Take a moment to reflect on the past year in real estate… What were the hot topics of 2017? The appointment of a new NAR CEO is probably on your list, along with Zillow jumping into the iBuyer game and Redfin going public. Maybe the Upstream pivot came to mind, or one of the many stories around venture capital and private equity investing in tech-enabled brokerages.

Rob and Greg are taking the time to look back at 2017 and discuss the top five issues that rocked residential real estate this year. They start with the appointment of Bob Goldberg as the new leader of NAR, evaluating his performance so far and how the proposed tax bill will test him in this role. Rob and Greg go on to cover 2017 as the year of the iBuyer, explaining how the model is yet to be profitable and the circumstances under which platforms like Opendoor and OfferPad might become more mainstream.

Rob offers his take on the dynamics between Redfin and Zillow, discussing why he considers the Redfin IPO to be the biggest thing in real estate this year. Greg raises the issue of SoftBank’s investment in Compass, speaking to the influx of capital pouring into the space and the many examples of consolidation in the industry. They walk through the impact of MLS of Choice and what might change as a result of the new policy as well as the question of what success looks like for RPR as Upstream appears to lose relevance. Listen in for Rob and Greg’s overview of the hottest stories in real estate this past year and their insight on what’s to come in 2018.

What’s Discussed: 

The appointment of Bob Goldberg as NAR CEO

How the tax reform bill will serve as a test for Bob

What made 2017 the year of the iBuyer

How market conditions and margins impact the popularity of iBuyers

Why Rob considers Redfin going public the biggest event of 2017

Redfin’s employee-agent model and culture of consumer focus

The influx of capital pouring into residential real estate

-  SoftBank’s $450M investment in Compass

-  Consolidation and tech-enabled brokerages

The significance of ‘MLS of Choice’

The proposal to shut down RPR

Upstream’s apparent loss of relevance

 

Resources:

Brian Boero on 1000watt

“Why Does Compass Keep Winning?” in Inman

 

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website