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.

This might look like a regular tWiRE episode… but it's not.

Today you're listening to the show get built in real time while we're live. Headlines, research, prompts, scripts, thumbnails, even the AI work in the background — you get the chaos, the process, and a full weekly real estate news breakdown all at once.

Here's what we're hitting while we build it in front of you:

• Zillow vs Everybody: RICO Charges & Portal Power Plays Zillow Flex is now facing RICO allegations, with claims it steers buyers toward Zillow Home Loans and squeezes extra profit from financing. At the same time, Zillow's listing-access ban just went through a four-day showdown in court. We'll talk portals vs MLS power, what this means for lead gen, and how visible your listings really are online.

• Referral Fees & "Consumer Choice": eXp Makes a Move eXp rolled out new referral fee disclosures and a consumer-choice-style framework. We'll connect it to the bigger transparency fight: who gets paid, when, and how clearly that's explained to buyers and sellers.

• Sellers Are Ghosting the Market Delistings are jumping at the fastest pace in nearly a decade as sellers pull homes instead of cutting prices. We'll look at where this is happening, how it shows up in your MLS, and what to tell the "I'll just wait for spring" crowd.

• Prices Up, Inventory Down, Luxury Pulling Away Existing home sales ticked up, but supply is slipping again. Luxury home prices are up about 5.5% year over year — roughly triple the pace of non-luxury — even with soft demand. We'll dig into why high-end buyers are still moving and what that gap means for everyone else.

• Rural America's Affordability Squeeze New data shows the affordability crisis is now accelerating fastest in rural markets. "Move to the country, it's cheaper" is not a guaranteed strategy anymore. We'll talk about what that means for builders, buyers, and small-town markets.

• Bigger Conforming Loan Limits in 2026 Fannie and Freddie are cleared to back loans up to $832,750 next year in many areas (more in high-cost markets). We'll hit what that does for move-up buyers, jumbo vs conforming strategy, and how agents should be framing this for clients.

• Young Adults Moving Back Home (Again) More 18–34 year olds are back under their parents' roof. We'll connect the dots between rent, home prices, debt, and multigenerational living — and what that signals for future demand.

All of that happens while we show you the full behind-the-scenes workflow for tWiRE: live research, note-taking, story selection, headline framing, how AI helps, and how it all becomes a finished show for agents, buyers, and investors.

If you're a real estate pro, a serious buyer or seller, or just a housing-market nerd, this is your episode.

✅ Join live on YouTube and hit chat with questions, hot takes, and what you're seeing in your market

✅ Subscribe so you don't miss future episodes and deep dives

✅ Replay crew – drop your market and your biggest takeaway in the comments so we can feature you next week

NAR is ripping up parts of the rulebook and claiming a win in court, Zillow says 53% of homes lost value, and Redfin is calling this the strongest buyer's market in more than a decade. So… is the housing market finally shifting, or are we just stuck in a weird standstill?

In this live episode of tWiRE (This Week in Real Estate), we're breaking down:

• NAR's "dawn of a new era" – their new 3-year strategic plan to rebuild trust, modernize tools and data, and tighten ethical standards after two brutal years of controversy.

• A key NAR win in a buyer commission case – why the judge striking down the proposed class (because it overlaps with Sitzer | Burnett) matters for future commission lawsuits and industry risk.

• MLS access goes local – NAR repeals the national rule tying MLS access to Realtor membership and hands the decision to local MLSs after a major risk review and a slate of policy changes.

• Referral fee transparency fight – the board voted for wider disclosure, the delegate body shot it down. We'll talk about what that says about "pro-consumer" messaging vs. how money really moves in real estate.

Then we zoom out to the market:

• "53% of homes lost value" – what that headline actually means (and doesn't), how most homeowners are really positioned, and how to talk nervous sellers off the ledge without sugarcoating reality.

• Strongest buyer's market in over a decade – sellers outnumber buyers by a wide margin, especially in key metros, but it only feels like a buyer's market if you can afford to play.

• A housing market that's basically stuck – sales, new listings, and prices are barely moving; yet national home prices still inched up in October even as activity plateaus.

• Rates and demand – mortgage rates just hit their highest level in a month, loan demand is down about 5%, and pending home sales are slipping as buyers wait for lower rates and economic clarity.

• If you're an agent, buyer, seller, or investor trying to figure out what to do next in this "buyer's market that doesn't really feel like one," this episode is for you.

🟣 Join us live on YouTube, 12 CST, to ask questions, share what you're seeing in your market, and push back on the headlines.

👍 Like the stream, ✅ subscribe, and 🔔 turn on notifications so you don't miss the next real estate chaos.

🏠 Episode 340 – This Week in Real Estate (LIVE) The housing market is heating up again—just not in the way you think.

In this week's tWiRE Live, we're diving deep into the wildest mix of lawsuits, mortgage experiments, and market shifts we've seen all year. From Zillow facing another class-action suit over alleged broker kickbacks to Trump's proposed 50-year mortgage sparking major debate, the headlines are on fire—and we're unpacking what it really means for agents, buyers, and investors.

💥 Top Stories We're Covering:

• Zillow under fire (again) — new class-action suit claims illegal mortgage kickbacks.

• Trump's 50-Year Mortgage Plan — groundbreaking or just headline bait?

• Post-settlement fallout — new data suggests buyer agent price-fixing patterns persist.

• FSBOs hit an all-time low — sellers are turning back to agents in record numbers.

• Veterans priced out — Redfin & Inman reports show VA buyers struggling in 2025.

• FICO score shake-up — mortgage giants may finally approve the new scoring model.

• Flood-zone migration reversal — for the first time since 2019, more people are moving out than in.

• Pending sales stall & turnover plunges — only 28 of every 1,000 homes changed hands this year.

• Nearly 1M homeowners underwater — are falling prices the next big headline?

• Three-bedroom homes dominate — highest share since 2011 as buyers downsize strategically.

• Mortgage demand jumps despite rate hike — what's driving buyers back into the market?

📅 Stream it LIVE on YouTube: Thursday at 12 PM CST

🔔 Subscribe & turn on notifications so you don't miss when we go live!

🔥 tWiRE Episode 339 — LIVE Real Estate News & Market Breakdown

This week's show is loaded. We're unpacking the biggest industry fights, fresh market data, and a possible Fed rate cut—all in real time. If you want straight talk on what actually moves the housing market, you're in the right place.

🏛️ Legal + Industry Shake-Ups

• Compass vs. Zillow expands as Redfin gets dragged into the private-listing battle—what it signals for portals, MLSs, and listing visibility.

• CoStar vs. MLS fees heats up while new data-access deals land—are walls going up or coming down?

• Team news: The Pozek Group rejoins REAL Brokerage—why top teams keep choosing this model.

📉 Rates, Prices & Demand

• Mortgage rates flirt with multi-year lows; refi apps spike—so why are buyers still hesitant?

• Home prices vs. inflation: when nominal gains don't equal real returns.

• Pending Home Sales: flat headline, but green shoots in buyer confidence—how to read the tea leaves.

🌆 Market Moves to Watch

• Bay Area heats up on the back of AI hiring and return-to-office trends—will it ripple to other tech hubs?

• Only 27% of active listings are new construction—lowest share in 4 years—what that means for inventory, incentives, and timing.

⚡ BREAKING: Did the Fed cut rates? We'll react live and translate it into plain-English strategy for buyers, sellers, and investors.

👀 Join the Live Chat. Bring your questions, hot takes, and local market intel. We'll feature the best comments on air.

📌 Subscribe for weekly real estate news, mortgage rates today, housing market updates, agent strategy, and no-fluff analysis.

👍 Like the stream🔔 turn on notifications and drop your market in the comments so we can shout it out live.

🔥 tWiRE Podcast Ep. 338 — "Zillow's Data Access Scandal, AI War in Real Estate, & the Market's Big Fall Reset"

What's really going on behind Zillow's latest moves — and how deep does the Follow Up Boss data connection go? This week on This Week in Real Estate (tWiRE), we're digging into the firestorm shaking the industry: data privacy, disappearing Matterport tours, AI battles between giants, and the surprising fall shift giving buyers real power again.

💥 Major Headlines This Week:

• Zillow Data Access Scandal: Did Zillow quietly gain visibility into agents' Follow Up Boss data? We're breaking down what's really happening and why so many agents are furious.

• Zillow vs. CoStar: CoStar calls Zillow's statements "falsehoods" in a public feud over Matterport 3D tours — and the fallout could change how listings appear across major portals.

• AI Arms Race: eXp launches Mira, its new AI co-pilot for agents, while Realtor.com's CMO says the future of real estate search is conversational.

• Homes.com Lawsuit: CoStar's portal faces a major legal challenge over CRMLS data monetization.

• Realtor.com Gets Sued Over Taylor Swift Hype: Yes, that's a real headline.

• NAR's Supreme Court Win: High Court declines to hear an old 'No Commingling' case — what this means post-settlement.

• Propy Goes Blockchain: $100M expansion aims to bring real estate closings fully onchain.

📉 Market Pulse:

• Foreclosures are rising — and agents are finding new ways to turn it into income.

• Sellers are getting ghosted: 15% of deals fell apart in September.

• Builders keep slashing prices; buyers are scoring the biggest autumn discounts since 2019.

• Austin officially becomes the strongest buyer's market in America.

• 29% of U.S. purchases are all-cash, while refinance demand is up 81% year-over-year.

• Home prices ticked up just 0.2% — signaling a cooling phase that could redefine Q4.

🎙️ Hosted live with Ray Ellen and the tWiRE crew, this episode exposes the truth, breaks down the spin, and gives you the insights that actually matter for agents, buyers, and investors right now.

📅 Stream it LIVE this week — no fluff, no fear-mongering, just real talk about what's happening in real estate.

💬 Join the tWiRE Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/B5WWEafN3IV1CrzorNY6yP