even if zillow & trulia merge, none of the potential disruptors in the real estate listings space (zillow, trulia, redfin, fsbo, etc.) have any real chance unti

even if zillow & trulia merge, none of the potential disruptors in the real estate listings space (zillow, trulia, redfin, fsbo, etc.) have any real chance until the MLS system is dismantled... and brokers have a massive disincentive against that--brokers have exclusive access to property data via their local MLS before anyone else. the MLS's allow some access to this data to zillow & trulia, but will never let them have instant & complete info since it's the MLS's core competitive advantage. agent commissions will remain at 5-7% as long as the MLS system is in place. but MLS's are not going away any time soon. even the DOJ looked into breaking them up via legal action and gave up. interestingly, new york city does not have a strong MLS presence, but is basically an oligopoly of 6 major brokers, so the effect is the same. figure out a way to dismantle the MLS system and you're looking at a >billion dollar business (just note that zillow & trulia have been trying for ~decade, so it's not an easy problem).