest online rental-listing platforms in the country (the third is CoStar's Apartments.com) — signed agreements under which Zillow agreed to pay Redfin $100 million. In exchange, Redfin agreed to shut down its own multifamily rental-advertising business for buildings with 25 or more units, hand its existing landlord and property-manager customers to Zillow, and stay out of that market for up to nine years. Redfin laid off roughly 450 employees from its rental division as part of the wind-down. The FTC and five state attorneys general sued in September–October 2025, arguing the deal is an illegal restraint of trade under the Sherman Act and FTC Act: instead of competing for landlords' advertising dollars, they say, Zillow simply paid its biggest rival to disappear — concentrating pricing power that could let Zillow raise fees on property managers, costs landlords could pass on to renters as higher rent. Zillow and Redfin deny wrongdoing and argue rental-listing competition is local, not national, and that other channels — including Google and Craigslist — are real competitors too.
Case Details
FTC v. Zillow Group, Inc. and Redfin Corp., coordinated with a parallel suit brought by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the states of Arizona, Connecticut, New York, and Washington. U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division (Hon. Anthony J. Trenga). This is a government antitrust enforcement action, not a certified class action — there is no settlement administrator, no claims website, and no hotline, because no settlement exists.
Current Status: Headed to a Bench Trial on August 24, 2026
Is There a Class You Can Join? Not Right Now.
This is not a class action — it's a case brought by the government (the FTC and five states) to stop conduct it considers illegal, not to distribute money to consumers. There is no claim form, no deadline to file, and nothing to sign up for. In theory, the people most affected are renters who searched for apartments in buildings with 25+ units through Zillow or Redfin since February 2025, and the landlords/property managers who advertised those units. But as of August 2026, no private class action representing those renters or landlords has been filed alongside the government case. If the FTC wins at trial and a private follow-on lawsuit seeking renter damages is later filed — as has happened after other antitrust rulings — this page will be updated. Until then, there is nothing to file.
Could Renters Get Money Back?
Timeline: From the Redfin Deal to Trial
- 1
February 2025 — Zillow and Redfin sign the rental-listings deal
Zillow agrees to pay Redfin $100 million. Redfin agrees to exit multifamily rental advertising (25+ unit buildings), hand its customers to Zillow, and stay out of the market for up to nine years. Redfin lays off about 450 rental-division employees.
- 2
September 30, 2025 — The FTC sues
The FTC files suit against Zillow and Redfin in the Eastern District of Virginia, alleging the deal violates the Sherman Act and FTC Act by eliminating head-to-head competition between two of the three largest national rental-listing platforms.
- 3
October 1, 2025 — Five states join
Attorneys general from Virginia, Arizona, Connecticut, New York, and Washington file a coordinated parallel suit, arguing the deal concentrates pricing power that could raise rents.
- 4
May 6, 2026 — Motion to dismiss denied
Judge Anthony J. Trenga rules the complaint plausibly alleges "clearly anti-competitive conduct," rejecting Zillow and Redfin's bid to end the case early.
- 5
July 8, 2026 — FTC's shortcut request denied too
Judge Trenga rejects the government's request to have the deal declared presumptively illegal before trial, citing genuine disputes over how to define the rental-listings market. The case is set for a full trial.
- 6
August 24, 2026 — Bench trial begins
The trial opens in Alexandria, Virginia before Judge Trenga, with no jury. As of this writing, no verdict has been reached.
Scam Alert: There's No "Zillow Lawsuit Payout" to Claim
A case generating this many headlines is exactly what fraudsters exploit — especially with several different "Zillow lawsuit" stories running at once. Three patterns to watch for:
Fake "renter refund" claim forms
Because there is no settlement, anyone texting, emailing, or posting a link asking renters to "file a claim" for a Zillow-Redfin refund is running a phishing scheme — usually to harvest your Social Security number or bank details. The case hasn't even gone to trial yet; there is nothing to distribute.
Blending unrelated Zillow cases into one "big payout" story
Zillow is tangled up in several separate legal disputes right now — this FTC antitrust trial, a securities fraud class action for shareholders, and a business dispute with brokerage Compass — and scam content often mixes headlines from all of them to make it sound like one enormous settlement is open to everyone. Check which specific case any "claim" link actually names before trusting it.
"Stock loss recovery" pitches aimed at Zillow (Z/ZG) shareholders
If you own Zillow stock and lost money, the legitimate path is the court-supervised securities class action process (lead plaintiff motions were due August 10, 2026) — never a cold call or ad promising to "recover your losses" for an upfront fee.
Zillow Lawsuit FAQ
Is there a Zillow lawsuit settlement I can file a claim for right now?
No. The case most people mean by "Zillow lawsuit" — the FTC's antitrust suit over the Redfin rental-listings deal — is active federal litigation heading to a bench trial on August 24, 2026, not a settled class action. There is no claim form, no settlement administrator, and no payout to apply for.
What is the Zillow lawsuit actually about?
The FTC and five states say Zillow paid Redfin $100 million in February 2025 to shut down its rental-listings business for large apartment buildings and stay out of that market for up to nine years — eliminating a major competitor instead of competing with it. They argue this could let Zillow charge landlords more, costs that could get passed on to renters.
When is the trial and what happens next?
A bench trial (judge only, no jury) is set to begin August 24, 2026 before Judge Anthony J. Trenga in the Eastern District of Virginia. Both the companies' motion to dismiss (denied May 6, 2026) and the FTC's motion to fast-track a win (denied July 8, 2026) have already failed — the outcome will be decided at trial.
If the FTC wins, will renters get money back?
Not directly. The FTC is asking for a permanent injunction and structural relief — essentially an order undoing parts of the deal — not monetary damages for consumers. A separate private lawsuit seeking renter damages could theoretically follow a government win, but none has been filed as of August 2026.
Is this the same as the Compass v. Zillow lawsuit?
No, that's a different case. Compass sued Zillow in early 2026 over Zillow's private-listing policy, lost its bid for an injunction, and voluntarily dropped the suit in March 2026. Zillow then sued Compass and a Chicago-area MLS (MRED) in May 2026 over a separate private-listings dispute. Neither case involves a consumer claims process.
I lost money on Zillow (Z/ZG) stock — is that this lawsuit?
No — that's a separate securities fraud class action for shareholders who bought Zillow (Z/ZG) stock, filed after news of the FTC case and related court rulings coincided with a sharp stock drop. The lead plaintiff deadline in that case was August 10, 2026. If you believe you qualify, contact a securities class-action firm directly — it's a different legal process from the antitrust trial covered on this page.
What about the older Zillow "wiretapping" or session-replay lawsuits?
Those are separate, older cases (dating to 2022) alleging Zillow's website used session-replay tracking software without proper consent. They're unrelated to the FTC antitrust trial and, as of early 2026, were still tied up in motions to dismiss, with no settlement reached.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.