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Ecore, the data‑licensing subsidiary of California Regional MLS (CRMLS), announced on October 21 that it has sued Homes.com and its parent CoStar for breaching a January 2024 licensing agreement. The lawsuit alleges that the portal giant failed to pay the agreed $2 per listing fee that supports listing brokers. REcore says that after CoStar’s acquisition of Homes.com, the company’s representatives verbally committed to covering these costs, recognizing the value of broker‑contributed data. Negotiations over the past year failed, prompting the legal action.

    The complaint also accuses Homes.com of reneging on a promise not to become a participating broker—an arrangement that would grant it direct IDX access to MLS listings—yet the portal subsequently applied for such a feed. REcore expressed deep disappointment, stating that Homes.com and CoStar have refused to honor their financial obligations, which were intended to benefit the brokers who supply the data.

    In response to the alleged breach, REcore will terminate Homes.com’s and HomesPro’s access to CRMLS listing feeds on November 1. Brokers who wish to continue sending their listings to Homes.com can set up a Participant’s Data Return feed directly with REcore. The company notes that only entities that do not contribute data to the MLS are subject to licensing fees, a system approved by the U.S. Department of Justice and enforced by the National Association of Realtors under a 2008 consent decree. This framework ensures that brokers who provide valuable information are fairly compensated when their data is monetized.

    The dispute comes amid a series of conflicts involving CoStar and CRMLS. CoStar recently sued Zillow for copyright infringement, and the two firms have exchanged accusations as the litigation proceeds. Zillow also claimed that CoStar, which acquired Matterport last year, failed to renew its Matterport API agreement, prompting Zillow to remove Matterport tours from its listings. Meanwhile, CRMLS engaged in a public spat with Compass over listing ownership and control, though the matter has yet to reach court; Compass had earlier sued Northwest MLS over separate listing restrictions.

    Real Estate News has requested comments from both CoStar and REcore and will update the story once responses are received.