opportunityprofilereal estateSelectTechnology
January 19, 2015

Tell us about technology: good, bad and ugly

Technology: Love it or hate it, it’s an integral part of your job in real estate. But how do you really feel about it? Is it an asset or an annoyance? A hindrance or a hero? Some agents and brokers welcome new applications and devices with open arms, while others are just as…
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Brokeragereal estateSelecttamir poleg
January 19, 2015

The real estate broker model is broken

Ladies and gentlemen, the broker model is broken. The brokers’ view of their value to their agents and the value that agents see in their brokers have grown so far apart that a radical change is needed. Brokers look at their businesses as though agents are working for them. Most…
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Murdochnews corpportal watchrealtor.comSelectTechnologytruliaZillow
January 17, 2015

Zillow, Trulia share prices sag as merger review drags on

While the Federal Trade Commission expected to wrap up its review of the Zillow-Trulia merger any day now, share prices in the respective firms’ stocks continue to drop. They’re down close to 20 percent over the last month. Company Share price* (% change from Dec. 12) Zillow $96.44 (-18.9%) Trulia $42.03 (-17.0%) News…
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economylou barnesmonetary policymortgagemortgagesSelectstimulus
January 16, 2015

Lower mortgage rates, courtesy of the gnomes of Zurich

A policy change by the Swiss National Bank has addled markets and governments worldwide. How to explain that your lower mortgage rate is courtesy of the Gnomes of Zurich? The 10-year T-note has bottomed at 1.72 percent, down more than a half-percent since Christmas. But 10-year Ts have decoupled from…
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ipoSelectTechnology
January 16, 2015

DocuSign may be next real estate IPO

If Redfin doesn’t beat it to the punch, DocuSign could be the next big real estate tech company to go public. A year ago, the e-signature and transaction management software provider made clear that it would rather go public than be acquired. And last fall, its chief financial officer, Mike…
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overcomingproductivityreal estateRoss MalpereSelect
January 16, 2015

Overcoming fear of rejection in real estate

It’s a “truth” (almost) universally accepted in our industry that 20 percent of real estate agents will make 80 percent of the money — and you could make an argument that this number is valid. Is there some predetermining factor that dictates who is going to excel and who will be mediocre…
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independent brokeragesnrtre/maxrealogySelectTechnologytruliaZillow
January 16, 2015

Regulators may be weighing impact of Zillow-Trulia merger on small brokers

Much of the discussion about the Federal Trade Commission’s review of the pending Zillow-Trulia merger has centered around the share of advertising dollars that the portal giants command and the percentage of consumer traffic they represent. But another factor may play into the FTC’s analysis on whether the merger might…
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marijuanaMatt Chapdelainemedical marijuanapot dispensariesRegulationsSelect
January 16, 2015

Property search engine will serve budding pot industry

A new start-up has ambitions of becoming the Zillow of property search for marijuana growers and landlords who are willing to rent their properties to people in the budding industry. The new service, HerbFront, will offer zoning maps to identify areas that are legal for farming marijuana, warehousing and retail…
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Brokerageinterviewreal estate leadersRealty One GroupSelect
January 16, 2015

Kuba Jewgieniew discusses his upstart startup and finding success

Kuba Jewgieniew, the founder and CEO of Realty ONE Group, is a leader in the real estate industry; he answered several questions from Inman about work, life and how he balances the two.  Age: 38 Degree, school: Bachelor of science in economics, University of California, San Diego Location: Irvine, California Describe…
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Brokeragemarketreal estateSelecttrendupdate
January 16, 2015

Ingredients for a hot real estate market: lessons from Brooklyn

It’s that time of the year again, the time when Brooklyn brokers take a moment to reflect on the past 365 days and give a candid — if not long — shot at envisioning the 365 days ahead. And 2014 was a big year for this particular borough: Pricing ceilings were…
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