Brief (?) Observations on the Value of the MLS

At the just concluded Inman Connect New York, I was privileged to be on a panel entitled “Is the MLS Doomed?” with Denee Evans, CEO of CMLS, and Rebecca Jensen, CEO of MRED. Despite being one of the biggest fans of the MLS in the industry, given that I am a lawyer by training and … Read more

Honest Question: Role of the Website in Real Estate Practice

The above is a Facebook ad I ran across, because… I guess Facebook thinks I’m a real estate agent. Or, it could be the numerous times I’ve interacted with Morgan Carey, CEO of Real Estate Webmasters. But either way, I actually got curious about this claim: “To become a top producer, you need an accessible website … Read more

The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations: The Inman Person of the Year Edition

Blogging, social media, and work activities have been at an all time low. Big part of the reason is that the above is my view right now, except that you can’t see the turquoise waters of the Caribbean glistening like a carpet of gems…. So yeah, getting on the ye olde laptop is not real … Read more

Embrace the Suck: Real Estate Edition

I’m working on a couple of year-end monster posts, but wanted to throw this up as a quick sort of mental snack before the other stuff. Through a friend, I was introduced to Mark Manson, the self-help guru. Normally, I think of self-help gurus the same way I think of used car salesmen and religious … Read more

Forest for the Trees: Opendoor Edition

I’ve been really, really busy traveling all over this great country of ours. Finally got to visit Montana which is every bit as beautiful as advertised… I think… since most of what I saw was snow blinding my windshield…. But the view from the plane coming in and flying out was exquisite. Must visit again … Read more

Quick Followup on Horiike v. Coldwell Banker – CA Dual Agency Case

A while back, I wrote about the dual agency case headed to the California Supreme Court: Horiike v. Coldwell Banker. At the time, I speculated on a bunch of things and then said we need to wait and see what the ruling is. Well, the Court has ruled and issued an opinion. The reaction from … Read more

Real Estate Needs a Rooney Rule

I just got back last night from the NAR Annual Convention in Orlando. There were some amazing conversations, and great parties with great friends, and interesting projects moving into the future. But there was one issue many of us were discussing that deserved this post before I have to pack up and leave for the … Read more