As tensions between CoStar Group and Zillow continue to heat up, Zillow has claimed that CoStar did not renew its Matterport API agreement. CoStar closed its $1.6 billion acquisition of Matterport in March, meaning that it would be up to CoStar to decide if it wanted to renew the API agreement with Zillow. Matterport and CoStar first announced the deal in April 2024.
Paying rent is often a renter's biggest and most consistent monthly expense. It makes sense that this payment should help build their credit, said Michael Sherman, senior vice president of Zillow Rentals. By expanding rent reporting, we're helping more renters build their credit history and take control of their financial future while reinforcing Zillow's role as a trusted partner throughout their housing journey.
Zillow didn't ask permission from the MLSs or brokers who own that data before transmitting it into OpenAI's ChatGPT environment, Lund wrote. According to Lund, Zillow's IDX licenses permit it to display MLS data on its website and its mobile app. But these permissions do not extend to Zillow's ability to publish or transmit MLS data to other domains, especially those controlled by other companies. ChatGPT is not a Zillow property.
This makes Zillow the only real estate app available through the ChatGPT platform. When users now ask ChatGPT questions like, What can I afford nearby? or Show me homes with a big backyard, the Zillow app in ChatGPT will provide them with listings complete with photos, maps and pricing. Zillow noted that this information will be attributed to the listing agent and MLS.
Despite being caught red-handed blatantly stealing our copyrighted work, Zillow has [doubled down] to exploit thousands of additional copyrighted images without any shame, Andy Florance, CoStar Group's CEO and founder, said in a statement. Zillow's repeated copyright infringement, combined with its lead diversion model that is the subject of a separate lawsuit accusing Zillow of deceiving homebuyers, exposes an ongoing pattern of morally questionable behavior. Zillow's free ride on the agents' listings and CoStar Group's proprietary content is over.
A Seattle law firm specializing in large class-action litigation claims Zillow illegally tricks homebuyers into working with Zillow agents forced to split their commission with the real estate listings giant. In a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, a man who bought a home in Portland with a Zillow agent claims the Seattle-based company, which is a licensed brokerage in several states, aimed to defraud him and other homebuyers.
Many buyers struggle to picture themselves in a home, especially when it's empty or styled differently from their own, the release states. Virtual Staging gives them a quick, interactive way to see how it could look and feel in a style they love. The launch of Virtual Staging is the first major integration Zillow has made since its acquisition of Virtual Staging AI last October.
