Compass vs. Zillow, Private Listings & Your Legal Risk

In this powerful conversation, luxury specialist Michael LaFido sits down with James Dwiggins—third-generation broker, co-founder of NextHome, and host of Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered—to unpack what’s really happening in real estate post–August 17, 2024 and why every agent, team leader, and broker-owner needs to pay attention. James was one of the first voices in the industry to publicly lay out what the commission lawsuits and settlement would mean for real estate professionals, long before most leaders were talking about it. In this episode, he and Michael break down how offers of compensation have changed, why “just put it in the offer” is the safest path forward, and how agents may be unknowingly exposing themselves to steering claims and future litigation. They also dive deep into the high-stakes battle between Compass and Zillow, private networks, and the looming threat of a “private listings war” that could reshape the MLS, crush smaller brokerages, and even push Zillow to become a full-blown brokerage. Throughout the discussion, one theme stays front and center: your fiduciary duty to the consumer, and why transparency and exposure—not secrecy and restriction—are still the best path for both buyers and sellers. In this episode, you’ll learn: What actually changed for buyers and sellers after August 17, 2024 Why calling the listing agent to ask “What will your seller pay the buyer’s broker?” is a legal landmine How to structure your buyer rep and compensation conversations to reduce risk The real difference between MLS-wide private networks and brokerage-only private networks How the Compass vs. Zillow fight could trigger massive consolidation—and what that means for your future in this business