Senior Counsel, Industry Data

About the team

The Zillow Group Legal and Compliance Department is a dedicated team of skilled (and fun!) legal professionals who enjoy working in a collegial environment within an innovative, fast-paced tech, real estate, and media company. This role is part of the Technology Transactions Group, which provides strategic legal support for Zillow’s industry relationships, data, technology, privacy, intellectual property, marketing, and commercial transactions.

About the role

We are looking for a strategic, commercially minded attorney to help shape how Zillow acquires, uses, and operationalizes industry data. This role sits at the intersection of Zillow’s relationships with multiple listing services, brokerages, and other industry partners, and the products and experiences those relationships enable. It is well suited for a lawyer energized by sophisticated transactions, evolving industry requirements, and translating complex data rights into practical guidance that helps the business move forward. Industry data increasingly powers Zillow’s AI-enabled products and consumer features, and this role will help ensure that data is licensed, governed, and used in ways that support continued innovation.

You will be a day-to-day legal partner to Zillow’s Industry, Product, Engineering, and Operations teams. You will lead and support negotiations with MLSs, brokerages, and other strategic partners that advance Zillow’s 2026-2027 strategy; advise on the interpretation and implementation of MLS data licenses, rules, and policies; and help teams make sound decisions as products, market requirements, and industry relationships evolve.

You will be fully integrated in the legal lifecycle for a meaningful portfolio of industry data matters, from structuring and negotiating agreements to advising on product design, implementation, and ongoing operations. You will work closely with other Legal and Compliance teams on issues that implicate privacy, data governance, commercial strategy, marketing, intellectual property, and enterprise risk. You will also partner with legal leadership on matters that present significant cross-functional, market-specific, or relationship-sensitive considerations.

The right candidate brings strong commercial judgment, an ability to build credibility with internal and external stakeholders, and a practical approach to working through ambiguity. You are comfortable balancing legal, operational, and relationship considerations, can independently drive complex matters forward, and enjoy helping a business navigate an industry that is continually changing.

This position is intentionally designed to span two closely connected areas: strategic industry transactions and industry data operations. The relative emphasis may evolve as Zillow’s strategy, industry relationships, and product roadmap develop.

In this role, you will get to:

• •Lead or materially support the structuring, drafting, negotiation, and management of strategic agreements with MLSs, brokerages, franchisors, and other industry partners that advance Zillow’s 2026-2027 priorities
• •Advise the Industry Development team and senior management on deal strategy, commercial structure, and risk tradeoffs, from early concept through execution and ongoing relationship management
• •Help develop negotiation strategies, positions, and playbooks that balance Zillow’s commercial objectives, legal risk, relationship considerations, and operational feasibility, and that help the business move quickly and consistently across markets
• •Engage directly with counterparties, industry participants, and their counsel to help manage complex and relationship-sensitive external matters
• •Serve as one of Zillow’s legal subject-matter experts on MLS data, advising on the acquisition, licensing, display, use, and governance of MLS data across Zillow products and experiences
• •Advise on the rights, restrictions, and governance considerations for using MLS and other industry data in AI-enabled products and consumer features, and partner with Product and AI/ML teams on practical guardrails
• •Interpret and provide practical counsel on MLS data license agreements, MLS rules and policies, and related industry requirements, including market-specific implications for consumer and agent-facing products
• •Draft, negotiate, and manage MLS data licensing agreements supporting Zillow’s consumer display sites and agent-facing software products, balancing legal risk, business objectives, and operational feasibility
• •Partner with Industry, Product, and Engineering teams across the product lifecycle to identify and manage legal considerations as new products launch and as the industry adopts new policies
• •Help build internal data-management frameworks, policies, and controls that enable responsible, scalable use of MLS data in support of product innovation and Zillow’s contractual and industry obligations
• •Proactively partner with other Legal and Compliance teams on matters that implicate privacy, data governance, intellectual property, and enterprise risk
• •Monitor MLS, trade association, litigation, and regulatory developments and translate them into actionable guidance for business leaders
• •Create training, guidance, and scalable resources that help Industry, Product, and business partners understand MLS and industry requirements and make informed decisions while maintaining velocity

This role has been categorized as a Remote position. “Remote” employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice, which must be identified to the Company. U.S. employees may live in any of the 50 United States, with limited exceptions.

In California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington state, and Washington DC the standard base pay range for this role is $164,400.00 - $262,600.00 annually. This base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations.

In Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia the standard base pay range for this role is $156,200.00 - $249,400.00 annually. The base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations.

In addition to a competitive base salary this position is also eligible for equity awards based on factors such as experience, performance and location. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location. Employees in this role will not be paid below the salary threshold for exempt employees in the state where they reside.

Who you are

• •6+ years of relevant experience with a national or regional law firm or in-house legal department, with meaningful commercial transactions or data licensing experience; experience at an MLS, brokerage, real estate trade association, or prop tech company strongly preferred
• •A JD with active state bar admission in at least one jurisdiction
• •Deep knowledge of the residential real estate industry, including MLS structures, rules, and data licensing, brokerage operations, and the role of industry associations
• •Direct experience with MLS data licensing or policy, is a significant plus
• •A track record of negotiating complex commercial agreements, such as data licensing, technology, and strategic partnership agreements, and comfort leading consequential negotiations while protecting and strengthening long-term industry relationships
• •Working familiarity with legal frameworks relevant to real estate and data, such as fair housing, copyright, data privacy, and state real estate licensing laws
• •Experience advising product and engineering teams, with a working understanding of data feeds and data systems
• •Familiarity with AI and machine learning technologies, including the data rights, fair housing, and listing data concerns they raise in real estate; knowledge of emerging state and federal AI regulation is a p