Algorithms, Antitrust & the Undeniable Value of Local Agents

Last week, while sipping my morning coffee and flipping through the Wall Street Journal, I saw a headline that stopped me cold:

“FTC Sues Zillow, Redfin Over Agreement.”

The article explained how the FTC has filed a lawsuit claiming that Zillow and Redfin—two of the biggest names in online real estate—entered into an agreement that suppressed competition in a way that violates antitrust law. In short: the government believes they were colluding to limit how many platforms a listing could appear on… making it harder for competitors to play fair and easier for these two giants to keep control.

Now, I’m not a lawyer. But I am a real estate broker, and here’s what I can tell you:
This isn’t just about legality. It’s about ethics—and about how the big guys are trying to squeeze out the very people who know your street, your neighborhood, your story.

A Home Is Not a SKU

Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com—they all provide tools that can be helpful. I use some of them. But make no mistake: their business model is driven by algorithms, ad placements, and lead generation fees. They want control of the funnel. And sometimes, it seems, they’ll cross the line to get it.

The FTC’s lawsuit makes one thing clear: even the federal government is noticing that these platforms aren’t just “helping buyers and sellers”—they’re shaping the market in ways that may be unfair to the very people who make real estate human: local agents.

A house isn’t just a transaction. It’s not a “Buy Now” button like you’re grabbing a new pair of shoes.
It’s the street your kids grow up on. It’s the kitchen you make Thanksgiving dinner in.
It’s your biggest investment—financially and emotionally.

That’s not something an algorithm understands. But a local agent does.

What Local Agents Bring to the Table

Here’s what you get with a local agent that you’ll never get from an online form or a faceless platform:

• Market nuance — Knowing why that house sold for $40K over ask and this one sat for weeks.
• Negotiation savvy — Understanding how to position your offer or price your home in this zip code, not some national average.
• Relational knowledge — Who the HOA president is, how long that neighbor’s dog has been barking, or which inspector is honest and fast.
• Emotional intelligence — Helping a first-time buyer feel confident, or helping a family grieve as they sell the house Mom lived in for 40 years.

Zillow can’t do that. Redfin can’t either. And I don’t think they’re supposed to. That’s why people like us exist.

When the Big Guys Get It Right

Now to be fair—there are times when these national platforms do things that help local agents. I celebrate those moments. I’ve even partnered with them when it made sense for our clients.

But when companies cross the line—not just by accident, but allegedly in coordinated deals to eliminate competition—I think it’s worth sounding the alarm.

Real Estate Is Still Local

The internet changed real estate, no doubt. But it hasn’t replaced the heart of it: relationship, trust, local knowledge, and boots-on-the-ground experience.

So yes—use Zillow to browse on a Saturday morning. Check out Redfin to see the photos. But when it’s time to actually make a move, work with someone who knows your market, cares about your goals, and is sitting across the table—not behind a keyboard.

That’s what we do at Endless Summer Realty.
Because buying or selling a home is too important to leave to an algorithm.