Both portals filed responses to the motions to dismiss late last week, further asserting that the allegations against them are “without merit.” A hearing on their motion for removal is scheduled for February 25th.
As Zillow and Redfin continue to push back against antitrust complaints from the Federal Trade Commission and several state attorneys general, both portals filed responses to the motions to dismiss late last week, further asserting that the allegations against them are “without merit.”
The companies said the plaintiffs in the lawsuit tried unsuccessfully to advance various arguments as to why “traditional antitrust standards” do not apply to their cases in an effort to avoid an outright dismissal of the case.
Zillow and Redfin argued in their filings that while both plaintiffs demonstrate in their complaints how renters and landlords are inherently intertwined on listing platforms, they focus only on how Zillow and Redfin’s partnership could harm property managers, not how it may benefit renters.
The portals also disputed plaintiffs’ contention that the advertising market for paid internet listing services is national, arguing that such advertising is a regional effort, with property managers advertising properties in specific markets. The plaintiffs also argued that Zillow and Redfin appear to have dismissed other advertising outlets that property managers had access to, such as social media and other online platforms.
The FTC and its fellow plaintiffs also failed to demonstrate that Zillow and Redfin had sufficient market power to raise prices, the defendants argued. Federal regulators have not shown “actual and ongoing harm to competition” through the syndication agreements, and merely anticipate future harm, which is not enough to proceed with the lawsuit, the filing said.
The lawsuit, first filed in late September 2025, alleges that in paying Redfin $100 million to host all of its large multifamily rental properties on its Zillow platform, Zillow provided the funds to force Redfin to exit the space, thereby eliminating competition.
Zillow and Redfin filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on January 13, 2026.
Over the past several weeks, the plaintiffs and defendants have engaged in discovery and reported to the court their progress. Earlier this month, the judge in the case, William B. Porter, asked Zillow and Redfin to turn over written communications between key executives at both companies and other individuals who may have been involved in discussions over the syndication deal.
Zillow produced approximately 240,000 archived documents and 1,100 non-custodial documents, while Redfin provided approximately 91,000 archived documents and 500 non-custodial documents, according to recent status report updates filed by the parties.
A hearing on the defendants’ motion to dismiss is scheduled for February 25th.
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