Podcast Archives - Vendor Alley

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Katrina Romatowski: Rethinking Homeownership for the Next Generation with reSpace

June 4th, 2026

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Greg Robertson sits down with Katrina Romatowski, founder and CEO of reSpace, to discuss a new approach to housing affordability through co-homeownership. Drawing on nearly three decades in real estate, development, and housing advocacy, Katrina explains how reSpace redesigns homes into private suites with shared common spaces and enables buyers to purchase fractional ownership interests. The conversation explores affordability, homeownership as a wealth-building tool, aging-in-place design, MLS challenges, and the growing need for alternative housing models.

Key Takeaways

Katrina grew up throughout the Pacific Northwest, worked in construction from a young age, and built a career spanning real estate sales, development, and brokerage.
Her real estate company was founded as a social purpose corporation, leading to the creation of a nonprofit focused on housing and mentorship for people exiting incarceration and recovery programs.
The idea for reSpace emerged after selling a small infill home for nearly $1 million and questioning who could realistically afford it.
Inspiration came from fractional ownership models such as Picasso, but Katrina wanted to apply the concept to primary housing rather than luxury vacation homes.
reSpace creates homes with private suites that include ensuite bathrooms, closets, workspace areas, and personal amenities, paired with shared kitchens and living spaces.
Buyers purchase an ownership interest in the property, allowing them to live in high-cost neighborhoods at a price point closer to renting an apartment.
The model is designed to help first-time buyers, retirees, siblings, friends, and other groups gain access to ownership while maintaining independence.
Katrina argues that homeownership remains one of the most important pathways to building middle-class wealth and that affordability challenges are increasingly shutting people out of that opportunity.
A major hurdle for reSpace has been gaining MLS support for fractional ownership listings, despite existing standards that support partial-interest ownership categories.
Current projects include The Grove in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and a historic mansion redevelopment in Leschi, with plans to expand through technology and partnerships.

Links

reSpace

Snapshot by reSpace

Katrina Romatowski on LinkedIn

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Sunbound Studios

What Happens When Zillow Stops Playing Nice?

June 3rd, 2026

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Greg revisits his “Poking the Bear” article and argues that the industry may be underestimating what happens if Zillow is pushed into becoming a direct competitor. Using a Nike-versus-Hyatt branding analogy, Greg and Rob debate whether a Zillow brokerage, franchise, or even MLS would be a nightmare scenario or simply the next stage of competition.

The conversation expands into a broader discussion about MLS infrastructure, IDX, cooperation, listing distribution, and whether the industry is protecting outdated systems at the expense of innovation. Rob argues that the industry’s real asset is cooperation, not marketing, while Greg contends that blowing up existing systems creates more risk than reward. The result is one of the podcast’s most philosophical debates about competition, infrastructure, and the future of real estate.

Key Takeaways

Greg explains the premise of his “Poking the Bear” article and why he believes the industry should be careful about forcing Zillow into a more direct competitive role.
The hosts discuss whether a national Zillow brokerage or franchise would be a serious threat to existing brokerages and brands.
Rob argues that direct competition is preferable to the current situation because brokerages know how to compete against other brokerages, franchises, and MLSs.
Greg questions whether Compass’s evolution into a larger conglomerate could create opportunities for boutique and independent brokerage models.
The discussion shifts to MLS infrastructure, with Rob arguing that cooperation—not marketing—is the true value proposition of the MLS system.
Rob and Greg debate whether IDX remains relevant in its current form and whether it should become an opt-in rather than opt-out system.
The hosts explore the difference between cooperation data and marketing data, and whether those functions should be separated moving forward.
Greg argues that unrestricted competition could create unintended consequences, while Rob maintains that open competition ultimately benefits consumers.
The episode closes with a larger conversation about preserving what makes the U.S. real estate market unique while adapting to new competitive realities.

Links

Greg’s Article

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Padsplit

Atticus on LinkedIn

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Fixing Home Affordability One Room at a Time With Atticus LeBlanc of PadSplit

May 29th, 2026

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Greg Robertson sits down with Atticus LeBlanc, founder and CEO of PadSplit, to discuss the affordable housing crisis and how room-by-room rentals can create housing opportunities for people who are priced out of traditional apartments. Atticus shares his journey from commercial real estate broker to housing entrepreneur, the origins of PadSplit during the Great Financial Crisis, and how the company has grown from a single prototype house to more than 33,000 beds nationwide.

The conversation explores shared housing, affordability challenges, real estate investing, and the role technology can play in expanding access to housing. Key Takeaways Atticus grew up in New Orleans, studied Architecture and Urban Studies at Yale University, and credits competitive swimming with teaching resilience and persistence. After entering commercial real estate during the early stages of the housing crash, he discovered an overlooked opportunity in room-by-room housing. A chance encounter with tenants Mitch and Otis led to his first rooming-house experiment, revealing strong demand from renters who couldn’t qualify for traditional apartments.

PadSplit was founded in 2017 to provide the operational and technology infrastructure needed to make shared housing scalable. The platform functions similarly to Airbnb, connecting hosts with renters while handling marketing, screening, payments, move-ins, and support. Many PadSplit residents are workers earning modest incomes who are unable to meet traditional apartment qualification requirements despite having stable employment. The company has grown from 82 beds in 2018 to roughly 33,000 beds today. Shared housing can help homeowners offset mortgage costs and create pathways toward real estate investing.

Atticus argues that local market knowledge often matters more than national data when identifying successful housing opportunities. The average PadSplit resident stays about nine and a half months, though many remain for years due to the affordability and stability the model provides.

Links

Sponsors

Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs.

Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don’t know what an MLS is.

Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

There and back again, the IDX debate continues.

May 27th, 2026

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Rob and Greg dive into a major discussion about IDX, MLS rules, private listings, and whether MLSs should still control listing distribution in 2026. Using a Twitter exchange with Michael Wurzer as the jumping-off point, they unpack the history of VOWs, syndication, Zillow’s rise, and whether the industry is still operating on outdated internet-era assumptions.

Key Takeaways

Michael Wurzer’s IDX question leads into a larger conversation about MLS governance.
Greg argues MLSs could handle private listings with simple status changes.
Rob argues IDX was never intended to become the industry’s primary listing distribution system.
The history of ListHub, Realtor.com, Zillow, and syndication reshaping the industry is revisited.
Rob proposes MLSs focus only on cooperation while brokers control distribution themselves.
Greg pushes back on whether replacing IDX is actually simpler than adapting it.

Links

X Thread

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The MLS Channel Field Guide – From Giant Steps

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The Struggle is Real

May 20th, 2026

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

This episode starts with Greg discussing Giant Steps’ new MLS channel guidebook and the growing difficulty vendors face navigating organized real estate. Rob and Greg unpack how MLS relationships, site licenses, and enterprise deals have changed, why vendor distribution is getting harder, and how AI could completely reshape SaaS and real estate technology business models. The conversation then shifts into AI as “labor” rather than just software, token-based economics, infrastructure wars between Zillow, Compass, and the MLS ecosystem, and how the fallout from Sitzer/Burnett continues to reshape the industry. They also debate BLX, MLS cooperation, and whether MLSs are behaving more like governments than businesses.

Key Takeaways

Greg explains why MLS site-license deals are becoming rarer and why vendors increasingly need direct-to-agent strategies.
Rob compares MLSs to government bureaucracies and argues vendors often need “lobbyists” to navigate the system.
Discussion on AI shifting from a SaaS tool to a labor replacement model powered by compute and tokens.
Rob and Greg explore how Zillow, Compass, and MLSs are competing to become the core infrastructure layer of real estate.
Debate over whether BLX strengthens MLS cooperation or creates a path around traditional MLS systems.
The long-term ripple effects of Sitzer/Burnett continue to reshape technology, brokerage, and listing distribution strategies.

Links

Connect with Rob and Greg

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Cotality

Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios

BLX, Zillow, MRED, and Fight for Control

May 13th, 2026

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Rob and Greg react to Cotality’s launch of BLX, a new broker-focused listing input platform that immediately sparks debate over whether it’s a defensive move against portals or “Project Upstream” all over again. They dig into broker control, MLS compliance, native Matrix integration, and whether MLSs were blindsided by the launch.

They also discuss Zillow filing suit against MRED and Compass over private listings, leading into a larger conversation about industry framing, consumer transparency, and whether Zillow has become an unofficial regulator of real estate.

Key Takeaways

Cotality launched BLX, a broker listing input and distribution platform aimed at streamlining listing management across MLSs and portals.
Rob questions whether BLX effectively bypasses MLS authority and compares it directly to Project Upstream.
Greg argues the product is more about preserving MLS relevance as brokers increasingly use portal-based listing input systems.
Debate over whether MLSs were informed ahead of the BLX launch and how major Matrix customers may react.
Discussion around broker control vs. MLS compliance rules, especially regarding listing distribution and branding.
Zillow sued MRED and Compass over private listings and alleged restriction of competition.
Rob and Greg debate Zillow’s influence over consumer perception and whether portals should be shaping

Connect with Rob and Greg

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Cotality

Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios

Brian Boero on Storytelling, Signal, and What Comes Next for MLS

May 8th, 2026

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Greg Robertson sits down with Brian Boero of 1000Watt to talk about the current state of organized real estate, the future of the MLS, AI’s impact on SaaS and marketing, and why writing and storytelling still matter in an AI-driven world. They also preview 1000Watt’s upcoming Signal Conference and discuss a new “next generation MLS” concept the team is developing for the event.

Key Takeaways

Brian explains how 1000Watt blends strategic advisory work with branding, messaging, and design.
Greg and Brian discuss why strong writing is still a critical skill, even as AI tools become more common.
The conversation dives into private listings, MLS relevance, and the growing tension between brokerages, portals, and organized real estate.
Brian shares his core belief: “don’t mess with homes,” arguing that limiting access to listings could ultimately hurt the industry.
Greg and Brian discuss how AI may fundamentally reshape proptech, SaaS, and vendor business models over the next few years.
Signal Conference preview: 1000Watt will unveil a conceptual “future MLS” complete with branding, governance ideas, and a proposed business model.

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios

The Game of Chicken: MLS Style

May 6th, 2026

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview
Greg previews his ICE keynote, “What If We’re Wrong?”, challenging core MLS assumptions around data ownership, cooperation, and control. The discussion quickly shifts to MRED’s push to limit public data visibility, sparking a broader debate on transparency, Zillow’s leverage, and whether MLSs still hold real power.

Rob argues the industry is already moving past NAR’s authority, while both highlight growing instability across MLSs, vendors, and business models. The episode ends on a bigger theme: rapid change, AI, and the need for organizations to adapt fast—or fall behind.

Key Takeaways
– MLS assumptions around data and control are being tested
– MRED vs. Zillow signals a larger industry power struggle
– NAR is shifting toward an advisory role, not enforcement
– Larger MLSs are acting independently; smaller ones may still rely on NAR
– Vendors and MLSs face increasing uncertainty and decision paralysis
– AI is accelerating disruption across the industry
– Success now depends on speed, flexibility, and willingness to adapt

Connect with Rob and Greg

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Cotality

Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios

Acquisitions, Alliances & the Aftershocks

April 29th, 2026

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Rob and Greg break down the major industry-shaking news of the week: Real Brokerage acquiring RE/MAX, and what that means for brokerage consolidation, valuation logic, and the future competitive landscape.

They then dive into the far bigger strategic battle unfolding between Compass, MLSs like MRED, and portals like Zillow. The discussion centers on private listings, MLS policy fragmentation, and whether the industry is heading toward a full-scale “team vs team” conflict over control of listing data.

The episode explores how MLS consolidation, broker strategy, and consumer expectations are colliding—and whether this moment forces the industry into a decisive power struggle.

Key Takeaways

Real Brokerage acquires RE/MAX
A surprising buyer shakes up expectations around consolidation. The valuation gap raises questions about deal structure and long-term strategy.
Consolidation is accelerating
The deal reinforces a broader trend: bundling, scale, and platform expansion are becoming central to survival.
Compass vs Zillow dynamic is escalating
The industry is increasingly splitting into competing camps, with MLSs, brokerages, and platforms aligning strategically.
MRED move reframes MLS power
Opening the door for national listing distribution and cross-MLS participation could shift how MLS boundaries function.
Agent behavior is the wild card
Whether agents actually join additional MLSs (even if subsidized) will determine how impactful these strategies become.
Data control = power
The core conflict is about who controls listing visibility—MLSs, brokerages, or portals—and how that affects consumers.
Potential “war” scenario
If tensions escalate, outcomes could include rule changes, platform retaliation, or a forced industry reset that determines who ultimately sets the rules.

Connect with Rob and Greg

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