Can You Regulate “Public Marketing”?
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob and Greg open the episode by honoring Glenn Kelman’s retirement from Redfin, reflecting on his leadership style, industry impact, and memorable moments. The conversation then pivots to new state-level legislation in Wisconsin and Washington targeting listing transparency, and whether laws attempting to regulate “public marketing” will actually change broker behavior—or simply create loopholes. Key Takeaways Glenn Kelman’s legacy: Widely regarded as a first-ballot industry Hall of Famer for...
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Compass Closes, CoStar Cuts, TAN Stirs the Pot.
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob and Greg dive into a packed week in real estate: the Compass–Anywhere deal officially closes, CoStar announces major spending cuts for Homes.com, and the recently settled Top Agent Network lawsuit raises big questions about the future of Clear Cooperation. They debate what these moves mean for MLSs, brokers, and portals—and preview the industry shake-ups still to come. Key Takeaways MLS Reset is sold out, with Rob returning as a featured speaker. Compass–Anywhere deal closes, surprising some...
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What if the MLS Becomes Optional?
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview In this episode, Rob and Greg dive into the implications of a future where exclusive listings become the industry norm. They explore how this shift could reshape brokerages, MLS operations, agent recruitment, consumer transparency, and portal business models. With a slow news week in real estate, the discussion becomes a deep speculative analysis of what happens if the market fully embraces private listing networks, how big brokers consolidate power, and whether the MLS becomes a “nice to have” rather...
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Forecast 2026: Mortgage Rates, MLS Wars, and Industry Consolidations
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob Hahn and Greg Robertson close out the year with their annual predictions episode. They debate where housing transactions, interest rates, and home prices are headed, then turn to broader market forecasts. The conversation shifts to industry-specific predictions around lawsuits, private listings, MLS policy, portal strategy, and where consolidation may reshape brokerages and real estate technology next. Key Takeaways Existing home sales, interest rates, and median home price predictions — with very...
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2025 in the Rearview: Who Got It Right?
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob Hahn and Greg Robertson close out the year by revisiting their 2024 predictions and grading how they actually turned out. From transaction volume and mortgage rates to MLS power shifts, NAR’s role, Zillow’s influence, and major industry moments, the episode becomes a candid year-in-review on what really changed—and what didn’t—in real estate. Key Takeaways Greg outperformed Rob on most economic predictions, including transaction volume, mortgage rates, and median home prices. The stock...
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Who Runs Bartertown?
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob Hahn and Greg Robertson dig into the escalating conflict between Zillow and MRED over private listing networks (PLNs), IDX rules, and Zillow’s Listing Access Standards (ZLAS). What starts as a dispute over listing visibility quickly becomes a deeper conversation about power: who ultimately controls listing data—the MLS or the portal? The episode explores MRED’s emails to brokers, Zillow’s outreach for direct feeds, potential January disruptions, and why this fight could set a precedent for...
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How Much Transparency Is Too Much?
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview In this episode, Rob and Greg dive into the recurring issue of embezzlement and financial mismanagement within small Realtor associations. Using recent cases as a jumping-off point, they debate what “transparency” should actually look like in a member-driven nonprofit, whether associations should provide full access to financial records, and what safeguards could reasonably prevent future financial failures. The discussion gets spirited as they explore audits, member oversight, governance culture, and...
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From ‘Raise the Bar’ to ‘Lower the Stakes’: Real Estate’s Consistency Problem
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob and Greg break down the newest developments in NAR governance, the fallout from the failed referral-fee disclosure vote, and the rapid moves by industry players like eXp and CAR to implement their own transparency standards. They also examine broader structural questions: Should MLSs raise the bar? Is the NAR brand salvageable? The conversation then turns to Zillow’s decision to remove climate-risk scores, shifting public sentiment, and the growing political and economic pressures facing housing,...
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Compass and Zillow Play Chicken
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview In this episode, Rob and Greg dive into the newly surfaced Zillow–Compass court documents, a leaked Zillow strategy plan, and Mike DelPrete’s analysis of the preliminary injunction hearing. They also discuss the broader market context—from the real cost of living in 2025 to generational tension—and debate whether the lawsuit will meaningfully change industry behavior. The conversation closes with predictions, stakes, and possible compromise paths between Compass and Zillow. Key Takeaways A...
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MLS Emancipation?
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob and Greg break down what happened at NAR NXT in Houston — from the empty expo floor to major MLS–Association policy changes. Greg shares on-the-ground insights from meetings, parties, and conversations with MLS leaders, while Rob analyzes the strategic implications of NAR’s 18-point PAG recommendations and what he calls the “emancipation” of MLSs. They also discuss winners and losers of the policy shifts, potential impacts on associations, vendors, portals, and brokers, and tee up a future...
info_outlineThe Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!
In this episode, Rob and Greg recap Inman Connect San Diego, discuss the current state of the real estate industry, and explore the hype and utility of AI in real estate. They cover industry gossip, shifting executive roles, macroeconomic forecasts, and heated disagreements on whether AI truly enhances the client experience.
Key Takeaways
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Inman Connect Recap
Greg shares his experience from Inman Connect, including a pre-party at his studio and the CEO Connect session. -
NAR Membership Projections
Kevin Sears (NAR President) revealed current membership is ~65,000 above projections at 1.4M; however, NAR is budgeting for 1.2M members in 2026. -
Agent Churn
Annual agent churn is approximately 20%, meaning roughly all members cycle every five years. -
CoStar vs. Zillow Lawsuit
The buzz at CEO Connect centered around CoStar suing Zillow over image copyrights. Rob believes CoStar has a solid strategy involving strategic acquisitions to bolster legal claims. -
Executive Moves
Chris Heller moved his team to eXp; York Baur (formerly of MoxiWorks) joined Lone Wolf—highlighting industry consolidation and competition. -
AI in Real Estate
Greg sees promise in AI for marketing content, lead gen, and operations. Rob remains skeptical of AI’s impact on client experience, arguing that service still relies on human interaction. -
AI Assistants and the Future
The debate intensifies around whether AI chat or voice assistants can enhance service or erode trust in agent relationships. -
Generational Divide on Service
Rob emphasizes trust and high-touch service; Greg counters that efficiency and new client expectations may shift norms.
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