I hold it true, whate’er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; ‘Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all. – Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “In Memoriam” In my writeup of Redfin’s Q1 results, I wondered what happened to Redfin’s North Star: It used to be very clear: the … Read more
I’ve been busy with earnings season, which provides a unique peek under the hood of the five public companies (well, four, since EXPI doesn’t do earnings calls) and what they’re thinking about the future. But I saw something on the Book of Faces that made me think it’s a topic worth considering. It’s also a … Read more
As threatened, Greg and I recorded a special live version of Industry Relations, inviting everyone to join in on a free-flowing conversation about what’s next for real estate. It was… an interesting experience, and one unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. Turns out, “call-in radio” style might not be our strong suit. 🙂 Nonetheless, we … Read more
One of my favorite moments in recent earnings calls came when Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, used the phrase “delayed blast fireball” in an actual call. I ended up naming my writeup that, because as a former AD&D Dungeon Master, I got a real kick out of just how legit a nerd Kelman probably is. … Read more
Realogy was one of the first public companies in residential real estate to report Q1 earnings… and it was more or less what was expected: Q1 came in strong, even with the crash towards the end of the quarter with COVID. This was always going to be the case for Realogy and everybody else in … Read more
It’s been a minute or two since I posted; blame the mundane annoyances of moving. Yes, I’m one of those people who bought a house during the pandemic and managed to move, despite all of the problems with vendors and the like thanks to government limits. I’ve also been very busy with projects and have … Read more
Earlier today, I posted a request to speak to some of my Facebook friends who are deeply involved with REALTOR Associations, local, state and national. I’m trying to work out something for the future of the Association, post-COVID. Turns out, I have numerous friends who are deeply involved, which isn’t surprising given my career path. … Read more
I don’t often check the “message request” function on Facebook, but did so earlier today and found a request from a reader, Shelley Scanlin, from the state of Houston in the Republic of Texas: Hi Rob, would love to see you do a piece on w2 brokerages and if this has changed your opinion on … Read more
Since my last quick take on this, I have had more time to investigate, research, and talk to a wide variety of people from the real estate and financial worlds. I am more convinced than ever that iBuyer will return with a roar when this current shutdown is over, and why people in the real … Read more