T
he great Zillow divide: a tale of two visions for the future of real estate. On one side, you have Compass and its ilk, championing private listings as a way to give buyers a more curated experience. They argue that by keeping some listings under wraps, they can direct prospective buyers to their own websites, where they can showcase their expertise and offer a more personalized service.

    But Zillow sees it differently. The platform has taken a hardline stance against private listings, banning those that start out as exclusive offerings. And in a move that's likely to ruffle some feathers, Zillow is now requiring eXp Realty to post its listings in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) within 24 hours of marketing them to consumers.

    At the heart of this dispute lies a fundamental question: what does it mean for home buyers when not all listings are created equal? When some buyers have access to a wider range of properties, while others are forced to navigate a patchwork of incomplete and biased inventory, trust is eroded and the market suffers. As Zillow's Errol Samuelson put it, "When buyers don't have the same access to home listings, it undermines consumer trust and weakens the market."

    The question on everyone's mind: will Zillow's stance ultimately cost them their crown as the go-to destination for real estate listings? Only time will tell.