CoStar Boss Says Zillow's MLS "Power Play" Threatens Agents

Andy Florance has weighed in on Zillow's decision to block listings from its portal after the National Association of Realtors (NAR) rolled back its Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) ruling in March.

Last week, Zillow announced it will no longer display any property that has been publicly marketed—whether via social media, brokerage websites, or even yard signs—unless it has also been submitted to a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) within 24 hours.

"[This] is an incredible move of audacity and a pure power play of epic proportion," said Florance, whose real estate portal Homes.com operates under a different model than Zillow.

In a post on his personal LinkedIn page, Florance said:

"Zillow is asserting that they, not NAR, not your brokerage, not you the listing agent—and not even the homeowner whose house it is and is paying the commission—should decide how a listing is marketed. This isn’t about protecting consumers. It’s about protecting Zillow’s ability to profit from your listings by selling your leads to competing agents.

"It is never acceptable for a real estate portal to threaten agents this way. Real estate portals must remain neutral.

"[Homes.com] follows the principle of Your Listing, Your Lead. That means we only display your name, your photo, your brokerage, and connect potential buyers only to you. We never take a commission split or sell leads to competing agents. Instead, we earn revenue by promoting your listing to thousands of additional buyers across the internet.

"You deserve a platform that helps you sell the home—not one that hijacks your leads for profit."