The Clash

A federal judge ordered MRED to restore its listing feed to Zillow, ending a five-day blackout that removed 43,000 Chicago-area homes from the portal. The ruling, issued Friday, May 23, 2026, marks an early win for Zillow in its antitrust battle against the MLS and Compass. Judge John Tharp Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, granted an emergency injunction forcing MRED to reinstate the data feed by end of day. This decision temporarily restores consumer access but sets the stage for a protracted legal fight over data control.

The dispute erupted when MRED accused Zillow of removing nine listings it deemed lawful. Zillow countered that those listings fell outside MRED's traditional service area, a common practice among portals to maintain local relevance. MRED then cut off access to 43,000 active listings—99.98% of its inventory—affecting buyers, sellers, and agents who rely on Zillow and Trulia for property searches. MRED's move was seen as a disproportionate response, prompting Zillow to seek a temporary restraining order.

The Big Picture

Judge Tharp's decision not only restores the feed but imposes significant restrictions on Zillow. The court order prohibits Zillow from removing listings in any ZIP code where MRED had listings between April 2025 and April 2026. This limits Zillow's ability to exclude listings based on business preferences, a right the company has defended as part of its editorial freedom. However, the judge ruled that the public interest in market transparency outweighs that right in this case.