In November 2025, Follow Up Boss updated its privacy policy with a clause that most independent brokers have not read.
If a contact in your Follow Up Boss database also has a Zillow account, Zillow can engage that contact directly. Zillow refers to this as "mutual customer data sharing."
For brokers who compete with Zillow for listings and buyers, this is a material change to how their CRM data works.
What Changed in the November 2025 Follow Up Boss Privacy Policy
Follow Up Boss was acquired by Zillow in 2023. At the time of acquisition, most agents shrugged. Follow Up Boss was a well-regarded CRM, Zillow paid a premium, and the product continued operating as before.
The November 2025 privacy policy update changed the practical relationship between the two companies for agents using FUB.
Under the updated policy, Zillow identifies contacts in your FUB database who also have Zillow accounts. These contacts can be engaged by Zillow directly, independent of your relationship with them.
The policy frames this as a feature of the connected ecosystem. For an independent broker competing with Zillow for listings, it looks different.
The RICO Lawsuit Context
In November 2025, the same month as the privacy policy change, Hagens Berman filed an amended RICO class-action complaint that named Follow Up Boss as a surveillance tool Zillow uses to monitor agent communications within its Flex program.
The lawsuit alleged that Zillow uses FUB data to identify which agents in its Flex program are most effective and uses that information to its advantage. The complaint cited 12 confidential witnesses.
Two related lawsuits were consolidated in December 2025 in the Western District of Washington federal court.
This litigation does not directly affect every FUB user. But it adds context to how the FUB and Zillow data relationship operates in practice.
What This Means for Independent Brokers
Independent brokers operate in direct competition with Zillow in several ways. Zillow's Premier Agent program competes with independent agents for buyer relationships. Zillow Offers competes with independent agents for seller listings in active markets. Zillow's Flex program routes leads to participating agents, creating a dependency that can be withdrawn.
An independent broker whose CRM data is accessible to Zillow is operating with a conflict of interest embedded in their core business tool.
This is not a theoretical concern. It is the current contractual relationship between Follow Up Boss users and the Zillow parent company.
What to Do About It
There are three paths.
Stay with Follow Up Boss and accept the data relationship. Some agents have decided this is not a material concern for their business. If you operate in markets where you do not directly compete with Zillow, or if your clients have limited Zillow engagement, the practical impact may be small.
Audit your contact list and determine how many contacts have Zillow accounts. This gives you a concrete sense of your exposure before making a platform decision.
Move to a CRM that is not owned by a competing interest. This means finding a platform where your client data serves your business exclusively, with no parent company that has a financial interest in your contacts.
What We Built Instead
AdamationAI is a full brokerage operating system built by an active real estate agent. Not owned by a lead portal. Not owned by a franchise system. Not owned by anyone competing with you for buyers and sellers.
Your contact data is yours. It has always been yours. We have no incentive to route your clients anywhere else, because selling your clients' data is not part of our business model.
If you are an independent broker evaluating your options after the FUB privacy change, we are happy to show you what a platform that is actually on your side looks like.
Book a 30-minute call at calendly.com/adam-adamationai/30min