Zillow Lawsuit: How the FTC's Antitrust Case Over the Redfin Rental Deal Settled
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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) said the deal killed competition between two of the three biggest national rental-listing platforms. A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia rejected both sides' attempts to win early, and a bench trial was set for August 24, 2026. It never got that far: on August 22, 2026, Zillow and Redfin agreed to a stipulated final order with the FTC and the states, and on August 24 the FTC announced that the order resolves the case. Redfin must restart its apartment-advertising business, and the companies pay the five states $2 million. As of September 30, 2026, there is no payout for renters and no claim form.
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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. (No. 1:25-cv-1638), consolidated in November 2025 with a parallel suit brought by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the states of Arizona, Connecticut, New York, and Washington (No. 1:25-cv-1647). 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 the stipulated order filed on August 24, 2026 provides no money for consumers.
Current Status: Settled Before Trial — No Payout for Renters
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
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, and the settlement order filed on August 24, 2026 keeps it that way. As of September 30, 2026, 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. The only direct benefit goes to advertisers: for nine months after Redfin restarts its rental-listings business, Zillow ILS customers whose contracts can't be canceled within three months may renegotiate without cost or penalty. If a private lawsuit seeking damages for renters or landlords is filed, this page will be updated. Until then, there is nothing to file.
Could Renters Get Money Back?
Timeline: From the Redfin Deal to the FTC Settlement
- 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 — Settlement order filed instead of a trial
On August 22, Zillow and Redfin agreed to a stipulated final order with the FTC and the five states, with no admission of liability or wrongdoing by Zillow, according to Zillow's SEC filing. On August 24 — the day the bench trial was set to begin — the FTC announced that the order resolves the case, and it was filed with the court for approval. Redfin must restart its rental-listings business, and the defendants pay the five states $2 million. No money goes to renters.
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 consumer payout, 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 FTC settlement pays nothing to renters; 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 case (settled without a trial in August 2026), 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 (Breidert v. Zillow Group, Inc., filed June 9, 2026 in the Western District of Washington) — 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 — was settled instead of going to trial: on August 24, 2026, the FTC announced a stipulated order with Zillow and Redfin and filed it with the court for approval. The order requires Redfin to restart its rental-listings business and pays $2 million to five states, but as of September 30, 2026 there is no claim form, no settlement administrator, and no payout for consumers.
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.
Was there a trial, and what happens next?
No trial took place. A bench trial had been set for August 24, 2026 before Judge Anthony J. Trenga in the Eastern District of Virginia, after he denied the companies' motion to dismiss (May 6, 2026) and the government's motion for partial summary judgment (July 8, 2026). That day, the FTC announced a stipulated order that resolves the case, and it was filed for the court's approval. Once the order is finalized, Redfin has six months to restart its rental-listings advertising business or pay penalties capped at $1.6 million, and the order stays in place for 10 years.
Will renters get money back from the FTC settlement?
No. According to Zillow's SEC filing, the settlement is a stipulated final order for equitable relief — it changes how the companies do business rather than paying consumers. Redfin must restart its rental-listings business, and the only money is $2 million the defendants pay the five states. A separate private lawsuit seeking damages for renters would have to be filed on its own; if one is, this page will be updated.
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: Breidert v. Zillow Group, Inc. et al., filed June 9, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. According to Zillow's SEC filing, it alleges violations of the federal securities laws arising from the Redfin partnership, and on June 22, 2026 the parties agreed to stay deadlines until a lead plaintiff and lead counsel are appointed; shareholder derivative suits followed on July 13 and 14, 2026. Zillow denies wrongdoing. If you believe you qualify, contact a securities class-action firm directly — it's a different legal process from the FTC antitrust case 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 case 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.