Fix the MLS or Let Zillow Take Over?

For decades, the MLS has been the backbone of real estate, giving agents equal access to property listings. But cracks are showing. Between lawsuits, rising fees, and outdated regional systems, "REALTORS©" are paying more for a service that doesn’t always serve them. Meanwhile, Zillow continues to grow, and some believe it’s only a matter of time before it replaces the MLS entirely.

With nearly 300 million visitors a month, Zillow is already where most buyers start their search. If it consolidates listing data into a single system, local MLS platforms could become irrelevant. According to [Redfin/Realtor.com], this would simplify real estate; others warn it could put too much power in one company’s hands. 

The MLS system today is fragmented and expensive. Instead of a single, efficient platform, hundreds of MLS regions exist, each controlled by local associations that rarely work together. Agents who want to represent a client just 30 miles away often have to pay another association for access. On top of that, different associations use separate lockbox systems, creating unnecessary hurdles for agents just trying to do their job.

However, if Zillow replaces the MLS, it won’t be for the good of realtors or consumers—it’ll be for profit. Zillow could raise fees, favor certain listings, and squeeze out independent agents. While it might make things simpler in the short term, long-term monopolies rarely benefit the people actually using the system.

From my perspective, the MLS itself isn’t the problem—it’s the way local associations have chopped it up into rigid territories that make little sense in today’s world. The internet changed real estate, but the current business model is still clinging to its 1980s "big hair" era. Instead of adapting, they’ve built a system that forces agents to pay into multiple associations, use different lockboxes, and deal with constant contract revisions that feel more like busywork than meaningful improvements. It seems less about efficiency and more about keeping the system alive for its own sake.

That said, I don’t believe Zillow should be the answer either. A single, for-profit company controlling all real estate data could lead to higher costs, less competition, and a system that prioritizes shareholder profits over the needs of agents and consumers.

The best path forward is a statewide or larger regional MLS system that actually serves real estate agents rather than creating seemingly arbitrary but costly territories. One that simplifies access, removes outdated barriers, and reflects how real estate works today. The industry is changing, and we can either push for a better system—or let someone else, like Zillow, decide it for us. 

DEV