Side, founded 2017, is a white-label real estate brokerage that supports high-producing agents by uncoupling brokerage from brand and offering full support. It contrasts with traditional models, advocating for a local, agent-owned future.
Gary Keller, Keller Williams founder, urges MLSs to resist the 'wholesale use' of private listings, fearing it will relegate them to a 'last resort' market. He also discusses AI's acceleration of team formation and productivity focus in real estate.
In 2025, the U.S. saw a significant drop in MLSs (under 500) and local Realtor organizations, a trend driven by smaller groups' vulnerability. Consolidation, like mergers, is a key response, with large entities growing despite the overall decline.
The bond market's response to economic and political conditions — in particular, concerns about deficit spending and inflation stemming from Trump administration proposals — is also having an effect, said Selma Hepp, chief economist at CoreLogic.
Ashley Yarabinec, Director of Member Relations at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), noted that her generation knows how to use technology effectively, "but if the industry doesn't embrace that and bring in younger professionals, they'll fall behind.
The events of the past few years have been a shock to the system for residential real estate: Lawsuits that have changed how agents get paid and challenged their value, a frozen housing market, NAR upheaval.
