Zillow

Whistleblowers’ Claims Revive Class-Action Suit Against Zillow

Zillow is back in hot water: A class-action suit against the online real estate giant is moving forward after insider whistleblowers alleged that the company designed its controversial “co-marketing” program to violate federal anti-kickback laws. “Premier” agents and brokers, who receive prominent placement on Zillow-listed home sites, pay hundreds or thousands of dollars a month in advertising …


Zillow Faces Lawsuit Over ‘Zestimate’ Tool That Calculates a House’s Worth

It was bound to happen: A homeowner has filed suit against online realty giant Zillow, claiming the company’s controversial “Zestimate” tool repeatedly undervalued her house, creating a “tremendous road block” to its sale. The suit, which may be the first of its kind, was filed in Cook County Circuit Court by a Glenview, Ill., real estate lawyer, Barbara Andersen. The suit alleges that despite Zillow’s denial that Zestimates constitute …


Zillow Ordered to Pay $8.3M in Copyright Lawsuit

A federal jury in Seattle has ordered Zillow to pay $8.3 million after finding the Seattle company infringed on copyrights of VHT Inc. on its Zillow Digs website. The suit was filed in 2015 in federal district court in Seattle, and the jury verdict was delivered Thursday, Zillow said in a regulatory filing Friday. The company said it will ask the court to reverse some portions of the verdict …


Zillow to Settle Irvine Overtime Suit for $6 Million

Zillow announced Monday it had agreed to pay $6 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by an Irvine employee accusing the firm of failing to pay overtime and pressuring employees to skip meal and rest breaks. The Seattle-based online real estate company had announced the settlement in May, but hadn’t disclosed the terms until Monday. The settlement had been contingent on a U.S. Labor …