🚨The FTC and five state attorneys general sued Zillow and Redfin over a $100 M 2025 agreement that allegedly removed Redfin from the rental advertising market. Regulators say the pact gave Zillow near-duopoly power with CoStar, raising risks of higher advertising costs for property owners. With U.S. multifamily vacancy at 8.2% and rent growth under 1%, underwriting must now stress-test marketing expense lines and guard against platform concentration.
$100 M payment from Zillow to Redfin (Feb 2025) — [Source: Reuters].
Zillow rental ad revenue: $159 M Q2 2025, +36% YoY — [Source: MBI Deep Dives].
U.S. multifamily vacancy: ~8.2% (Q3 2025) — [Source: CoStar].
U.S. renter households: ~49 M, ≈30% of homes — [Source: Reuters].
Loan Performance. Higher leasing costs erode NOI; DSCR buffers tighten. Lenders may widen underwriting spreads by 5–10 bps.
Demand Dynamics. With absorption soft and concessions creeping, reliance on Zillow could slow lease-ups if costs rise.
Asset Strategies. Operators should budget extra $50–$100/unit/year for marketing, invest in direct websites, and diversify lead channels.
Capital Markets. Investors may demand 10–15 bps cap rate buffer on new acquisitions to account for expense inflation risk.
Online ad concentration poses real cost risk.
Rent growth too thin to absorb unchecked fee hikes.
Diversify leasing funnels beyond Zillow.
Cap rates may drift wider if costs spike.
🛠 Operator’s Lens
Refi. Reforecast NOI with higher OPEX; align DSCR tests.
Value-Add. Build extra lease-up months into pro formas.
Development. Stress lease-up velocity by +1–2 months.
Lender POV. Expect covenant scrutiny on marketing budgets.
Litigation could take years, but a preliminary injunction may re-open Redfin rentals by mid-2026.
CoStar’s Apartments.com stands to gain share; watch for client migration.
Regulatory climate points to more scrutiny of rent-setting and listing dominance
Real Estate News — Zillow–Redfin rental partnership under fire (Sept 2025). https://www.realestatenews.com CoStar — U.S. multifamily vacancy and rent growth (Q3 2025). https://www.costar.com MBI Deep Dives — Zillow Rentals revenue analysis (Q2 2025). https://mbideepdives.substack.com Reuters — FTC, states sue Zillow over $100M Redfin deal (Sept 2025). https://www.reuters.com
