Zillow

Thousands of Chicago-area home sellers lost access to Zillow today because MRED sacrificed the local market in favor of its largest brokerage, selling out consumers and other agents in the process. The Wall Street Journal calls it one of the most extreme moves yet in the fight over private listings. Now buyers and sellers in Illinois and parts of Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin are paying the price. An open market works for everyone. A hidden one works for Compass. We think the transparent, open real estate market that buyers and sellers depend on is worth fighting for. So that’s what we’re doing. https://lnkd.in/gESg4mud

Today the House passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Homeownership remains out of reach for millions of Americans, and that’s not for lack of desire, but lack of supply and affordability. This legislation is a meaningful step toward a final housing package that could help change that. Here's the thing, though. Policymakers can work hard to bring new supply online, but that supply won't reach the buyers and sellers who need it most if industry participants are allowed to hide inventory, create artificial scarcity, and charge premiums just to access homes that are for sale. You can build more houses. You can’t fix affordability if the rules of the market let insiders decide who gets to see them. Legislative progress matters enormously. So does the obligation of every participant in this market — brokers, platforms, trade associations — to make sure that every home for sale is visible to every buyer who's looking.

MRED, the organization that controls Chicago-area home listings, has cut off Chicagoland buyers, sellers and agents from Zillow to protect the hidden listing scheme of the largest brokerage in America. This is not a threat. It has happened. MRED is supposed to operate as a neutral marketplace for buyers, sellers and agents. Instead, it has cut off access from Chicagoland listings to the largest online real estate audience in the country. So, who did MRED actually make this decision for? When one brokerage controls nearly a third of a market and holds seats on the board of the organization that controls listing access, the rules tend to get written in that brokerage's favor. That's what happened here. And everyone else is now paying the price. The harm is real: • Sellers are losing the broad buyer reach they listed for — without their knowledge • Buyers no longer see a complete picture of what's for sale • Independent agents and smaller brokerages are losing listing exposure through no fault of their own Chicago is just the first. Compass is working to make this the norm everywhere. Home sellers, buyers and agents deserve better. Read more from Front Porch: https://lnkd.in/eB9Rrmdk

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🔥 Zillow's hottest rental markets for summer 2026 are here, and No. 1 is Providence. The Northeast and coastal California own the top 10 this year, and it comes down to supply. The U.S. built more new rental units in 2024 than any year in the past half century, but that boom largely bypassed these regions. Where construction kept up with demand (looking at you, Austin and Phoenix), renters have options and more leverage. Where it didn't, competition is fierce and rents keep climbing. That's the difference between a hot market and a balanced one. Full rankings: https://lnkd.in/gDXiwWfQ #ZillowResearch #RentalMarket #RealEstate

Leaving the Army doesn't mean you stop serving. After six years and two deployments, my dedication didn’t just leave, it shifted. Last month, a family came to me after being denied by another lender. No options. Living in a hotel. We found a solution and closed in two weeks. Service is about finding solutions regardless of the obstacle. It hits especially close to home when that service is for people who have dedicated their lives to all of us. Most veterans I've worked with don't know how powerful the VA loan is for building wealth. As someone who has used it 8 times, I can tell you firsthand — the resources are real, and they work. My job is to make sure you understand what's available to you so you can make the best decision for your family. To everyone thinking about homeownership: it doesn't have to feel frustrating or overwhelming. Resources are there for you. And real people have been exactly where you are.

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Home sellers lost $1.49 billion because their agent also represented the buyer. Restricting who could even see the home cost sellers another $1.36 billion. We analyzed 15 million transactions to get there — and the pattern held every single year. What's happening here isn't complicated. When one agent represents both sides, their incentive is to get a deal done with the buyer they represent, not to maximize the seller's price. The seller absorbs the cost of this conflict of interest — about $2,165 per home on average. Private listings follow the same logic. Fewer buyers see the home. Less competition. Fewer potential offers. Sellers who never listed on the MLS sold for 1.3% less than comparable public listings — and the penalty was steeper for lower-priced homes and in communities of color. Buyers lose, too. When homes are hidden from the market, buyers with the right connections get in. Everyone else finds out after the sale. Sellers and buyers both deserve an agent whose only job is to get them the best possible price, and a listing that every buyer in the market can see. When either of those things is missing, the consumer loses. Full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/gR4nrwhM