Court grants permission for Lloyd Frink’s ‘Apex’ deposition; Zillow faces new class-action lawsuit

The Zillow co-founder Lloyd Frink is set to be deposed on September 24 in a prominent lawsuit against the online real estate listing platform. The lawsuit alleges that Zillow has engaged in deceptive practices, misleading homebuyers and inflating purchase prices through hidden fees paid by real estate agents. The lawsuit claims that Zillow’s “Contact Agent” or “Request a Tour” buttons on property listings mislead buyers by redirecting them to a buyer’s agent working for Zillow instead of the listing agent representing the seller.

Zillow has responded to the allegations, stating that the lawsuit misrepresents how they operate. They assert that they stand by their belief that buyers and sellers should have the choice to work with agents who are committed to their best interests. Zillow has expressed its intentions to vigorously defend itself against the claims made in the lawsuit.

In a separate legal development, a federal judge has approved Lloyd Frink’s deposition in the Compass v. Zillow case. Frink, who is Zillow’s co-founder, president, and co-executive chairman of the board of directors of Zillow Group, has been asked to provide unique and important information in the ongoing case. Despite objections from Zillow that Frink’s testimony would not be relevant to the preliminary injunction sought by Compass, the court has granted the request to compel Frink’s deposition, scheduled for September 24.

Additionally, a class-action lawsuit against independent brokerage Howard Hanna filed by homebuyer plaintiffs has received approval to be restarted. Federal judge Wendy Beetlestone of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has allowed the plaintiffs to update their claims and accusations in the lawsuit, which alleges that Howard Hanna participated in a conspiracy to inflate commissions. Beetlestone’s ruling emphasized that judges should allow such amendments unless there are specific reasons not to, such as undue delay or failure to address identified issues in the lawsuit. Howard Hanna’s objections to the restart of the litigation were overruled by Beetlestone, who found their arguments to be disingenuous.

In conclusion, these legal developments in the real estate industry, ranging from class-action lawsuits against Zillow and Howard Hanna to Lloyd Frink’s upcoming deposition, highlight the ongoing legal challenges and disputes within the real estate marketplace. It remains to be seen how these cases will unfold and impact the real estate industry in the future.