Compass Inc. is pressing a federal judge to compel Redfin Corp. to hand over what it calls critical documents in its escalating antitrust clash with Zillow Inc., including drafts of blog posts by Redfin’s CEO and an alleged $100 million rental agreement that Compass claims cements a conspiracy between the two rivals.

In a letter filed Oct. 24, Compass accused Redfin of stonewalling subpoenas for months, refusing to produce materials it says could prove that Zillow and Redfin coordinated anticompetitive practices. The New York-based brokerage insists that both companies agreed to mirror their listings access policies—restricting properties cross-posted on other sites—and secretly brokered a massive rental deal designed to suppress competition.

FTC and States Already Watching Closely

The tension intensified after both the Federal Trade Commission and multiple states filed their own suits against Zillow and Redfin, accusing them of engaging in an anticompetitive rental pact. Compass argues the disputed agreement “gave rise to the conspiracy directly challenged in this case.”

The alleged $100 million payment from Zillow to Redfin was meant to ensure Redfin would not promote multifamily rentals, Compass claims—effectively tightening Zillow’s grip on online listings.

The Battle Over Blog Drafts

Compass also seeks drafts of blog posts written by Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman, which it says predated the public announcement of Zillow’s controversial listing policy. According to Compass, those drafts are “highly relevant” because they reveal internal communications about Zillow’s plans before they were made public.

Redfin has refused to turn them over, arguing the drafts are protected by attorney-client privilege. But Compass countered that the posts were business communications, not legal advice, citing precedent from Renner v. Chase Manhattan Bank (2001) that distinguishes legal counsel from business strategy.

“Redfin cannot shield entire drafts written for business purposes under the guise of privilege,” Compass asserted, adding that only specific legal comments should be redacted—not the whole text.

Fight Over Access to Full Agreement

Compass insists that the court needs an unredacted version of the Zillow-Redfin rental agreement to fully assess its claims. It argues that the version attached to the FTC suit is incomplete and that Redfin’s refusal to disclose the document “defies logic.”

“Compass should have the ability to use—and the court should have the benefit of assessing—the full, complete, and accurate version of the agreement,” the brokerage told the court.

Litigation Escalates

The feud is part of a broader antitrust suit Compass filed in June, accusing Zillow of wrongfully banning listings that appear elsewhere for more than one day. Compass also sought to block Zillow’s enforcement of the policy during litigation, though the court only partially granted Zillow’s discovery motion in October concerning Compass’ $1.6 billion acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate Inc.

As the courtroom showdown continues, the case underscores rising scrutiny over power consolidation in real estate tech—an industry where digital listings have become the new currency of control.

Compass is represented by Luke Taeschler, Sima Namiri-Kalantari, Daniel A. Sasse, and Chahira Solh of Crowell & Moring LLP.
Zillow is represented by Beau W. Buffier, Bonnie Lau, Eric P. Tuttle, and Nicholas Sidney of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Rosati PC.