It’s nice to be recognized and it’s double nice to be recognized twice! Many thanks to Inman News for this nomination. Rob and I have been nominated several times, maybe this year is the year!
“We’re excited to join the team at Realtor.com® and view this acquisition as an incredible opportunity for our customers and team,” said Tom MacLeod, founder and CEO at Zenlist. “By tapping into Realtor.com®‘s trusted brand and scale, we’ll be able to enhance our platform, broaden our offerings, and continue delivering top-tier services and tools to even more industry partners and professionals.”
This makes a ton of sense, Realtor.com needs to move closer to the agent. It will be interesting to see if this helps Zenlist scale more quickly using Realtor.com’s “non-IDX” data.
What I also like about this deal is that Realtor.com gains a ton of young talent. Along with Zenlist CEO Tom MacLeod (who joined me as a guest on my Listing Bits podcast), there’s the super-smart Eileen Romito, VP of Sales and Operations, whom I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing and who has become a respected thought leader in the industry — and the stylish Andrea Bandio, Zenlist’s VP of Product and Design. I’ve highlighted Mr. Bandio before on this blog.
Congrats to Tom and the rest of the team!
I thought I’d pass along that New Mexico MLS is hosting a “mini” virtual summit at the end of the month. It’s FREE to attend. See link at the bottom.
Highlights Include:
- A high-level primer on the future of AI, featuring thought leaders from IBM and Google
- Real-life broker stories on using AI to streamline operations, boost communication, and work smarter
- Lightning product demos from AI tools that are already making waves
- Straight-shootin’ talk about ethics, risks, and rewards
This ain’t your average webinar. It’s a full-on showdown of innovation, insight, and inspiration. All packed into a 90 minute summit.
Don’t miss your chance to explore The Good, The Bad, and The Uncanny side of AI.
FREE = > Register for the Virtual MLS Summit
Compass agrees to share its exclusive listings, with 2 caveats
“However, the NYC-based brokerage that has fiercely championed private listing networks said its offer comes with two conditions: The brokerage or MLS agrees not to alter or monetize the homeowners’ listings in any way, keeping the listing agent front and center, and the brokerage or MLS can ensure agents won’t be fined or banned for sharing listings with the brokerage or MLS.”
It sounds like they’ve closed the book on their Private Exclusive Book. That was quick. And now it seems they’re launching a new narrative about sites and MLSs that “monetize” listing data. I thought this was all about “seller’s choice”?
Honestly, it’s hard to keep track of how much shit they throw at the wall. Will they ban Google from showing their properties next, since Google monetizes search traffic? Are they banning all forms of referral compensation, or just the ones from people and brokerages they don’t like? MLS orgs are not allowed to charge vendors data licensing fees? Well maybe that last one might work ; )
And what’s this nonsense about not wanting listing data to be altered? The reason Zillow and other portals stopped taking direct feeds from brokers is because the data was garbage. Why should Compass get to issue non-compliant data to the MLS while everyone else has to play by the rules?
And don’t even get me started on this idea of “ensuring agents won’t be fined or banned for sharing listings with the brokerage or MLS.” Who is going to take that risk?
Real Estate Technology Pioneer Joel MacIntosh Passes Away
“As the founder and CEO of Wolfnet, and later through its successful merger with OjO Labs, Joel was instrumental in modernizing real estate technology and pioneering IDX. His forward-thinking leadership built critical bridges between traditional industry practices and the emerging digital ecosystem, empowering countless professionals with tools and platforms that remain essential today.”
Make sure you read Victor’s tribute above. What a sad loss.
I can’t even count how many times I recommended WolfNet to other vendors, brokers, and agents. They basically invented the IDX space. Joel was a great guy—reliable, solid, and someone who touched a lot of lives.
Joel was one of my very first industry interviews, before I even started podcasting. I think this interview really shows the great sense of humor he had.
RIP, Joel. My condolences to his family.
Doorify MLS Joins Broker Public Portal as Strategic Investor
“Our investment in Broker Public Portal is a clear signal of Doorify MLS’s commitment to technology sovereignty in real estate,” said Matt Fowler, CEO of Doorify MLS. “By taking ownership in this broker- and MLS-controlled platform, we’re ensuring our industry retains vital control over its technology infrastructure and data. Our core mission is to provide consumers with the most comprehensive MLS search experience, directly connecting them with the local experts – their agents and brokers. This investment fortifies a platform truly built by the industry, for the industry, fostering genuine engagement between consumers and real estate professionals.”
The tech that Dan and his team have put together in such a short amount of time is pretty amazing. And I was especially impressed by this statement from the release:
“With this addition, the strategic investors in the Broker Public Portal are comprised of 44 brokerages and 48 MLSs, serving 1,047,000 agents.”
There seems to be a lot of opportunity out there. The tough part is just fitting all the pieces together. Fortunately, Matt and his team have no shortage of ideas, and with his background at Solid Earth I’m confident they will be a perfect strategic partner.
Association CEO – Southern Indiana Association of REALTORS®
“The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will serve as a collaborative strategic and operational leader, working in close partnership with the Board of Directors and staff to advance the organization’s mission. Together with the board and team, the CEO will lead initiatives to streamline operations, strengthen internal and external communication, elevate community and industry engagement, and position the organization as a visible, respected, and forward-thinking force in the region.”
The find out about this job or post a job, please visit the Giant Steps Job Board.
A thought hit me this morning while reading (yet another) piece about Compass suing Zillow over their “three-phased marketing strategy.” You know the one, start off with an “exclusive listing,” then open it up to Compass agents, and eventually put it on the MLS when the seller realizes they’d like actual offers.
It occurred to me: this whole thing smells a lot like the pitch we heard from iBuyers.
Think about it. What were iBuyers really selling? Convenience and certainty. “Skip the open house.” “Pick your closing date.” “Avoid strangers in your home.” That kind of thing. Compass’s exclusive listing strategy is, in many ways, pushing the same emotional buttons. It just has a better front man. Don’t get me wrong. I understand the appeal. I have more Opendoor stock at $22 per share than I care to admit.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Compass says that 94% of their listings end up on the MLS anyway. That stat feels oddly familiar—probably because Opendoor said the same thing when they quietly started syndicating to the MLS after realizing selling homes off-market wasn’t exactly a winning proposition. Hell, they recent shifted their strategy to sending seller lead to agents!
So if Compass listings are eventually going to land on the MLS… what’s the point of the detour?
Offering sellers a “soft launch” gives them a sense of control. Maybe they think their perfect buyer will materialize from Compass’s magical internal network before they have to show the place to the unwashed public. But just like the iBuyer promise of certainty came with a service fee and a haircut on price, the Compass pitch has its own catch: fewer eyeballs, fewer offers, and usually—eventually—a trip to the MLS anyway.
Call it what you want—three phases, soft launch, “concierge listing”—at the end of the day, broad exposure still wins. Everyone eventually runs back to Mama (the MLS).
Exclusive? Maybe. But if the final destination is still the MLS, it starts to feel more like a layover than a luxury.
Compass sues Zillow over private listings policy
“Compass filed a lawsuit in New York on Monday, alleging that Zillow is breaking federal antitrust laws by permanently banning any listing that isn’t put on an MLS within a business day of being publicly marketed.
“To protect its market dominance, Zillow has retaliated against competitive threats by enacting an exclusionary policy,” Compass argued in its lawsuit.”
Compass is already suing MLS organizations like NWMLS. Even in this industry the blustering that Reffkin is performing would put a carnival barker to shame.
All MLSs already have mechanisms to protect sellers who need confidentiality. To suggest otherwise is just false.
The real question is: does limiting exposure to a handpicked group of “right” buyers help most sellers? Maybe—if the home is ultra-unique. But for 99.9999% of listings, broad exposure is what gets results.
Remember the story of a seller using Compass’s “three-phase plan” who got her “magic number,” declined, then went public—and sold for $100K more.
Compass is selling a marketing strategy that only works in a hot market. As things cool or shift to a buyer’s market, that approach collapses.
Also worth noting: per NAR, 1 in 6 minority homebuyers reports facing discrimination. Does anyone really think keeping listings hidden improves that?
Rechat Doubles Revenue, Triples Customer Base, Grows Team and Introduces New Tools
“Celebrating its 10th year in business, Rechat is redefining how real estate professionals work by integrating AI across every part of the transaction. The platform offers a fully connected experience from lead to close, combining CRM, marketing automation, design, digital advertising, and smart transaction management into one single interface. With over 16,000 users, 75% average CRM adoption and expanding partnerships with top national brokerages, Rechat is setting a new standard for how agents engage with clients and grow their business.”
I see two (maybe three) camps forming:
Rechat looks like they’re getting a few things right. I’m especially impressed with their team. I’ve chatted with Rechat founder and CEO Shayan Hamidi and seen him speak. I also worked with Shaun Harkley at Lone Wolf, he’s a solid sales leader. And of course, newly added Audie Chamberlain is one of my favorite people in the industry.
The new kids seem to be chasing the same things the old kids were chasing: the elusive “all-in-one” product. Maybe Rechat’s “Super App” is a better path. And I wonder if AI is the key to actually making that happen?
