All of the teams named as defendants advertise on either their social media channels or website that they are part of the Zillow Flex program. Similarly to the two original complaints, the consolidated amended complaint claims that Zillow, and now the real estate defendants, violated a variety of statutes, including the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), the Washington Consumer Protection Act, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and the law of unjust enrichment and fiduciary duty.
According to the report, agents, many of whom were former Zillow Flex agents, told The Capitol Forum that Zillow requires Flex agents to steer homebuyers to use Zillow Home Loans (ZHL) for their financing needs. Agents involved in Zillow Flex pay a percentage of their commission typically between 25% and 40% once the transaction closes. This enables teams and top agents to receive a stream of leads at no upfront cost.