Hey Chicago!
Over the past few weeks, there’s been growing news about how Zillow may handle Chicago listings in the future, and it’s raised questions for people who rely on it to search for homes. Today we want to share some insights into what’s happening and what you need to know moving forward.
By the way, we’re the Ben Lalez Team, a Chicago based real estate team that works with buyers and sellers across the city every day. Part of our job is keeping a close eye on changes that affect how people search for homes, especially when those changes create confusion or mixed information online.
Right now, there’s a real industry issue involving Zillow that could affect how Chicago listings appear on their website. So today we wanted to cover what’s happening, what could potentially change, and how to make sure you’re not missing anything if browsing for listings is important to you.
What’s happening with Zillow in Chicago?
Zillow works by relying on agreements with local MLS systems and brokerages to display listings on their website. In Chicago, there is an ongoing dispute between Zillow and the local MLS over listing access and data standards.
This has been reported by multiple real estate industry outlets. We’re still some time away from a final resolution, but the disagreement has raised the possibility that Zillow could lose automatic access to Chicago MLS listings if the situation isn’t resolved.
As of today, that hasn’t happened yet.
What this means right now
Right now, Zillow is still working in Chicago, so nothing looks out of the ordinary if you’re browsing their website.
The concern is about what happens if this dispute leads to a cutoff or restructuring of how listing data is shared. If that happens, Zillow could show fewer listings, delayed updates, or no listings at all.
If Zillow no longer receives MLS data directly in Chicago, listings would only appear there if individual brokerages provide their own feeds. This would mean that real estate companies would have to give Zillow permission to display their listings, and you would only see listings that chose to cooperate with Zillow.
In other words, you won’t see everything available on MLS.
Of course, it’s also possible that the issue is resolved and nothing changes for consumers. Both outcomes are still possible, and there’s no confirmed timeline either way.
If Zillow stops showing a complete picture of Chicago listings, you still have alternatives. There are other consumer platforms that may continue to show more complete results depending on how they source data, including Homes.com, Realtor.com, and Compass.
Your best option right now
If you want to know what is actually available in Chicago, working directly with a local agent is the only way to remove the guesswork and be sure all listings are available to you.
As the Ben Lalez Team, we have full MLS access. That means every active listing in the city, updated in real time, not filtered, delayed, or dependent on third-party agreements. We can set you up with a search that shows everything as soon as it hits the market.
This doesn’t mean you have to stop browsing on your own. We know most people enjoy looking at listings online (we do too). But if Zillow or any other site starts showing partial information, relying solely on public platforms puts you at a disadvantage.
If you’re doing research or you’re seriously hunting for a property today, you can’t afford to overlook listings because you can’t see them.
What is the Ben Lalez Team doing?
We want you to know that we’re paying attention to this because it affects how buyers move forward. Our job is to make sure our clients aren’t relying on incomplete information or guessing whether they’re seeing the full market.
If you want us to set you up with a full search, or if you just want to confirm whether what you’re seeing online reflects everything that’s actually available right now, reach out to the Ben Lalez Team anytime. There’s no obligation. It’s simply the most straightforward way to stay informed while this situation plays out.
We’ll update this page if anything changes. Until then, the takeaway is simple: Zillow still works today, but how listings are shared in Chicago may change.
If your timeline is sometime in the near future, you’ll need to prepare for potential changes coming soon.
