Compass says MLS data is being used to recruit its agents. Zillow expects every buyer connection it sends to go through Zillow Preferred by the first half of 2027. Who gets to decide which agent gets the next call?

I'm back from NAR NXT with four MLS policy changes to talk about and a more personal question: Was the trip worth it, and would I go again? We'll also dig into a housing market where the national median sale price finally slipped, mortgage rates just jumped, and plenty of sellers are still holding out for their price.

In this episode, we'll cover:
- NAR NXT: What it was like in New Orleans, what I'd go back for, and what NAR's MLS committee approved about listing photos, data feeds and who can use MLS data.
- Compass vs. the MLS: Should another company be able to use your sales history to recruit you? We'll get into Compass's demand letters, why California Regional MLS CEO Art Carter says they changed the negotiations, and Compass's decision to restrict salaried employees from association leadership.
- Zillow Preferred: About two-thirds of Zillow's buyer connections already go to Preferred agents. What happens to agents who pay for leads today when that reaches 100%?
- Would your last client hire you again? NAR reports record agent use among buyers and sellers. The surprise is the gap between buyers who say they'd use their agent again and those who actually do.
- Home prices and mortgage rates: October brought the first year-over-year drop in the national median sale price in more than three years. We'll look at why sellers are holding their asking prices and how quickly a rate jump can eat into a buyer's monthly savings.
- Two condo sellers for every buyer: Redfin estimates the gap is even wider than that nationwide. How much room does that give a buyer to negotiate?
Join us in the live chat: If you were pricing a listing in your market today, what would you tell a seller who wants to hold firm?

ABOUT tWiRE

tWiRE (This Week in Real Estate) is a live real estate news show examining the biggest stories shaping housing, real estate, mortgage lending, brokerages, agents, buyers, sellers, and the industry.

Four of the biggest real estate companies are teaming up to change how listings are distributed. Compass is facing another legal challenge from MLSs. And home sellers now outnumber buyers by a staggering 63%!

Is the real estate industry entering a new era of competition, or are we watching a battle for control of listings, homebuyers, and real estate data?

Join us LIVE on YouTube, every Wednesday, 12 CST!

For Episode 382 of tWiRE (This Week in Real Estate) we'll dig into a major new listing-distribution initiative involving Keller Williams, REAL, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America, and AGNT. We'll also examine the lawsuits surrounding private listings, the growing influence of AI, and what the latest housing numbers actually tell us.

In this episode, we'll cover:

The Open Real Estate Alliance: Major real estate companies announce plans for a new listing-distribution platform. What could this mean for MLSs, Zillow, Compass, and agents?

Compass vs. the MLSs: Six more MLSs take legal action against Compass. Is the battle over private listings getting bigger?

AI and the Future of Home Search: Mike DelPrete explores how artificial intelligence and access to listing inventory could reshape real estate.

Compass Makes Moves: New production standards for incoming agents, plus a lawsuit involving Alex Vidal and his move to RE/MAX.

63% More Sellers Than Buyers: Redfin reports its largest seller-buyer gap since the aftermath of the Great Recession. What does that mean for the housing market?

Pending Sales Fall, Asking Prices Slip: Buyer demand remains weak, yet another Redfin report shows home prices actually increased in September. How can both be true?

Zillow Wants to Fund Your Down Payment: A new program for eligible FHA buyers raises questions about affordability, incentives, and the fine print.

Mortgage Rates Fall Again: Applications are picking up, but so is interest in adjustable-rate mortgages. Are buyers taking on more risk?

FED DECISION TODAY: The Federal Reserve is scheduled to announce its latest interest-rate decision at 1 PM Central. We'll examine the announcement if it arrives while we're live and discuss what it could mean for mortgage rates and housing.

What are you seeing in YOUR market? Are buyers finally getting the upper hand, or are sellers still refusing to adjust?

Compass' legal fight with MLSs is growing. Zillow wants to help cover buyers' down payments. And home prices are slipping while buyers keep pulling back.

Who controls access to listings—and what will it take to get the housing market moving again?

Join us LIVE for Episode 383 of tWiRE (This Week in Real Estate) as we break down the latest real estate news, from Compass' courtroom battles and Open Real Estate's growing support to AI accountability, FHA financing, and the October housing numbers.

In this live episode, we'll cover:

Compass vs. the MLSs: Another MLS joins the legal fight. Where should seller choice end and listing-sharing requirements begin?

Reffkin's Words Return to Court: Alex Vidal cites the Compass CEO's past criticism of noncompetes in his dispute over joining RE/MAX.

Open Real Estate Gains Momentum: The initiative reports 826 letters of support. Compass hasn't joined, but Robert Reffkin has weighed in. What would meaningful participation look like?

AI Without a License? An industry leader warns about bots handling real estate transactions. What's been reported, and who should be accountable?

Zillow's Down Payment Offer: How the FHA assistance program works, who qualifies, and why selling, moving out, or refinancing before five years matters.

Home Prices Turn Negative: Redfin reports a small annual decline in the national median sale price. What does that number actually tell us?

Buyers Retreat, Sellers Hold On: The October housing reports show weakening demand without a surge in seller panic. What should agents watch locally?

Mortgage Rates Ease—Demand Doesn't Follow: We'll connect the latest mortgage application numbers with the broader picture for affordability, inventory, and home sales.

What are you seeing in YOUR market? Are buyers negotiating better deals, waiting for lower rates, or stepping away altogether?

Join the LIVE chat on YouTube, share your perspective, and subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation!

ABOUT tWiRE

tWiRE (This Week in Real Estate) is a live real estate news and commentary show examining the biggest headlines shaping housing, mortgage lending, home prices, real estate companies, agents, buyers, and sellers.

The Compass vs. MLS fight has moved from threats to federal court, just as a new state law puts even more pressure on private-listing strategies. Meanwhile, mortgage rates have surged, with MBA's average 30-year rate hitting 7.49%, price cuts rising, and pending sales falling hard.

Episode 380 of tWiRE is digging into two fights reshaping real estate at the same time: who controls listing distribution, and what happens to the housing market when buyers gain leverage but still struggle to afford the payment.

**In this live episode, we'll cover:**
- CRMLS striking first with a federal lawsuit against Compass, Unlock MLS rejecting Compass' demand, and Connecticut's new private-listing law.
- Realtor.com launching RealAssist AI across a platform serving 192,000+ agents.
- A new study showing most consumer inquiries still fail to connect with an agent.
- Fathom and Neighborhood Intelligence killing their merger, while HomeServices acquires 1000WATT.
- A Senate bill aimed at protecting real estate agents' independent-contractor status.
- A weak September jobs report colliding with mortgage rates at 7.49%.
- Record-level price cuts, growing buyer leverage, rising inventory and sharply weaker pending sales.

Join us LIVE and tell us what you're seeing in your market. Are buyers actually gaining power, or are higher rates making that leverage almost useless?

**ABOUT tWiRE**

tWiRE (This Week in Real Estate) is a live real estate news show examining the biggest stories shaping housing, real estate, mortgage lending, brokerages, agents, buyers, sellers, and the industry.

Mortgage rates have crossed 7.5%. Sellers are cutting prices. So why isn't buying a home getting easier?
The monthly payment is one problem. The fight over who controls the listings, the data, and the client relationship is another. We're digging into both, and what they mean for agents trying to get deals done.

In this live episode, we'll cover:
- Mortgage rates: The latest jump, purchase and refinance demand, and the pressure on monthly payments.
- Price cuts and home values: September reductions, July price growth, and what changes after inflation.
- Down payments and equity: Why smaller down payments and record housing wealth don't automatically solve affordability.
- UAD 3.6 appraisals: What agents should prepare for, from property documentation to transaction timelines.
- NYC's pied-à-terre tax: The rollout ruling, the city's appeal, and the stay putting the redo order on hold.
- Compass: The fight over MLS data used for recruiting, plus a bigger push for coming-soon listings.
- HouseCanary's bankruptcy: What we know, and still don't, about the future of Google home listings.
- Zillow: The agent antitrust case moves forward. We'll look at the steering allegations, Follow Up Boss, and Zillow's response.
Are buyers gaining leverage in your market, or are rates canceling it out? Hit Notify Me and bring your take to the live chat.

tWiRE (This Week in Real Estate) is a live real estate news show examining the biggest stories shaping housing, mortgage lending, brokerages, agents, buyers, sellers, and the industry.

Buyers finally have leverage. Sellers are offering concessions, October may be a prime deal window in major metros, and more markets are tilting toward buyers.

So why are Americans moving less than ever, mortgage rates are back over 7%, and home prices are still rising?

The housing market is giving buyers more negotiating power without giving them much affordability. In Episode 378, we're looking at that contradiction, what higher rates are pushing buyers to do, and why a "buyer's market" does not necessarily mean an easy market to buy in.

**In this live episode, we'll cover:**

• Why October may offer some of the best negotiating opportunities of the year in major U.S. metros, and what "best time to buy" actually means.

• Seller concessions are becoming increasingly common as buyers gain leverage and sellers compete harder to get deals closed.

• Home prices are still rising nationally, another reminder that a buyer-friendly market does not automatically mean falling prices.

• Mortgage rates are back above 7%, nearly 10% of borrowers are turning to adjustable-rate mortgages, and affordability pressure is changing how buyers finance homes.

• Americans are moving less than ever. We'll look at how housing costs, mortgage-rate lock-in and staying put can affect more than just real estate.

• Seller impersonation fraud attempts have more than doubled in two years, creating a growing problem agents, sellers, buyers and title companies need to understand.

• Zillow is expanding Preview listings across Realtor.com and RealScout, pushing pre-market listings onto an increasingly broad audience and adding another wrinkle to the industry's fight over how listings should be marketed.

• AI adoption among Realtors continues to climb while Coldwell Banker Realty rolls Compass' Home Platform out to thousands of agents. Real estate technology is moving from optional tools toward the infrastructure agents actually run their businesses on.

Are buyers really gaining the upper hand in your market, or are rates and monthly payments still keeping them sidelined? Join us LIVE and add what you're seeing to the conversation.

**ABOUT tWiRE**

tWiRE - This Week in Real Estate is a live real estate news show examining the biggest stories shaping housing, real estate, mortgage lending, brokerages, agents, buyers, sellers, and the industry.

#HousingMarket #MortgageRates #realestatenews

Redfin says this is the strongest buyer's market in its records. Mortgage purchase applications are down 19% from a year ago, rates are back near 7%, and the Fed decides today.

More homes are hitting the market and buyers have more leverage, but affordability is still keeping many of them on the sidelines. That contradiction is the story.

**In this live episode, we'll cover:**

* Record buyer leverage, six-year-high supply, and why late September may be the best buying window of 2026.
* Mortgage demand falling as rates climb, plus LIVE reaction to the Fed decision.
* VantageScore 4.0 opening to all approved Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lenders.
* Zillow losing its MRED injunction bid, facing a shareholder suit, and expanding Preview through RealScout.
* The industry's push to build more housing, including Let America Build and Airbnb's $250 million accelerator.
* AI data centers, Compass Global, a new Homes.com president, and Sotheby's latest move toward company ownership.

Hit Notify Me and join us LIVE. What are buyers and sellers actually doing in your market right now?

**ARTICLES & SOURCES**

Record Buyer Leverage Meets an Affordability Wall - https://www.redfin.com/news/buyers-vs-sellers-august-2026/ • https://www.realtor.com/research/best-time-to-buy-2026/ • https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-high-costs-sideline-buyers-negotiating-power/ • https://www.redfin.com/news/new-listings-surge-august-2026/

Mortgage Purchase Demand Drops 19% as Rates Jump - https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/16/mortgage-demand-from-homebuyers-drops-19percent-from-a-year-ago.html

VantageScore 4.0 Opens to All Approved GSE Lenders - https://www.inman.com/2026/09/11/nar-fhfa-vantagescore-4-0-credit-score/ • http://nowbam.com/vantagescore-4-0-is-now-available-to-every-approved-gse-lender/ • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/15/mortgage-credit-scores-vantagescore-fico-homebuyers.html

Zillow Loses MRED Injunction Bid as Fight Moves to Arbitration - https://www.inman.com/2026/09/16/zillow-compass-mred-chicago-listings-access-standards/

Zillow Faces Shareholder Suit Over Redfin Deal and Stock Sales - https://www.inman.com/2026/09/11/zillow-redfin-rentals-jeremy-wacksman-ftc-stock-sales/

Zillow Preview Is Coming to RealScout - https://www.inman.com/2026/09/15/zillow-preview-realscout-integration/ • https://nowbam.com/zillow-and-realscout-team-up-to-bring-preview-listings-to-more-buyers/

Real Estate Rivals Unite Behind Let America Build - https://www.inman.com/2026/09/15/realtor-exp-zillow-housing-crisis/ • https://nowbam.com/real-estate-giants-unite-behind-one-campaign-to-build-more-homes/ • https://letamericabuild.org/

AI Data Centers: Big Demand, Mixed Housing Effects - https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/15/data-center-reit-ceo-ai-slowdown.html • https://www.nar.realtor/news/real-estate-news/is-there-a-data-center-effect-on-real-estate

Compass Launches Global Referral Division - https://www.inman.com/2026/09/14/compass-building-bridges-with-agent-led-global-division/

Homes.com Hires Felix Kusch as President - https://www.inman.com/2026/09/15/costar-group-homes-dot-com-felix-kusch-president/

Sotheby's Brings Its Two Largest Franchises In-House - https://nowbam.com/sothebys-international-realtys-two-biggest-franchises-are-now-company-owned/

Airbnb Launches a $250M Housing Accelerator - https://www.inman.com/2026/09/15/realtor-exp-zillow-housing-crisis/

**ABOUT tWiRE**

tWiRE - This Week in Real Estate is a live real estate news show (every Wednesday!) examining the biggest stories shaping housing, real estate, mortgage lending, brokerages, agents, buyers, sellers, and the industry.

#HousingMarket #MortgageRates #RealEstateNews