this Week in Real Estate

Today on this Week in Real Estate we've got a LOT of economic news!

🚨 Opendoor's Bold New Move… Then Their CEO Steps Down?!

📉 Home prices are falling. 🏘️ Sales are slowing. 🤯 The market is sending mixed signals—and we're breaking it all down.

In this week's tWiRE Podcast, we cover:

🔁 Opendoor launches Cash Plus, trying to reignite demand—just before CEO Carrie Wheeler abruptly resigns. What's going on behind the scenes?

📉 Summer home sales hit a 10-year low—what that tells us about buyer fatigue and seller hesitation.

🏠 Mortgage rates fall again, but is it actually helping buyers?

📊 Home prices drop in 39 of the top 50 U.S. metros, with July prices ticking down for the first time in months.

🧱 Builder confidence remains flat, even as single-family starts creep up.

🗺️ Six maps show a chaotic housing market that's shifting fast.

📉 Weekly mortgage demand stalls, despite better affordability.

🎯 Whether you're an agent, a buyer, or an investor—you need to know what's really happening beneath the headlines. This episode pulls no punches.

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments and subscribe for weekly real estate insights with no fluff and no fear-mongering.

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🚨 RECORD PRICES, LEGAL BATTLES & BIG BROKERAGE WINS — Here's What's REALLY Happening in Real Estate This Week

From Trump's plan to take Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac public to the first buyer brokerage commissions class action in Canada, the real estate world is buzzing — and we're breaking it all down.

📈 Commissions are climbing back to pre-NAR settlement levels, Realtor income is up overall (but 62% of new agents earned under $10K), and Gary Keller warns the recession could last until late 2026.

🏡 Home prices remain at all-time highs, even as cracks appear in some markets. Refinancing demand just jumped 23% — with riskier loans making a comeback. And shockingly, 1 in 5 buyers say they'd compromise safety just to own a home.

💼 In brokerage news, Compass posts record numbers, Rocket finalizes its Redfin deal, and Real Brokerage turns a profit. Meanwhile, Opendoor's stock rally turns hostile as one investor calls for the CEO's removal.

This week's hot topics:

• Trump eyes Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac IPO by year's end
• Canada's buyer commission lawsuit enters the spotlight
• Commissions rebound to pre-settlement rates
• Realtor income trends — who's really winning?
• Big brokerage earnings & M&A moves
• Home prices hold at record highs
• Refi surge & return of riskier loans
• Homebuyers willing to compromise safety for affordability

📌 Whether you're an agent, investor, or homeowner, this episode gives you the facts behind the headlines — minus the fluff.

🔔 Subscribe to tWiRE Podcast for sharp, no-nonsense real estate news every week: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekInRealEstate

Mortgage rates just hit their lowest level in 10 months, but is it enough to spark a rebound in a market Goldman Sachs says will fall another 8%? This week on tWiRE, we're digging into the headlines that are reshaping real estate:

🏠 Buyers Strike Back: A new lawsuit claims a major brokerage steered clients toward a specific lender—raising major RESPA red flags.

📉 Opendoor Tanks Again: After Q2 earnings disappoint, the CEO leans into meme stock mania

💰 Agent Income Holds Steady: NAR's 2025 Member Profile shows surprising resilience—even as the market slows.

🌎 Buyer's Market Emerging? Home prices are dropping in 14 major metros, and affordability is improving in key cities.

📊 Goldman Warns of a Housing Drag: Why the housing sector might remain the weakest link in the economy this fall.

🌆 Market Standouts: Milwaukee is outperforming, Las Vegas is cooling fast, and some Kansas ghost towns have homes cheaper than a Tesla.

🏗️ AI Enters Homebuilding: It's still early—but smart tools are beginning to shape how we build homes.

⚖️ Mortgage Fraud Probe: Senator Adam Schiff is under federal investigation in a case that could have ripple effects across real estate and politics.

💬 What are you seeing in your market? Drop a comment below and join the conversation.

📌 Subscribe for sharp, no-fluff real estate breakdowns every week.

🔥 CoStar is coming for Zillow—suing over 46,000 allegedly stolen real estate images. Is this just the beginning of a brutal portal war?

Meanwhile, Compass faces questions about its "3-phase plan," KW's CEO says private listings should be a local call, and housing data suggests the market is shifting… again.

We break down:

• CoStar's copyright lawsuit against Zillow: the stakes, the strategy, and who's next

• Compass's pushback against agent concerns over private marketing

• Keller Williams' surprising position on pocket listings

• Redfin + NAR market data showing sellers are adjusting, buyers are still hesitant

• Mortgage demand drops again—what's really going on with rates?

• A rare bright spot: starter homes up 4% in June

• DC's housing supply spike: what it tells us about urban inventory

• The bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act—what's actually in this bill?

• CRE slowdown hits architects: is this the next commercial signal?

Whether you're an agent, investor, or just watching the market like a hawk—this week is packed with tea, trends, and tactical insights you don't want to miss.

React Link: "The Real Fight Behind The Zillow Ban: Compass President of Growth Speaks Out | Rory Golod" - https://youtu.be/B_QOUdJ6qiY

This week on tWiRE, dive into real estate's hottest stories and critical market shifts! Controversy erupts as a Chicago homeowner claims his $200K listing appeared without consent—who's accountable? Zillow fires back at Compass, labeling their innovative 3-phase listing strategy a "hidden scheme." NAR launches a powerful new market stats dashboard exclusively for members, tracking affordability and trends in real-time. Meanwhile, a Redfin journalist shares painful lessons learned after losing $25K on his home sale, and Opendoor finds itself in the spotlight again—but it's not about selling homes. Plus, reality star Tyler Cameron jumps into real estate with SERHANT—who else from TV is switching careers?

In market news, June home sales slump as prices hit another all-time high, and home prices dip slightly across major metros, notably Washington, Austin, and San Diego. Mortgage demand stalls with rates at a 4-week high, while new home listings drop to their lowest in nearly two years. Finally, some relief: sellers are adjusting prices downward, easing monthly mortgage burdens, and institutional landlords face surprising new competition.

Stay informed, stay ahead—subscribe and turn on notifications for weekly insights!

🔥 Real Estate Shakeup: Lawsuits, Private Listings & Mortgage Market Mayhem! 🔥

This week on tWiRE, the real estate industry faces courtroom drama as NAR scores a major victory over discount brokerage Homie in an explosive antitrust battle. Keller Williams dodges a bullet as they're cleared from a major telemarketing lawsuit, while Compass stirs the pot by opening its private listings—sort of—to competing brokerages. Could this move redefine private listings or just deepen the industry divide?

Meanwhile, Homes.com is sending waves (and mailers) nationwide, asking homeowners to pay for boosted exposure. Is this bold new tactic innovation or exploitation? Plus, Austin's MLS believes they've cracked the code on the private listings puzzle—will their solution become the industry standard?

Realtor.com strengthens its agent-client collaboration with Zenlist acquisition, and Zillow's summer release brings drones, AI, and big data into home-buying—game-changing tech or flashy gimmicks?

Economically, mortgage demand takes a 10% nosedive amid climbing rates and rising recession fears. Family money emerges as the key player behind young buyers' down payments, highlighting growing economic divides. With U.S. home prices hitting yet another historic high, is affordability slipping permanently out of reach?

And don't miss our dive into real estate's next frontier—space! Companies race to establish lunar data centers and orbital infrastructure, proving that even the sky isn't the limit for real estate.

🎯 Key Topics Covered:

• NAR vs. Homie Antitrust Decision

• Keller Williams Lawsuit Dismissed

• Compass Private Listing Changes

• Homes.com's Controversial Mailer Campaign

• Austin MLS Private Listing Solution

• Realtor.com & Zenlist Collaboration

• Zillow's Tech Innovations: Drones & Data

• Mortgage Demand Plummets

• Nepo-Homebuyers & Family Wealth • Record-High Home Prices

• Real Estate's Lunar Frontier

• Major Wins in Landmark Tax Reform

• Crypto Scam Targeting Real Estate Agents

• FHFA Credit Scoring Expansion

📌 Subscribe NOW to stay ahead of the latest trends, market insights, and industry news shaping real estate today. Don't get left behind—this is where real estate professionals, investors, and savvy homebuyers come to stay informed!

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https://bit.ly/RASCall Are Buyers Back?! & eXp Fires Back at Compass | Mortgage Rates Drop, Inventory Slips, & Listing Drama Explodes

📉 Mortgage rates just hit a 3-month low—and this time, buyers noticed. We're diving into the latest demand surge, Redfin's update showing a drop in new listings and pending sales, and what it all means for a market caught between affordability and FOMO.

🏗️ Multifamily completions near a 40-year high while single-family supply remains tight, raising questions about housing balance and investor opportunity. Plus, job growth remains solid, keeping the economy steady even as real estate rides the rollercoaster.

🔥 Then we get into the real drama: eXp vs Compass. eXp CEO Glenn Sanford throws shade with: "You can't champion consumers and gatekeep listings." We break down that bold statement and react to key moments from Ricky Carruth's interview with Compass President Rory Golod, where everything from commission lawsuits to culture clashes is on full display.

📚 Plus, we tour a home that literally doubles as a library—The Book House in Columbus, Ohio. With walls lined with vintage novels and secret passages hidden behind bookshelves, this place is what real estate fairytales are made of.

🧠 What You'll Learn in This Episode:

Why buyers are suddenly reentering the market

What falling pending sales really tell us about demand

How multifamily completions might shift rental dynamics

Where Compass and eXp clash on the future of listing access

Why The Book House is the most magical listing we've seen this year

💬 Join the conversation: Are we heading into a buyer-friendly market again, or is this just another head-fake from falling rates? And who's right in the eXp vs Compass battle—open access or curated control?

🔔 Subscribe for weekly real estate insights without the fluff. We break it down, call it out, and keep it real—every single week.

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Zillow's listing ban is officially live—and the industry isn't taking it quietly. This week, we break down the chaos as Compass challenges Zillow's new private listing rules and ThePLS.com sues NAR. The battle for listing control is heating up.

Meanwhile, Congress just passed what's being dubbed a "Big, Beautiful Bill"—and for once, real estate professionals are celebrating. We'll walk through what's inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and how it aims to fuel economic growth, ease housing development, and open the door for broader financial innovation—including crypto mortgage considerations via Fannie and Freddie.

In the market? It's still choppy:

• Pending sales are bouncing around
• New listings are starting to stall
• Condos are seeing steep price cuts
• Buyers just gained $16,000 in purchasing power thanks to a dip in mortgage rates
• And yes, homeowner's insurance premiums continue to climb in nearly every state

Also this week: Bitcoin is entering the home loan risk chat, with new rules forcing Fannie and Freddie to factor crypto assets into lending decisions. Is this the start of a crypto-friendly housing market?

🟢 This Week's Key Segments:

• Zillow's Private Listing Ban Kicks In
• Compass and PLS vs. the Industry Giants
• The "Big Beautiful Bill" Explained
• Fannie, Freddie, and Crypto Mortgage Changes
• Mortgage Rates, Buyer Power & Market Signals
• Condo Price Drops & Insurance Rate Hikes

🔔 Subscribe for no-fluff, no-fear real estate breakdowns. Whether you're an agent, investor, or just real estate curious—we've got you covered.

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Zillow faces a lawsuit. Opendoor flips its model. And U.S. home prices just hit a new all-time high.

In this week's episode of This Week in Real Estate (tWiRE), we break down what's really happening in the housing market—from slowing price growth to rising inventory—and what it all means if you're thinking about buying, selling, or working in the industry.

📌 Topics this week:

• Compass sues Zillow over its ban on private listings—antitrust questions at the center

• Opendoor starts sending seller leads to agents—a major strategy shift

• The "6% commission" myth—what recent data from 2021 to 2025 actually shows

• Landlords win right to repayment in court ruling with broader implications

• New home sales drop sharply while inventory hits a 3-year high

• Home prices reach record highs, but growth is slowing

• Mortgage rates and buyer demand remain stalled

• 6% of sellers now risk selling at a loss—here's where and why

• Top 5 buyer-friendly markets with price cuts and more inventory

• VALID Act levels the playing field for veteran homebuyers

Whether you're tracking home price trends, wondering if it's a good time to buy or sell, or trying to understand commission structure, this episode gives you the insights that cut through the noise.

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This week on This Week in Real Estate (tWiRE), we're unpacking a whirlwind of industry headlines that could reshape how agents, brokers, and buyers navigate the market.

📰 INDUSTRY TEA:

• Realtor.com goes scorched earth on private listings, saying agents are on the "wrong side of history."

• Sharran Srivatsaa joins Alex Hormozi's Acquisition.com in a power move that's making waves across business circles.

• A new crypto scam is targeting real estate agents—we break down how it works and how to protect yourself.

• Opendoor agrees to a $39M settlement over its controversial pricing algorithm.

• Legal fights heat up: Home sellers try to keep lawsuits alive against eXp and Weichert, and Keller Williams faces a new telemarketing suit.

• Real estate giant Anywhere slashes its 2025 earnings outlook by 10% as the market cools.

📉 MARKET WATCH:

• Homebuilder sentiment is crashing toward pandemic-era lows.

• Down payments are shrinking for the first time in nearly 2 years.

• JPMorganChase calls housing affordability "historically low."

• Rent prices continue falling, and mortgage demand is down—despite the lowest rates since April.

• A third of Baby Boomers say they'll never sell their home.

• Multifamily construction collapses, dragging housing starts down.

• Plus, what's with this wild new "Nest Egg" idea? Could it actually be the future of homeownership?

🎯 Whether you're an agent, investor, or just trying to make sense of today's housing chaos—this episode cuts through the noise.

👇 Subscribe, share, and drop your hot take in the comments!

🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6591002606960640