Preliminary injunction hearing in Compass v. Zillow to begin in late November

Compass and Zillow are taking their legal battle to the courtroom. On Thursday, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, a New York City-based U.S. District Court judge, ruled that the evidentiary hearing for Compass’s motion for a preliminary injunction in its suit against Zillow will begin on November 18, 2025, and end on November 21, 2025.

In its motion, Compass is asking the court to stop Zillow from enforcing its listing access standards, which bans listings that are not entered into the MLS within 24 hours of public marketing. 

The preliminary injunction is part of a lawsuit Compass filed against Zillow in late June, in which it claims that Zillow is a monopoly and is harming competition and Compass through its listing access standards policy. 

Compass was granted its motion for expedited discovery related to its preliminary injunction motion. 

On Monday, the parties submitted a letter to Judge Vargas ahead of a status conference held on Wednesday, outlining their proposed parameters for the expedited discovery. The November 18 start date for the hearing is a compromise, as Compass wanted it to start on November 3 and Zillow was asking for a December 8 start date.

Additionally, Judge Vargas ruled that expert witnesses will be precluded from offering their thoughts on “the topic of irreparable harm suffered by Compass, Inc., but shall be permitted to opine on the potential harm to consumers, including homebuyers and sellers.” This is inline with Zillow’s wishes. Lawyers for the listing portal giant told Judge Vargas in the joint letter that “allowing expert testimony on irreparable harm to Compass (or lack thereof) is both unnecessary and would constitute sandbagging.” 

“Any information relating to harms that Compass claims to have suffered is within Compass’s own knowledge and could and should have been set out with Compass’s PI Motion,” the letter stated.

Zillow’s answer to the complaint or its motion to dismiss must be filed within 30 days of the court’s ruing on Compass’s preliminary injunction motion.