Six MLS networks sue Compass in Manhattan federal court over private listings

What happened

Six multiple listing services (MLS) from across the country filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday morning in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Compass International Holdings, the New York Post reported on October 22, 2026. The plaintiffs are Arizona Regional MLS, Bridge MLS, Canopy MLS, REcolorado, Hive MLS and Doorify MLS. The Post describes the suit as a preemptive move to stop Compass from suing them on antitrust grounds over the rules they impose on brokers. It follows a similar suit filed earlier this month in the same court by the California Regional MLS.

The fight is over Compass's network of private listings. These are homes that are not in public view for house hunters to browse. Critics say the network gives Compass an unfair edge and undermines the MLS system. Compass says private listings give sellers choice and a way to test the market without public data such as days on market or price drops. A Compass spokesperson said: "Only the law and the homeowner should tell agents how to publicly market a home." Sources told the Post that more MLS networks are expected to join. That includes OneKey MLS, which serves metropolitan New York. OneKey did not return calls. On Tuesday, OneKey CEO Richard Haggerty posted a statement saying that withholding inventory can limit buyer access and a seller's return.

Compass merged with Anywhere Real Estate in January in a $1.6 billion all-stock deal. New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with attorneys general in the District of Columbia and Tennessee, is investigating Compass over possible antitrust violations. Compass would not comment on those probes. The Post reports that Compass pays $100 million a year to service $3 billion in debt tied to the Anywhere purchase. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker have asked the FTC to investigate practices that include private listings. They cite in part fair housing concerns about barriers to access.

Compass is also in a separate fight with Zillow. In May, Zillow sued Compass and the Chicago MLS, MRED, in Illinois. Last month, a federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois denied Zillow's request for a preliminary injunction, and both sides claimed a win. Brown Harris Stevens CEO Bess Freedman told the Post that getting access to Compass private listings is difficult and that private listings threaten fair housing rules. Appraiser Jonathan Miller said private listings do not get better prices.