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.

Seven Predictions for 2021: The Eurovision Song Contest Edition

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It’s that time of year again. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. And Rob making ridiculous predictions sure to be wrong about the year to come. Welcome to the predictions for the Year After the Pandemic. Let’s all raise a glass and forget that 2020 ever happened, and move … Read more

Disparate Impact and the NAR Code of Ethics

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In my previous post on the topic of the new NAR speech code regulations, I pointed out something I thought was problematic: In addition, the Committee recommends changing the definition of “Public Trust” with these changes: The Committee recommends that the definition of “public trust” be expanded to include all discrimination against the protected classes … Read more

Grading Time! The 2020 Predictions

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Okay, so… let’s be honest here for a moment. 2020 was the Year of Black Swans. I mean, when I made my Seven Predictions for 2020, I didn’t have a global pandemic, government lockdowns, and the nastiest election in history on my list of things to consider. So I’m pretty sure I already know the … Read more

A Facebook Live on OKRs with Albert Hahn, former Head, Google for Startups Korea

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Just a fun little thing for the weekend. I hosted a livestream on Facebook and elsewhere with Albert Hahn, former head of Google for Startups Korea on Wednesday, on the topic of OKRs. This is a way of measuring progress and productivity that has become rather popular with technology companies, and Google is probably the … Read more

Harshing the Mellow: NAR, DOJ, Lawsuits

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I’m actually a bit busy with critical research and writing, but thought I’d take a moment out to write something fun and lighthearted about real estate. Then I read this in Inman: “DOJ-NAR settlement will effectively squash 2 consumer antitrust suits.” The author contends that the recent DOJ-NAR settlement is a wonderful thing, as it … Read more

CoStar Acquires Homesnap: Welcome to the Black Parade!

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A couple of nights ago, I saw this news come across my feeds… but it was Sunday evening, and I needed to think about this a bit. The headline alone should give us all an idea of what’s what: CoStar Group Agrees to Acquire Homesnap, a Digital Residential Real Estate Solutions Provider Used by 300,000 … Read more

REX and the DOJ: Implications for the Future

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[Quick disclosure: While I admire and respect Jack Ryan, CEO of REX, and count him as one of my friends, I have no business relationship with REX, apart from using them for a home purchase. I have spoken to REX prior to writing this post to make sure that I do not violate any confidentiality … Read more