Overview
- Analyzing more than 40,000 MRED listings active on Oct. 21, Zillow found 7.9% of homes in majority-white areas were listed privately versus 3.4% in majority-non-white areas, a 2.2x gap.
- Zillow reports the disparity persists after controlling for price, home type, location and broker activity, suggesting racial composition is a stronger predictor than price.
- MRED’s private listing network, in place for about a decade, withholds these listings from consumer portals, making them visible only to agents inside the network.
- Zillow and housing advocates warn private marketing can limit access and entrench segregation, with HOPE Fair Housing Center urging that all buyers should be able to see all available homes.
- Zillow is defending its listing access standards in court after a Compass lawsuit, and it is negotiating with MRED as enforcement in that market could keep private-network listings off Zillow.