by Dani Vanderboegh | Apr 11, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Turn up the volume on your real estate success at Inman On Tour: Nashville! Connect with industry trailblazers and top-tier speakers to gain powerful insights, cutting-edge strategies, and invaluable connections. Elevate your business and achieve your boldest goals — all with Music City magic. Register now.
Every Friday, Inman Service Editor Dani Vanderboegh rounds up the most popular, most read, most critical stories of the week to give you a quick catchup on the big headlines you might have missed in the hustle and bustle of the workweek. Here’s this week’s Top 5 as chosen by our readers.
P.S. Don’t miss The Download, our weekly column that breaks down one of the week’s top stories and equips you with what you’ll need to meet next Monday head-on.
The new policy, which eXp Realty became the first brokerage to commit to, takes effect in May and comes after a decision by NAR to amend its Clear Cooperation Policy, executives said Thursday.
Ray Lopez, left, Joseph Firmin, center, and Veronica Figueroa, right.
Three Orlando, Florida, area franchisees claim Figueroa benefited when Joseph Firmin, her director of growth with The Fig Team at eXp Realty, allegedly broke a non-solicitation agreement.
Success is inevitable, Jimmy Burgess writes, when you’re coming from a place of service and value-added client care.
The way agents succeed is undergoing a profound transformation, broker Nick Schlekeway writes. Are you adapting and adopting new tools fast enough to keep up?
AJ Canaria and Canva
Douglas Elliman and Corcoran have quietly announced private listing networks within their brokerages as the conversation about private exclusives continues to heat up across the industry.
Email Editorial
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by Dani Vanderboegh | Apr 11, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Turn up the volume on your real estate success at Inman On Tour: Nashville! Connect with industry trailblazers and top-tier speakers to gain powerful insights, cutting-edge strategies, and invaluable connections. Elevate your business and achieve your boldest goals — all with Music City magic. Register now.
Every Friday, Inman Service Editor Dani Vanderboegh rounds up the most popular, most read, most critical stories of the week to give you a quick catchup on the big headlines you might have missed in the hustle and bustle of the workweek. Here’s this week’s Top 5 as chosen by our readers.
P.S. Don’t miss The Download, our weekly column that breaks down one of the week’s top stories and equips you with what you’ll need to meet next Monday head-on.
The new policy, which eXp Realty became the first brokerage to commit to, takes effect in May and comes after a decision by NAR to amend its Clear Cooperation Policy, executives said Thursday.
Ray Lopez, left, Joseph Firmin, center, and Veronica Figueroa, right.
Three Orlando, Florida, area franchisees claim Figueroa benefited when Joseph Firmin, her director of growth with The Fig Team at eXp Realty, allegedly broke a non-solicitation agreement.
Success is inevitable, Jimmy Burgess writes, when you’re coming from a place of service and value-added client care.
The way agents succeed is undergoing a profound transformation, broker Nick Schlekeway writes. Are you adapting and adopting new tools fast enough to keep up?
AJ Canaria and Canva
Douglas Elliman and Corcoran have quietly announced private listing networks within their brokerages as the conversation about private exclusives continues to heat up across the industry.
Email Editorial
This post was originally published on this site
by Dani Vanderboegh | Apr 11, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Turn up the volume on your real estate success at Inman On Tour: Nashville! Connect with industry trailblazers and top-tier speakers to gain powerful insights, cutting-edge strategies, and invaluable connections. Elevate your business and achieve your boldest goals — all with Music City magic. Register now.
Every Friday, Inman Service Editor Dani Vanderboegh rounds up the most popular, most read, most critical stories of the week to give you a quick catchup on the big headlines you might have missed in the hustle and bustle of the workweek. Here’s this week’s Top 5 as chosen by our readers.
P.S. Don’t miss The Download, our weekly column that breaks down one of the week’s top stories and equips you with what you’ll need to meet next Monday head-on.
The new policy, which eXp Realty became the first brokerage to commit to, takes effect in May and comes after a decision by NAR to amend its Clear Cooperation Policy, executives said Thursday.
Ray Lopez, left, Joseph Firmin, center, and Veronica Figueroa, right.
Three Orlando, Florida, area franchisees claim Figueroa benefited when Joseph Firmin, her director of growth with The Fig Team at eXp Realty, allegedly broke a non-solicitation agreement.
Success is inevitable, Jimmy Burgess writes, when you’re coming from a place of service and value-added client care.
The way agents succeed is undergoing a profound transformation, broker Nick Schlekeway writes. Are you adapting and adopting new tools fast enough to keep up?
AJ Canaria and Canva
Douglas Elliman and Corcoran have quietly announced private listing networks within their brokerages as the conversation about private exclusives continues to heat up across the industry.
Email Editorial
This post was originally published on this site
by Darryl Davis | Apr 11, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the power of the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!
Zillow has announced a controversial new policy that it claims supports the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) — but in reality, it punishes agents and sellers who choose to follow the very rules the National Association of Realtors just put in place.
Beginning in May, if a listing is entered into the MLS but the seller chooses to delay syndicating that listing to the IDX feed — a new fully authorized option under NAR’s latest policy — Zillow will permanently ban that listing from appearing on its platform.
Let that sink in: A homeowner who hires a licensed agent, lists their property in the MLS and simply chooses to delay public exposure on Zillow — a right now granted under NAR’s updated rules — will be penalized by Zillow. No second chances. No listing visibility. Ever.
While Zillow claims this is about fairness and equal access for buyers, the truth is this move directly undermines seller choice and agent autonomy. Let’s break down exactly what this means — and why it signals something much bigger than just a policy change.
“If you publicly market a listing — on social media, via an email blast, or even with a yard sign — but delay putting it on the IDX feed, your listing will never be allowed on Zillow. Not now, not later. Period.”
They say it’s about creating fairness and giving all buyers equal access. That’s their spin. But when you look at the facts, it starts to feel more like a power move than a policy rooted in consumer benefit.
But wait — isn’t delayed syndication allowed by NAR?
Yes. In fact, the National Association of Realtors recently introduced a new policy called Multiple Listing Options for Sellers. This rule allows homeowners to enter their listing into the MLS, but delay its appearance on public websites like Zillow, Realtor.com and others by temporarily withholding it from the IDX feed.
The intent? To give sellers more flexibility and control over how and when their home is marketed online.
But apparently, Zillow doesn’t like this rule
Instead of embracing this seller-first policy, Zillow has chosen to push back — hard. Their new stance is clear: If a listing is in the MLS, but the seller chooses to delay its appearance on the IDX feed, and the property is publicly marketed in any way, Zillow will permanently ban that listing from its site.
This isn’t just a technical enforcement. It feels like retaliation — not against sellers or even agents, but against the policy itself. Zillow is punishing those who follow the new rule as a way to signal their disapproval of NAR’s decision to allow delayed marketing.
Zillow isn’t leveling the playing field — they’re flipping the board
When a company becomes as dominant as Zillow, it seemingly starts to believe it can make the rules — even when those rules contradict the very systems (like the MLS) that have kept real estate transparent, competitive and fair for decades.
Let’s call this what it is: Zillow is attempting to control how agents market homes, how sellers exercise their rights and how buyers find properties.
They’re not doing it for the greater good. They’re doing it because they want to own the pipeline — and punish anyone who dares to step outside their system.
If listings can be marketed and sold without Zillow — even briefly — it calls into question Zillow’s relevance. And that’s a threat. Especially to its lead-generation business model, which depends on agents believing Zillow is an essential tool.
The moment agents and sellers prove otherwise, the platform’s grip weakens. So Zillow is moving to prevent that from happening — not by improving its service, but by forcing compliance through exclusion.
The warning signs are clear
We’ve seen it before: Tech giants that climb to the top, start flexing their dominance — only to watch the cracks start to show.
Think of MySpace, once untouchable in the social media space, until its rigid platform and refusal to adapt opened the door for Facebook. Or Netflix, once the disruptor, which now faces a growing backlash and subscriber loss after trying to control content and pricing too aggressively. Even Amazon and Google have come under fire from regulators and industry groups for monopolistic practices and abusing their market positions.
The pattern is clear: When companies start acting like they’re untouchable, their downfall begins.
Zillow is entering that territory — pushing policies that serve their platform, not the people who use it. And whether they realize it or not, this may be the beginning of the end.
Zillow, I’m not your friend
Since the COVID era, I’ve been sounding the alarm: Zillow does not have the best interests of real estate professionals at heart. And this latest move only confirms what so many of us have felt all along.
Zillow has no intention of being our partner — its actions have shown time and again that it intends to be our replacement.
Need proof? Look no further than Zillow’s acquisition of ShowingTime, dotloop, its strategic purchases like mortgage companies, and its former pivot into iBuying with Zillow Offers — all moves designed to bring more of the transaction in-house, cutting agents further out of the process.
In 2021, Zillow even hired real estate agents directly to handle transactions in select markets, confirming their willingness to cross the line from partner to competitor.
But perhaps most telling is Zillow’s aggressive defense of its acquisitions. After purchasing ShowingTime, Zillow faced resistance from certain MLSs. Notably, the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) and Wisconsin’s Metro MLS developed their own scheduling tool, Aligned Showings, and decided to add that to the MLS system.
In response, Zillow filed a lawsuit in December 2023, alleging that these MLSs were unlawfully attempting to monopolize the market by sidelining ShowingTime in favor of their own product. The lawsuit was settled by June 2024, with the terms undisclosed, but the move underscored Zillow’s intent to dominate every facet of the real estate process — even if it means taking legal action against industry partners.
And don’t forget this little tidbit: Zillow’s co-executive chairman and former CEO Rich Barton is also the founder of Expedia — the very platform that helped decimate the travel agent industry by giving consumers the tools to book directly, bypassing professionals.
So what can we do?
As a real estate professional, it’s time to draw a line in the sand. Stand for your profession. Stand for your clients. And most importantly, stand for the future of real estate — a future that’s driven by people, not platforms.
That means:
- Educating your clients on the value you bring
- Resisting platforms that seek to marginalize or replace you
- Choosing vendors who support your role — not undermine it
- Uniting with fellow professionals to speak up in associations and push back when needed
This isn’t just about listings. It’s about leadership. And we need strong leadership now more than ever.
Darryl Davis is the CEO of Darryl Davis Seminars. Connect with him on Facebook or YouTube.
This post was originally published on this site
by Andrew Reichek | Apr 11, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the power of the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!
While open houses aren’t a necessity for all homebuyers, some find the opportunity to see, feel and experience a home in person can turn a consideration into a must-have purchase.
The chance to physically inspect key features, experience living conditions and ask agents direct questions can help buyers visualize their future lives in homes on the market, but hosting an open house event isn’t always easy.
Below is a comprehensive guide to open house do’s, don’ts and rules for estate agents to help avoid common mishaps and present sellers’ properties in the best possible light.
Why host an open house?
Hosting an open house provides sellers and agents a great opportunity to guide prospective buyers through the best aspects of a property in a welcoming and professional environment.
Of course, some buyers prefer to focus on key details in listings, but giving people a chance to inspect physical features and ask detailed questions in person can be invaluable.
Redfin research from 2020 suggests open houses can increase sale values by as much as $9,000, while reducing the time a property spends on the market by up to seven days.
However, when open houses aren’t carefully planned and managed, agents and sellers run the risk of buyers losing interest.
What to do when hosting an open house
To run a successful open house, agents must prioritize presenting properties in the best possible light while remaining honest and ensuring potential buyers feel welcomed.
With this in mind, below are four key points to consider when hosting your next open house.
1. Do make sure required forms are signed
Open house regulations changed in 2024, with the National Realtors Association (NAR) introducing new rules for sellers, buyers and agents to follow.
Under the new NAR rules, agents must make sure potential buyers sign at least one form before entering any listed property, the most common of which include:
- Limited Property Representation Agreement: Grants agents the right to provide more detailed information about the property to prospective buyers for up to 30 days.
- Open House Visitor Non-Agency Disclosure Form: Acknowledges that the agent is acting as a representative of the seller and has no professional ties to the buyer.
- Full Exclusive Buyer Representation Agreement: Defines an exclusive agreement between the agent and the buyer in relation to real estate and brokerage services.
2. Do engage with prospective buyers
Open houses give agents the opportunity to form real connections with prospective buyers.
Be friendly, welcoming and polite to every attendee to help them form a positive relationship with the property they’re viewing.
Make sure to tailor your approach to different visitors, ensuring all prospective buyers feel comfortable asking questions if they wish, but equally free to explore the property in peace.
3. Do highlight the property’s best features
Being face-to-face with prospective buyers gives you a chance to showcase key features in ideal conditions.
Take cues from each attendee and consider what they’re looking for in a home. For example, some buyers may appreciate HOA or neighborhood features like security cameras, while others may be more interested in architectural details and features.
4. Do have printouts ready for attendees
Well-organized, professional printouts detailing key property information and features help buyers plan walkthroughs around their needs.
Presenting factsheets to visitors on entry provides a starting point for conversations about the property, helping you gauge what individual buyers are looking for and demonstrating your commitment to facilitating a friendly, welcoming and professional service.
What not to do when hosting an open house
While open houses can make properties more attractive to potential buyers, poorly managed events can drive buyers away.
1. Don’t host at an inconvenient time
There’s little point in hosting an open house if no buyers are available to see it, so you need to think carefully about times and dates.
Hosting in the afternoon on weekends will usually attract the biggest crowds, but hosting on weekday evenings can be a good idea if you want more control over viewings.
2. Don’t put pressure on potential buyers
Pressuring prospective buyers into making a deal right away can lead to unhappy visitors and potential reputational damage, so steer clear of high-pressure sales tactics.
Listen to each attendee’s needs and offer helpful guidance where you can, but avoid slipping into a sales pitch without any confirmation of real interest.
3. Don’t let the seller have too much input
Of course, the ultimate goal of an open house is to find a buyer and make the seller happy, but sellers won’t necessarily have the same soft skills as you do.
It might not be intentional, but sellers can sometimes show desperation or put pressure on potential buyers, so it’s important for agents to take full control of open house events.
4. Don’t overlook the power of social media
Bringing attention to open house events is made much easier when agents harness the power of modern marketing tactics, helping draw in bigger crowds from much farther afield.
Post about events on social media sites, include high-quality pictures and video tours, and take the opportunity to highlight key property features listings may not draw attention to.
Follow the rules
Open houses can help agents engage with potential buyers and show off the best features of listed properties, but only if rules, regulations and best practices are carefully followed. By considering factors like updated NAR rules, communication with visitors and appropriate hosting times, agents can leverage open houses to improve the sales process for all parties.
Andrew Reichek is the President of Bodebuilders.com. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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by Inman | Apr 11, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the power of the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!
Want to level up your business? Inman Access offers expert-led tutorials with insights, advice and ideas designed to help you build your skills every day.
With industry dynamics in flux, there’s no better time to catch the wave and position your business for growth. Ryan Serhant, the founder of the eponymous SERHANT. brokerage, shares his latest strategies for success with the Inman community.
Elevate your skills and set yourself up for success in 2025. Watch the session above, plus get fresh content added weekly, with Inman Access.
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