Frink’s Role in the Zillow/Compass Meeting
During a meeting between Compass and Zillow executives on April 1, Frink’s presence was highlighted as a demonstration of Zillow’s commitment to finding a solution. Compass CEO Robert Reffkin had requested this meeting, aiming to encourage support for listing transparency. Zillow’s hope was to establish a national partnership with Compass, with Frink playing an integral role in the negotiations according to Compass.
Zillow, however, argues that Frink’s deposition is unnecessary as he has not been actively involved in ongoing discussions with Compass. The company believes Compass’s intention to depose Frink is merely an attempt to harass Zillow by targeting another senior executive.
Zillow’s Response
In response to Compass’s claims, Zillow has requested redactions in certain documents to prevent potential competitive harm. Zillow is seeking to protect its confidential response strategy from public disclosure, as well as its views on relationships with other industry participants to avoid influencing market behavior.
Compass had filed a lawsuit in mid-June, arguing that Zillow’s policy would cause irreparable harm by restricting the display of Compass’s listings on the platform. A motion for a preliminary injunction was filed by Compass just before the policy was set to take effect on June 30. Discovery is ongoing for a hearing on this motion scheduled for November.
As of late August, Compass’s private listings database had over 9,000 listings nationwide. However, recent data analysis shows a significant decline in the number of listings, indicating a notable shift in the market dynamics.