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
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
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
The mystery that is RE/MAX continues. Except that with Q3 results, it’s fair to conclude that whatever RE/MAX is doing just isn’t working. It pains me to write that, because as I’ve long observed, RE/MAX has some of the best people in the business led by one of the really good guys in the industry, … Read more
Q3 was by all measures a bangin’ quarter, as my wife Sunny might say, for most of the companies in residential real estate. I already wrote about Zillow’s amazing Q3 results, and I thought I would tackle the three major brokerage companies (sorry, Fathom, I’ll get to you as well eventually) that are publicly traded. … Read more
It appears that Redfin, the wokest brokerage in real estate, has been sued by a coalition of fair housing organizations for what they say is a violation of fair housing laws. Specifically, these organization claim that Redfin’s failure to provide services in lower priced areas that happen to be majority-minority, is a form of redlining. … Read more
I keep having to write posts like this, about NAR, about REALTORs, and the state of the industry. Some of you think I’m picking on NAR, but some of you who have known me longer, have worked with me on a variety of projects, know that I do this out of love. I genuinely believe … Read more
A couple of weeks ago, Judge Andrea Wood of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division issued a memorandum opinion denying the defendants’ motion to dismiss in the all-important case of Moehrl v. NAR. You can find the opinion here. As many of you know, I’ve been interested in … Read more
Thanks to a catastrophic plumbing issue that just happened at Casa de Hahn last Thursday, Sunny and I became front-row observers and participants in the customer service debacle that is home warranty companies. We’re nowhere near out of the woods yet, and we’re facing weeks of repairs ahead of us, including replacing the flooring throughout … Read more