Rob Hahn

Managing Partner of 7DS Associates, and the grand poobah of this here blog. Once called "a revolutionary in a really nice suit", people often wonder what I do for a living because I have the temerity to not talk about my clients and my work for clients. Suffice to say that I do strategy work for some of the largest organizations and companies in real estate, as well as some of the smallest startups and agent teams, but usually only on projects that interest me with big implications for reforming this wonderful, crazy, lovable yet frustrating real estate industry of ours.

Robstradamus Strikes Again: Office Exclusives and Clear Cooperation Policy

by

I am extremely busy putting the finishing touches on a massive report on CoStar and its entry into residential real estate, but… had to take a few minutes to… um, crow. Yes, I did sprain my shoulder patting myself on the back. But thought it maybe worthwhile in case people have forgotten the issues I … Read more

Pandemic, Gen-Z, and Household Formation

by

Longtime readers know that one of my abiding interests is in household formation among the younger generations in US and Canada. I even have a whole category/tag devoted to it: Generation Screwed – Millennials and Beyond. Thanks to a new post by Zillow Research, we have another opportunity to dip back into this evergreen topic. … Read more

Why Jenna Ryan Is a Test for NAR

by

Over on Inman, Andrea Brambila wrote a story in which NAR clarifies that what Jenna Ryan and other protestors at the Capitol did is not a violation of its new speech code rules: Participating in last week’s insurrection at the Capitol was not a violation of the National Association of Realtors’ new ethics policies unless a Realtor … Read more

Money Supply, Asset Bubble & iBuyers, Part 2: The Mortgage Play

by

In Part 1, we looked at the opportunities that might arise for iBuyers because the housing market is about to go cray-cray. The basic idea is that as hyperinflation hits housing, sellers will come to prioritize timing and certainty over getting the most money possible, because most of them will be buyers on the other … Read more

Money Supply, Asset Bubble & iBuyers, Part 1: Lessons from the North

by

After my last VIP post about money supply and possible asset bubble (?) in housing, I got a couple of emails from people asking what if any impact there might be on iBuyers as a result. I hadn’t thought hard about that, but it’s an interesting question. With some research, I’m leaning towards the idea … Read more

The Big Test for REALTOR Associations and New Speech Code: The Jenna Ryan Situation

by

A reader who asks for anonymity sent along some information on what’s going down right now in the Republic of Texas. I wasn’t aware of it because, well, I have a life outside of politics… and frankly, you can find far better places on the web if you want to get into politics. However, this … Read more

The Most Important Chart from 2020

by

The mainstream financial press is talking about what might be the single most important chart from 2020, which is above. The U.S. money supply increased dramatically in 2020. CNBC talked about it: “It’s fair to say we have never observed money supply growth as high as it is today,” Morgan Stanley chief U.S. equity strategist … Read more

The Seven Most Interesting People in Real Estate in 2020: The Unprecedented Edition

by

Welcome to the fifth installment of an annual tradition around here: the Seven Most Interesting People in Real Estate, the 2020 Pandemic Edition. This was a weird year, to say the least, and it isn’t over as I start this post. You know that word that was so popular all through 2020? “Unprecedented?” Yeah, unprecedented … Read more