“Prior to Pacaso, Blanco served as dotloop’s vice president of industry relations and helped the Zillow Group brand build partnerships with MLSs, associations and third-party integration partners. Blanco launched her real estate career as RE/MAX’s vice president of eBusiness, where she led technology innovation, product management, product marketing, and training for the network’s broker and agent technology platforms.”
Great move. I think this is a huge blow to Dotloop. Dotloop, as most people know, is owned by Zillow. Zillow’s recent acquisition of ShowingTime has also put the spotlight back on dotloop’s ownership. If there was ever a need for industry relations it would be now.
No one in the real estate industry planned for a global pandemic to hit in 2020. So, what does a black swan event like the Coronavirus mean for agents, brokerages, associations, MLSs, and vendors? How does the potential economic effect of COVID-19 parallel the virus itself?
On this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg are discussing the short- and long-term impact the Coronavirus is likely to have on the real estate industry. They explain how fear and uncertainty might hurt the housing market over the next several months and explore the opportunity the pandemic presents for models like Redfin and Opendoor as well as investors with deep pockets.
Greg and Rob go on to consider how the cancellation of real estate conferences will cause a domino effect through many other industries and which brokerages, agents and vendors won’t be able to survive this kind of pause in business. Listen in for insight on the serious flaws in our economic system exposed by the health crisis and learn how embracing a little of the prepper mentality can help us respond and adjust to a black swan event like the Coronavirus.
What’sDiscussed:
The short-term impact Coronavirus might have on the housing market buyers take wait-and-see approach
-Retreat of first-time homebuyers
-The potential opportunity for models like Redfin and Opendoor
How investors are likely to take advantage of low-interest rates
The cancellation of real estate events and its domino effect through other industries
How the economic fallout of the Coronavirus parallels the virus itself
The brokerages, agents and vendors who may not survive a pause in business
How the pandemic exposes flaws in our economic and healthcare systems
Rob’s insight around manufacturing necessities here in the US
The pros and cons of having the world’s reserve currency
Embracing the prepper mentality to survive unforeseen circumstances
Rob Hahn aka The Notorious ROB and I are hosting a live recording of our podcast Industry Relations this Friday at 1:30 PT. If you ever found yourself screaming at us while listening to our podcast, now you can do live.
Register for a live recording of the Industry Relations podcast by clicking this link—-> Register
Last week, Rob & Greg imagined what the future of real estate might look like in the aftermath of the pandemic, pending a best-case scenario. Today, they get real about what’s ahead for the industry given the reality of our current circumstances. And they’re bringing on a number of industry stakeholders to offer their outlook as well.
On this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg are leading a group chat around what’s next for real estate as the Coronavirus pandemic plays out. The group offers predictions on how the MLS landscape may change, debating whether it’s the number of MLSs or the number of MLS databases that really matters and offering examples of hybrid solutions that may serve as a model for the future.
Greg and Rob go on to solicit the group’s thoughts on the potential shape of the recovery curve and the possibility of a shift to a buyer’s market in 2021. Finally, they explain why an increase in property taxes is likely in the aftermath of the COVID-19 bailout and how that might impact buyer demand in the real estate market. Listen in for insight on Open House numbers in states where stay-at-home orders have been lifted and learn how those stats might be a good sign for other industries.
What’sDiscussed:
A review of what Rob & Greg covered in their best-case discussion
Greg, Clint & John’s predictions re: the number of MLSs by 2023
Why the consolidation of data is more important than the total number of MLSs
Tim’s vision of a future with ten or fewer MLS databases that talk to each other
How the pandemic demonstrates the industry’s underutilization of telecommunication
Why Georgia is watching the commercial market for clues re: the future of residential
Georgia’s concept of a J-shaped recovery
Why Joshua is predicting a buyer’s market in 2021
Why Greg expects a best-case scenario uptick in buyer demand
Why property taxes are likely to increase and how that might impact buyer demand
The significant uptick in Open Houses scheduled in states where stay-at-home orders have been lifted
How Open House numbers may be a good sign for other industries
Long-distance relationships are never easy. And if you’re part of the traveling circus that is the real estate conference circuit, you may be struggling to keep your professional relationships going in a virtual environment. Would being an orc help?
In this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg are discussing the current pause in the real estate conference and trade show circuit and mourning the loss of chance meetings that don’t happen in a virtual environment. They explore why massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) like World of Warcraft work to create community and how real estate might replicate that always-on culture until the conference circuit comes back.
Rob and Greg go on to cover the challenge of sustaining long-distance relationships in an online world, explaining why we just can’t duplicate face-to-face interaction at virtual events. Listen in for insight on how going virtual is impacting MLSs, associations, and vendors and learn about the possibility for a 2020 MLS Proptech Symposium (which Rob wants to rename to the “2020 MLS Herd Symposium”) that would help sponsors make decisions about the feasibility of their own fiscal events.
What’sDiscussed:
The current halt to the real estate conference/trade show circuit
What Greg covers in his forthcoming book, The Art of the CMA
The chance meetings that don’t happen in a virtual environment
Why we can’t duplicate face-to-face interaction through virtual events
The challenge of sustaining long-distance business/personal relationships
Why MMO games work to create community + how real estate might replicate that always-on culture
When the real estate conference circuit will come back
The impact of going virtual for MLS and association communities
–Increased engagement and attendance
–Eliminates serendipity of networking
How new vendors might build trust in the absence of in-person interaction
What we can do to gauge circuit response to physical events
The Coronavirus forced many of us to work from home, leveraging technology to do our jobs remotely. Not only has this made us more comfortable with digital tools, it has us rethinking the need to commute to our offices on a daily basis. So, what do these changes mean for the real estate industry?
On this episode, Errol Samuelson, Chief Industry Development Officer at Zillow, joins Rob and Greg to share his top predictions around the post-pandemic future of real estate. He explores how commercial real estate is likely to change in light of COVID-19 and speaks to the potential to make transactions 100% digital moving forward.
Errol weighs in on how different geographies experienced the pandemic in different ways and how he thinks about the crisis’ potential long-term psychological impact. Listen in as Errol shares Zillow’s most recent stats on the changing consumer preferences for homes and learn how our growing comfort with virtualization will impact the way brokers and agents do business in the future.
What’sDiscussed:
Errol’s top predictions re: the post-pandemic future of real estate
How commercial real estate will change in light of COVID-19
The potential to make real estate transactions 100% digital
The accelerated consumer use of digital tools in the home search process
How Errol thinks about the possibility of virtual appraisals
How virtualization is likely to impact brokers and agents
Zillow’s stats on how working from home is shifting consumer preferences
How cities may look different in a post-pandemic world
The possibility for COVID-19 to have a long-term psychological impact
How different geographies experienced the pandemic in different ways
What sci-fi technology is likely to change real estate in the near future
How Zoom is driving changes in the way we communicate
What does organized real estate look like in 2030? Who is winning?
Incumbent brokerages are betting on the recruit-and-retain model that has worked for the last several decades, doubling down on the agent’s sphere as their primary source of leads. Disruptors are betting on a world where the agent matters less than the brand itself, where realtors are only responsible for service delivery and leads are generated entirely through the institution’s online platform. Who is your money on?
In this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg are discussing the themes that came up at Inman’s CEO Connect and the confidence incumbent brokerages have in their ability to outlast market disruptors. They cover the advantages incumbents boast in terms of scale and profitability, exploring whether industry giants are truly all-in on technology and the iBuyer models—or if they’re adding those initiatives simply to overcome agent objections.
Greg and Rob go on to consider a potential decline in the number of agents by the end of this decade and explain why agent teams continue to pose the greatest threat to brokerages. Listen in for insight around how key players in other industries have leveraged the power of incumbency to compete with disruptors and place your bet on either the agent-centric incumbent brokerages OR the institution-focused disruptors.
What’sDiscussed:
The advantages incumbent brokerages have in terms of scale + profitability
Adopting new tech as a marketing ploy to bolster a brokerage’s value prop to agents
Why many brokerages chose to partner with rather than acquire iBuyers
Why successful brokerages can do everything right and still lose market leadership
How key players in the automotive industry have leveraged the power of incumbency
The fundamental difference between real estate incumbents and disruptors
-Agent-centric, focused on recruiting/retention vs. institution-centric
-Agents as lead source vs. service delivery only
How the future of real estate will continue to be dominated by agent teams
Why the number of agents is likely to drop to 400K by the end of the decade
Imagine a best-case scenario in which the Coronavirus is under control and the country is up and running by May 1. How have our social norms changed? What do these cultural shifts mean for organized real estate? And how is the industry different in a post-COVID-19 world?
On this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg get relentlessly positive, discussing the post-Coronavirus landscape of the real estate industry should the best happen. They weigh in on the cultural shifts that are likely to occur in the aftermath of COVID-19, predicting which rituals will persist once the current restrictions have been lifted.
Greg and Rob go on to debate what open houses will look like in a post-pandemic world, why showings may (or may not) be restricted to serious buyers, and when we might be back to pre-COVID transaction levels. Listen in for our hosts’ best-case expectations regarding buyer demand as well as NAR membership and brokerage numbers come September—pending a V-shaped recovery.
What’sDiscussed:
Rob & Greg’s parameters for this potential best-case scenario
-Vaccine or cure for virus (no resurgence)
-All restrictions lifted, back to work on 5/1
How the culture is likely to shift in the aftermath of COVID-19
What open houses will look like in a post-Coronavirus world
Why Rob believes showings will be restricted to serious buyers
When we might be back to pre-pandemic transaction levels
Why Greg expects a best-case scenario uptick in buyer demand
Rob’s prediction of a 20% drop in first-time homebuyers
Why Rob & Greg anticipate a 20% decline in NAR membership
How Rob & Greg differ around which agents will leave
The potential for 25% of small brokerages to join a larger team
On the surface, the government’s effort to support homeowners through forbearance is a good thing. Many Americans have lost their jobs because of the Coronavirus pandemic and simply don’t have the resources to make a mortgage payment right now. But what does this mean for the servicing industry? Why are lenders concerned about the unintended consequences of Washington’s response?
On this episode of Industry Relations, mortgage banking expert Rob Chrisman joins Rob and Greg to discuss what’s happening in the capital markets as a result of the Coronavirus shutdown. He walks us through how a mortgage functions as a product, explaining the relationship between the servicer and the end investor in a mortgage-backed security or MBS.
Rob C. addresses how government forbearance for borrowers will impact big banks as well as smaller, independent lenders and weighs in on Ginnie Mae’s promise to back nonbank servicers lacking the capital to pay investors. Listen in to understand how the Federal Reserve’s activity in the MBS market affects mortgage servicers and learn why the lending system is not broken despite the changes imposed by the health crisis.
What’sDiscussed:
Rob C.’s background in mortgage banking + understanding of capital markets
How a mortgage functions as a product manufactured and sold to a buyer
The relationship between a mortgage servicer and the end investor
How government forbearance due to COVID-19 impacts mortgage servicers
Ginnie Mae’s promise to back nonbank servicers lacking capital to pay investors
How current circumstances compare to the 2008 recession
The tens of billions of servicers will owe in margin calls due to the MBS price increase
The consequences of the Federal Reserve’s activity in the MBS market
Why the non-QM and jumbo loan markets are on life support
Why Rob C. is predicting a V-shaped recovery for residential lending
How underwriting guidelines have changed in light of the global shutdown
Why property values are unlikely to take a dive across the board
At present, MLSs are run like nonprofits. And without a way to raise capital, industry executives limit their vision based on the resources at hand. But what if there were no constraints? What kind of Big Hairy Audacious Goals could MLSs pursue with funding from deep-pocketed venture investors?
In this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg are challenging MLS execs to consider what they would do differently with access to significant capital. Greg weighs in on the discussions around implementing the MLS Statement 8.0 Clear Cooperation Policy (otherwise known as Ocho) that took place at Inman Connect, describing how the differences among individual MLSs will inform its implementation.
Greg and Rob go on to discuss how the challenges associated with switching MLS vendors benefit incumbents and why most MLSs adopt a system of choice approach to consolidation. Listen in for Rob’s take on how MLS execs constrain their vision based on the resources available and take up Greg’s challenge to think about what you would do differently with $5M, $50M or even $500M.
What’sDiscussed:
The discussion regarding how to implement the Clear Cooperation Policy at Inman Connect
How Ocho impacts Compass’ strategy for differentiating its listings
How the differences among MLS Coming Soon policies will inform Ocho’s implementation
The possibilities for interpretation around what qualifies as marketing
How the challenges associated with switching vendors benefit incumbent MLSs
What’s behind the system of choice approach adopted by most MLSs
Why Rob contends that MLS execs constrain their vision based on resources
NAR as a trade organization vs. the MLS as a tech product + service provider
Greg’s challenge for MLS execs to consider what they would do with access to capital
