Department of Labor Goes After Independent Contractors

As longtime readers know, I’ve been talking about the possibility of the 1099 exemption for real estate agents going away for quite a few years now. I first wrote about it in 2014, after raising the issue of real estate agents getting classified as employees at the 2013 T3 Summit, then again in 2015 in … Read more

Technology Deflation and Real Estate Business Models

Last week, I had what was probably my fifth conversation of the week with a proptech-brokerage-disruptor startup that went something like this: Save somebody (consumers, agents, brokers, MLS) a lot of money Build a large userbase Make money from referrals to service providers (appraisers, movers, mortgage, etc.) As a general matter, I don’t really see … Read more

Thoughts on the Remine Acquisition

I’ve now been asked by more than a few people on my take on the acquisition of Remine, the MLS technology provider, by MLS Technology Holdings, LLC., a new company formed by four major MLSs: ACTRIS (Austin), Heartland (Kansas City), FMLS (Atlanta) and Miami (er… Miami). Disclosure: I have personal relationships with three of the … Read more

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

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

Your Partners Reflect On You: Observation on Customer Service and Home Warranty Companies

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

In Which I Solve the Days On Market “Mess”

Over at Inman, there’s a great writeup of a truly inside baseball topic: the confusion and controversy around Days On Market. Andrea Brambila wrote the report on a panel discussion between Sam Debord of RESO, Rene Galicia of NAR, and Katie Smithson of W+R Studios. All three are people I count as friends, and they … Read more

Rethinking How MLS Rules Get Made, In Light of NOW Model

Over on Inman, Sam Debord, CEO of RESO, longtime friend of ours (even if we argue a bunch in public), and all around great guy penned an Op/Ed titled “Unshackling MLS data: It’s time to accelerate NOW.” I figured Sam was a supporter of the National Organization of Women, but… oh wait, different NOW. Sam … Read more

Requiem for a Dream: Redfin

I hold it true, whate’er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; ‘Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all. – Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “In Memoriam” In my writeup of Redfin’s Q1 results, I wondered what happened to Redfin’s North Star: It used to be very clear: the … Read more