Google just stepped into the portal wars… and it might be the most dangerous player yet.

Episode 345: The Annual Prediction Special (and the LAST show of the year).

We're doing the most satisfying (and brutal) thing possible:

- We pull up our 2024 predictions and grade them LIVE

Were we right… or dead wrong?

- Then we go on the record with 2026 predictions

Rates. Prices. Inventory. Buyer demand. New construction. Investors. Chaos.

The headline that changes everything: "GOOGLE is testing "home listings" inside search."

So let's ask the scary questions out loud:

- Will Google Home Listings end Zillow… or end agents?

- If listings live in Google, who owns the consumer?

- Does this become the new "front door" to real estate… or just another ad product?

(And yes, we'll talk about what we actually know so far: it's a test, currently seen on mobile in select markets, with built-in "request a tour / contact an agent" style actions.)

If you want to know what housing looks like next year, show up tonight and plant your flag. Because next year… we're reviewing the receipts again.

The Fed is about to announce a possible rate cut, mortgage rates are in focus, and the portals are at war. In this live real estate market update, we break down the Fed decision, Zillow vs Compass, commissions, climate data, delistings, and what it all means for your business.

Welcome to Episode 344 of the tWiRE Podcast, your weekly live real estate news show for agents, lenders, investors, and serious buyers and sellers who need signal instead of spin.

FED RATE CUT, MORTGAGE RATES & HOUSING COSTS

* Live reaction to the Fed interest rate decision and press conference

* What a Fed rate cut could mean for mortgage rates, refis, and monthly payments

* How locked-in homeowners, move-up buyers, and FHA borrowers should think about timing their next move

ZILLOW VS COMPASS, CLIMATE DATA & PORTAL POWER

* Zillow vs Compass: final arguments before the judge rules on Zillow's private listing policy

* Zillow tells partner agents that recent litigation misrepresents their program

* Zillow removes climate risk data from listings while Redfin refuses to follow and keeps climate info live * What this portal battle means for listing visibility, consumer trust, and agent strategy

COMPENSATION, COMMISSIONS & ENFORCEMENT

* New data showing buyer's agent compensation rising after the NAR settlement and new rules

* Florida brokerage awarded $24K after a buyer breaks their broker agreement

* Inside NAR's latest spending and why "compensation" may be a better word than "commission" with consumers

* How to talk about what you charge in this new environment without sounding defensive

MARKET REALITY CHECK: LISTINGS, INVENTORY & STARTER HOMES

* Delistings jump nearly 38 percent as sellers and buyers disagree on market reality

* Inventory growth stalls as would-be sellers react to weak demand

* Locked-in owners face steep payment increases if they move, even with better rate talk

* Starter-home sales climb, inventory hits a 9-year high, and prices stay in check

FINANCING, INVESTORS & CONSTRUCTION

* FHA refinance demand jumps as homeowners chase every bit of savings they can

* Investor purchases are muted, but activity is starting to move again

* Construction labor remains stable and what that means for future housing supply

COMMERCIAL & THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE

* Walmart's landmark deal using 3D-printed construction for commercial real estate

* Commercial deal volume drops for the first time in nearly two years

* New AI-powered search tools for pros and how they may reshape lead conversion and client experience

LIVE FED COVERAGE TO END THE SHOW

We wrap up by watching the Fed announcement live and reacting in real time:

* What changes immediately, what does not, and what is just headline noise

* How to turn today's Fed move into clear talking points for your buyers, sellers, and database

* Practical takeaways for agents, lenders, and investors who need to make decisions now

If you want weekly, no-nonsense real estate news, housing market updates, and actionable insight on mortgage rates, Fed policy, and industry shifts, you are in the right place.

Subscribe, hit the bell so you do not miss the Fed segment at the end of the show, and join us live on YouTube!

Did Zillow really offer Compass up to $1.6 BILLION a year if they'd let Zillow help "double-end" pre-marketed listings? In Episode 343 of tWiRE, we break down Robert Reffkin's viral post, what that alleged offer actually was, and what it says about portals, power, and who really controls the consumer relationship in today's real estate market.

Then we zoom out to everything shaking the 2025 housing market this week: Zillow quietly scrubbing climate-risk scores from listings, new pushes for referral-fee transparency, and fresh affordability data showing just how hard it is to rent or buy on a normal income.

In this episode, we cover:

Compass vs. Zillow

Reffkin's claim that Zillow dangled a $1.3–$1.6B "revenue uplift" if Compass let the portal route every buyer to a Compass buyer's agent on pre-marketed listings.

Why Compass says it walked away, what this means for double-ending deals, and how real estate agents should talk about this with their own buyers and sellers.

Zillow pulls climate data

Why climate-risk scores vanished from listings.

MLS complaints about accuracy versus buyers' right to know about flood, fire, and heat risk.

What this change means for consumer trust, disclosure, and liability going forward.

Referral fees and fine print

How the California Association of Realtors is rewriting forms to spotlight referral fees after NAR's failed vote.

Why big brokerages are rolling out their own enhanced referral-fee disclosures anyway, and what smart agents should be doing now.

Affordability crisis check-in

New numbers showing the typical retail worker earns tens of thousands less than they need to afford the typical apartment.

A construction labor crunch that is driving up costs, slowing new-home delivery, and deepening the housing affordability crisis.

How labor, regulation, and rent burdens are colliding to keep housing out of reach for many renters and first-time buyers.

Prices, new construction, and buyer regret

Zillow data showing record-level price cuts and what that really means for sellers who still want "spring 2022 money."

New-construction's price premium dropping to a record-low 10.2% and why builders are suddenly some of the most motivated sellers in the market.

Buyer's remorse falling sharply as days on market stretch, contingencies come back, and buyers get more time to think.

Contracts, cancellations, and mortgage rates

About 15% of October home-purchase contracts falling through and where cancellations are clustering.

Mortgage rates finally ticking lower, why demand barely moved, and what to watch as markets react to the next round of economic news.

Whether you're an agent, buyer, seller, or real estate investor, this episode is all about power and pressure in today's market: who controls the listings, who controls the fees, and who is getting squeezed on the ground.

🔔 Subscribe to catch tWiRE every week and stay ahead of the headlines.