So in advance of Friday, which is when I figure most people might have time to read something like this, I wanted to let everybody know that the Future of Brokerage Black Paper is now available. Some of you who requested a copy received it by email a week ago (check your filters if you … Read more
It’s New Year’s Eve, 2017. The champagne is chilling, dinner reservation has been made, and it’s quiet around here. Rare thing, this quiet. In any event, on this last day of 2017 — a year filled with changes, both good and bad and in-between — I thought it’d be fun to take a look back … Read more
So I’ve decided to add to my end-of-the-year workload by starting something new this year. I call it the Interesting List, and there are seven people — a number that is sacred to me as well as many of the world’s oldest religions — on it. Hence, The Seven Most Interesting People in Real Estate. … Read more
I’ve been extraordinarily busy due to a bunch of deadlines for a couple of projects. That isn’t an excuse, or an apology, but a setup since it was research for one of those projects that leads to this post. Let’s not bury the lede: On current trends, Redfin will overtake Realtor.com as the second most … Read more
One of the recurring problems of the real estate industry is that it is almost entirely reactive when it comes to problems. We continually look backwards, rather than forwards, then wonder why things don’t improve. A good example is the latest recommendation from Victor Lund of the WAV Group, who promotes Redfin’s idea that IDX … Read more
Okay, it turns out that Part 2 was the difficult one to write, because of how complicated organized real estate is. Part 1, the impact on brokerage, is here in case you missed it. The final question is the impact on technology vendors in real estate. They are actually a pretty important part of the … Read more
Okay, so look, I know that I have a certain reputation in the industry. Pot-stirrer, trouble-maker, truth-teller, all around pain in the ass, and so on. Even my friends know I can get argumentative about some things. And I do wish that I could post positive uplifting things all the time, but you know, when … Read more
I know, I know… another post about Redfin… that isn’t Part 2 which deals with the impact on parts of the industry that aren’t brokerages. But I’ve been busy, and still thinking through the impact on MLS, Associations, tech vendors, etc. In the meantime, my good friend and regular guest contributor to this blog, the … Read more
Redfin’s long-awaited IPO is here. Rob’s as-usual-lengthy breakdown is here. It’s full of interesting angles to consider, and some real positives for Redfin’s outlook. As you probably guessed, since I’m here guest posting again, I think a few points might need refining. Why, you might ask, would a broker be giving credit to a competitor? … Read more