Aug 5 (Reuters) - Real estate giant Zillow ( ZG ) has settled a

lawsuit accusing U.S. home-listing services of unlawfully trying

to squelch competition for scheduling software and related tools

that agents use to show properties to potential buyers.

Seattle-based Zillow ( ZG ) said in statement on Friday that it

reached a settlement in the case against Arizona Regional

Multiple Listing Service and Multiple Listing Service, which

Zillow ( ZG ) filed in December in Arizona federal court. A U.S. judge

then dismissed the case at Zillow's ( ZG ) request.

The lawsuit marked the first Zillow ( ZG ) had ever filed against a

multiple listing service, the regional databases that give

agents for buyers and sellers access to new listings and other

residential real estate information.

Agents rely on "showing management software" on those

platforms to schedule and coordinate home showings. Zillow ( ZG )

alleged Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service conspired with

another service to boycott Zillow's ( ZG ) scheduling company,

ShowingTime, in violation of U.S. antitrust law.

The lawsuit said Arizona listing services formed their own

showing platform, Aligned Showings, to steer tens of thousands

of real estate agents in the Phoenix area to use it.

In their settlement statement, Zillow ( ZG ) and the Arizona

Multiple Listing Service said they were "committed to enhancing

the showing experience for their members." They said brokers

will be allowed to use both showing platforms.

Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service and other

defendants had denied any wrongdoing and asked a court to

dismiss Zillow's ( ZG ) lawsuit.

The defendants told the court they had made an independent

business decision to select Aligned Showings over Zillow's ( ZG )

ShowingTime.

The case is Zillow Group Inc ( ZG ) and ShowingTime.com LLC v.

Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service Inc et al, U.S.

District Court, District of Arizona, 2:23-cv-02701-MTL.

For Zillow ( ZG ): Beau Buffier and Eric Tuttle of Wilson Sonsini

Goodrich Rosati; and David Rosenbaum of Osborn Maledon

For Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service and Multiple

Listing Service: Edward Salanga and Brian Howie of Quarles &

Brady

Read more:

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