(NewsNation) — The Federal Trade Commission is suing Zillow and Redfin, accusing the real estate companies of entering an illegal deal to suppress competition in online rental advertising.

In a news release, the FTC said Zillow paid Redfin $100 million. In exchange for that and more compensation, Redfin agreed to end contracts with advertising partners, stop competing ads for multifamily properties for up to nine years and serve as a syndicator of Zillow listings on its own sites.

Shortly after the agreement was made, Redfin fired hundreds of its employees and later helped Zillow hire its pick of the terminated employees. The FTC said this was a violation of antitrust laws and said the two companies framed the agreement as a fake partnership.

"Zillow paid millions of dollars to eliminat

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