Real Estate From The Trenches

What Uber, Amazon, and Zillow All Have in Common (and Why It Should Worry Real Estate Agents)

September 16, 2025

Corporate squeeze on agents real estate commission

There’s a familiar pattern playing out across industries right now, and real estate agents are right in the thick of it, whether we realize it or not.

The research on Amazon and Uber’s fee evolution is eye-opening. Both platforms started by offering their users, sellers and drivers, low-cost access and the promise of big opportunities. Amazon took less than 10% from sellers back in 2006. Uber’s original commission rate was a flat 20%. Fast forward to 2025, and Amazon is taking roughly 45% of third-party sellers’ revenue. Uber drivers are seeing 30 to 40% of their fares siphoned off in fees.

Nevada, Florida, and South Carolina Lead Nation in Foreclosure Rates

September 12, 2025

U.S. Foreclosures Jump 18% in August, Sixth Straight Monthly Gain Foreclosure Completions Surge 41% as High Costs Squeeze Homeowners Nevada, Florida, and South Carolina Lead Nation in Foreclosure Rates

Foreclosure Activity Rises Again in August

Foreclosures ticked higher for the sixth straight month in August, according to ATTOM’s latest U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. Nearly 35,700 properties had a filing last month — up 18% from a year ago — even though filings dipped 1% from July.

The American Dream Is Being Zoned Out”—Why Housing Supply Is the Real Crisis

September 10, 2025

Supply Side Solution to the Housing Crisis

Why the American Dream is Getting Priced Out — and What Might Actually Fix It

If you’re a homeowner, or hope to be one, you’re likely feeling the pinch of rising home prices and shrinking inventory. But according to Colin Allen, Executive Director of the American Property Owners Alliance, there’s a very clear reason behind this mess: supply.

Not a Crash, Not a Boom — Just a Market That’s Stuck

September 9, 2025

The national housing market is getting more complicated, not less. After nearly two years of steady inventory gains, many buyers and sellers expected more balance heading into fall — maybe even a little momentum. But what’s actually happening is more nuanced, and more telling: sellers are quietly backing off.

Delistings — homes pulled off the market without a sale — surged 57% year-over-year. In plain terms, a growing number of homeowners are giving up midstream. They’re not just lowering prices or sitting tight — they’re removing listings altogether, often because offers aren’t coming in, or the ones that do aren’t even close to expectations. In some metros, like Miami and Phoenix, more than one in every three or four listings is now ending in a delisting.

Split Market: Why Home Prices Are Rising in Some Cities but Falling in Others

August 18, 2025

Why Home Prices Are Rising in Some Cities but Dropping in Others

Depending on where you live, the housing market might feel hot, cold, or somewhere in between—and that’s not your imagination. According to Zillow’s latest data, home values are now rising in about half of the country’s major metros and falling in the other half. What’s behind this split? Mostly, it’s a mix of affordability, supply, and the ability—or inability—to build.

Want to See Real Chaos? Try Buying a Home Without the MLS

August 14, 2025

Think the American housing market is a mess? Try buying a home in Europe.

In a recent Business Insider article, James Rodriguez recapped real estate executive Brian Boero’s frustrating experience buying a second home in Italy, a process that felt like, in Boero’s words, “feeling around in the dark.” No reliable listing portal, no pricing consistency, and no central database. Just window shopping (literally) and chasing down agents who may or may not know what’s actually for sale.

Mortgage and Auto Loans Surge—Is Rising Debt Putting Homeowners at Risk?

August 5, 2025

In the second quarter of 2025, household debt across the U.S. soared to an eye-opening $18.39 trillion—up by $185 billion in just three months. What’s driving this surge? A couple of key areas stand out, and homeowners and buyers alike should take notice.

Mortgages led the charge, climbing by $131 billion, pushing total mortgage debt to a hefty $12.94 trillion. Interestingly, despite rising rates and affordability challenges, new mortgage originations ticked slightly upward, signaling that buyer demand remains resilient.

Mortgage Market Check-In: Debt Climbs, but Risks Remain Low

August 5, 2025

Right now, mortgage debt across the U.S. is climbing, with homeowners owing a total of almost $13 trillion by mid-2025. While that might sound concerning, the reality is that today’s lending standards are far stricter compared to the shaky practices that led to the housing crisis in 2008.

Over half of this mortgage debt is backed by government-sponsored loans, primarily through agencies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, making them safer bets. However, loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) account for nearly one-fifth of all mortgages. These FHA loans, popular with first-time buyers because of lower down payment requirements, have shown significantly higher delinquency rates. In fact, FHA loans alone make up nearly 40% of all overdue payments, despite representing just 12% of total mortgage balances.

CoStar vs. Zillow: Big Lawsuit Over Photos, Bigger Implications for Real Estate

July 31, 2025

Zillow vs. CoStar: Why This Battle Over Photos Matters to You

A major copyright lawsuit filed this week by CoStar against Zillow might sound like a corporate turf war—and on the surface, that’s exactly what it is. But behind the headlines, this one hits closer to home for agents, landlords, and property owners than most people realize.

June Housing Trends Show More Listings, But Sellers Aren’t Backing Down

July 25, 2025

Buyers Are Getting the Edge—but Sellers Aren’t Giving In Just Yet

According to the Realtor.com June 2025 Monthly Housing Trends Report, buyers have more to look at this summer than they’ve had in years. Active inventory is up 28.9% from a year ago, marking the 20th straight month of gains and the second month in a row with over 1 million listings on the market. The report calls this a “new post-pandemic high”—but inventory is still 12.9% below pre-COVID levels, so it’s not exactly a buyer’s market yet.