Compass CEO Robert Reffkin predicted that Zillow would eventually become “the MLS” during a November 8, 2024 panel at the National Association of Realtors’ NAR NXT conference. It was his forecast—not an announcement that Zillow had become a multiple listing service or proof that the prediction came true.
What did the Compass CEO say about Zillow and the MLS?
At the Boston panel, Reffkin said: “My view is that Zillow is going to be the MLS. It’s only a matter of time.” The event report published the following day presented the remark as his view of where the industry might be headed. It did not establish that Zillow was taking over MLS operations or that the other panelists shared his prediction. Real Estate News’ November 9, 2024 report recounts the discussion.
Is Zillow going to become the MLS?
The report does not show that Zillow became an MLS. Reffkin’s line was a prediction about the future, not a description of the system at the time. The panel included leaders from Zillow, CRMLS and Bright MLS, as well as Reffkin and Keller Williams Capital Properties president Kym Lovett-Menkiti. Their discussion exposed different views about listing-data access and the role of MLS cooperation; it did not produce agreement that Zillow would replace or become the MLS.
Why did Reffkin think the MLS might change?
The disagreement was tied to the National Association of Realtors’ Clear Cooperation Policy, which the event coverage described as requiring a property to be listed on an MLS within a day of being publicly marketed. Reffkin opposed that approach and argued for greater seller choice in how listing information is shared. He also said that public signals such as days on market and price reductions can weaken a seller’s position. Those were his arguments, not neutral findings established by the panel coverage. The event report places his remarks in that policy debate.
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How did the other panelists view MLS data and cooperation?
Other participants emphasized the value of broad access, cooperation and competition among industry services rather than endorsing Reffkin’s forecast.
- Errol Samuelson, Zillow’s chief industry development officer, reaffirmed Zillow’s support for an MLS as a “two-sided marketplace with equal access to information.” He said, “The best agents win on skill, not information asymmetry.”
- Art Carter, CRMLS CEO, defended competition among MLSs and brokerages, saying: “Brokerages should compete on service and price. MLSs should compete on service and price.”
- Kym Lovett-Menkiti, co-owner and president of Keller Williams Capital Properties, argued that data remains a reason for an MLS and that brokers need information.
- Brian Donnellan, Bright MLS CEO and moderator, described MLSs as built on cooperation and compensation.
Together, these remarks show the fault lines of the discussion: how widely listing data should circulate, how much control sellers should have over exposure, whether public-market signals should be displayed, and whether MLSs and brokerages should compete through information access or through service and price. The panel report documents positions, not a settled answer about which model will prevail. Real Estate News is the original event coverage; GeekWire republished that report.
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What the prediction means for home buyers and sellers
For consumers, the debate is about who controls listing information and how much of it is visible—not simply which company operates a website. Reffkin emphasized seller choice and potential drawbacks of public market history; Samuelson and the MLS leaders emphasized shared information, cooperation and the continuing role of MLSs. The cited event coverage establishes those competing arguments, but it does not establish their effects on an individual transaction or confirm a later change in the MLS structure.
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