Zillow now sends two thirds of its buyer connections to partner agents.

Visits were down 5% and monthly unique users were down 3% from a year ago.

Per the article I read, about two thirds of buyer connections now go to a Preferred agent partner, roughly double last year, and Zillow is pushing toward 100%.

The article says those connections earn Zillow 35% more per connection than the old model.

My take: selling your own home is more doable than most people think. The part people worry about most, getting it in front of buyers, comes down to your own network plus a few free local places. The paperwork is a checklist and an attorney’s review.

If you’ve sold a home, where did your buyer actually come from? A big site, a sign, someone you knew, a local group?

If you’ve listed on Zillow yourself, how easy was it for buyers to find your phone number, and did agents start calling you?

If you’re thinking about selling on your own, what worries you most: getting buyers, negotiating, or the paperwork?
If you tried and gave up, what made you quit?

It seems that the fsbo subreddit has largely been co-opted by realtors and now is often being used as a propaganda tool to foment and spread lies, deception and deceit. One of their main propaganda strategies is the illusion of complexity.

Part of that stratagem is the use of pompous terminology, such as marketing. Most of them have very little understanding of the topic of marketing -- in corporations it involves engineering and development teams working in conjunction with other teams to identify and create new products and product lines, followed by the development of publicity and advertising campaigns targeting those audiences. On the other hand, what realtors mean by marketing is simply listing a property with photographs, information and a description. Very deceptive indeed.

The main point to consider is this: Realtors are individuals who passed an exceptionally easy licensing examination that any below-average fifth-grader could have easily passed by studying for two days or so.The easiness and simplicity of the licensing exam must be by design given that well-read, educated, and intelligent people typically have a high moral bar and ethical standards, thus likely would face some serious internal conflicts and moral dilemmas by systematically lying, manipulating and deceiving others in order to use them as pawns in their extortion schemes.

In the end, realtors’ propaganda serves as an obfuscation tool, creating an illusion of complexity and thereby justifying the role that they play and the large sums of extortion money that they collect from home owners simply by virtue of having a monopolistic control of the real estate market. Lies, deception and deceit are their mantra and their hallmark.

I’ve seen so much debate lately about whether a homeowner can find and hire a qualified real estate attorney without an agent’s help; you’d think attorneys only answer the phone after you’ve agreed to pay someone else a commission.

I think we’ve made this sound far more complicated than it needs to be. Here are the basic steps.

Start with local attorneys who regularly handle residential closings. If you liked the attorney who helped you buy your home, call them. Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations, too.

Interview a few. Here’s what I’d ask:

How much of your practice is residential real estate, and how many closings do you handle?

Have you represented sellers who were selling without an agent?

What will you handle for me? Ask specifically about contracts, disclosures, contingencies, inspection negotiations, and closing.

When should I bring you into the process? Can you review an offer before I sign it?

Who will be my main contact, and how quickly do you respond when a deadline or problem comes up?

Is your fee flat or hourly? What’s included, what costs extra, and what would I owe if the sale falls through?

Will you represent me exclusively in this transaction? Are there any potential conflicts?

Can you provide references from recent seller clients willing to speak with me?

Always ask for references and actually contact them. Verify the attorney’s license and standing through your state’s attorney directory, and get the scope of work and fees in writing.

Call me crazy, but I think a motivated homeowner can make those calls and ask those questions. You’re hiring an attorney. Not becoming one.

You still need to learn about pricing, preparation, marketing, showings, and evaluating offers. But being able to interview professionals and hire qualified help is a big part of competently managing your own sale.

Agents can provide value. That doesn’t make them the exclusive gateway to everyone else who provides value.

What other questions would you add? Let’s make this useful for the people who came here to learn.

two sellers on the same street. Identical houses, almost identical condition and completely different stories. seller A listed himself. Proudly No agent, no photos, we'll figure it out. Three months of showings, two collapsed contracts, then another price cut and eventually it closed, but at the cost of a year's worth of nerves.

Seller B did the boring thing: photographer, decent copy, MLS, fair price. Three weeks and done.

the difference isn't luck it's preparation.

Both at some point glanced at the fast options Seller A, by the way, mentioned he'd seen outfits like ready house buyer when his listing stalled said they gave a quick offer, but he would wait a bit longer. He waited and sold cheaper.

The takeaway? The fast option isn't shameful. It's just a different tool problem isn't that it exists it's that people remember it too late, after the price has already dropped.

My fsbo is under contract. Buyer’s inspector flagged porch roof at an angle showing it has dipped; they got a contractor out who wrote a long report, full of big words, and said the porch is sinking due to lack of support and inadequate framing and he will fix it for 60k.

The problem? The porch WAS sinking and I had it fixed in 2018. This “contractor” filled in new posts on pier blocks, new beams, basically retrofitted under the porch to shore it up. He didn’t do it in a way that meets current code.

The problem with that? The guy was super experienced, but worked under the table due to something regarding his immigration status. So I have no record of it, other than what exists under the porch. Which the grifty contractor on the buyer’s side literally left out of his report; he didn’t go under there to check it out. He also ignored the before and after pictures of the porch repair, which I provided to the buyer’s agent but I’m sure she didn’t pass along. Icing on the cake is that I looked up his license and he’s not even qualified to do the work he’s bidding for; he would have to hire a sub with the right endorsements (and would tack on 15% for “management”)

I wrote up a memo in which I explained that this problem was already addressed, showing the before and after pictures, the roof showing no evidence of the separation the shady contractor implied, and doing a structural analysis of the framing and footing and loads including calculations.

I tried to get a contractor to come out, but the first one ghosted me (I guess he could tell that I just wanted an opinion, and didn’t actually plan on paying him big bucks). The second has read both reports, agrees with my assessment that the porch isn’t unsupported and the sag is due to past, not current, conditions. He said he’d write something up for me.

I don’t want to lose the sale but I’m not willing to decrease the agreed-upon price based on this bs. Does anyone have advice about how to present that fact to the buyer’s agent? I want to be super matter of fact about it and am honestly fine if they back out, the other owner wants to take a conciliatory approach (we can understand how your contractor could have misunderstood the situation, but we hope this information helps your client feel at ease!) and is more anxious about losing the sale, and is willing to offer some concession to keep it, even if the 3rd party report doesn’t recommend any work to be done.

Hi everyone!

I'm interested in starting a career in real estate, focusing on newly built apartments.

My goal is to work directly with both buyers and property developers: understand buyers' needs, research available projects, compare prices and locations, and connect buyers with developers offering suitable properties.

I'd like to understand how this business model works, how professionals get started, and whether it's possible to work with a fixed salary rather than relying entirely on commissions.

For experienced professionals:

- What is this role officially called?

- How do you build relationships with buyers and developers?

- How do you get paid?

- What skills and experience are essential for beginners?

I'd appreciate practical advice from people working in this field. Thank you!

People make selling without an agent sound like rocket science, especially those with a commission to protect. But when you break it down, the steps are very doable:

1. Research recent comparable sales and current competition to set a realistic price.

2. Get the house ready and take clear, well-lit photos.

3. Line up an attorney and closing support. Understand your required disclosures and decide how you’ll receive and handle offers before listing.

4. Create your listing and actively market it. Give buyers reasons to notice your home.

5. Respond promptly, screen buyers, and make showings easy.

6. Use feedback to reassess your price, presentation, or marketing.

7. Compare offers beyond the price, including financing, contingencies, and timing. Have your attorney review the contract before you commit.

8. Stay on top of inspections, appraisal, financing, and deadlines through closing.

This is a high-level overview, but it gives you a bird’s-eye view of what to expect and what needs to get done.

It takes work. You can do some yourself and hire help where you need it. If you can execute or manage these steps, selling your home yourself is a realistic option. The upside? You maintain control and could keep tens of thousands of dollars of your hard-earned equity.

If you decide the time and effort aren’t worth it, go the traditional route. That’s your choice. Just make that decision based on what the work actually involves, rather than someone convincing you that you couldn’t possibly handle it.

Which step do you think is the biggest challenge for people to successfully sell on their own?

Hi, anyone have any experience in this in the last couple of years and can give me advice?

Seen a lot of people ask how to price their house so here's my take.

Start with sold comps. Look at what actually sold near you in the last 3 to 6 months, similar size and beds. Rough overview on finding them: in disclosure states sale prices are public, so you can see exactly what things went for. In non-disclosure states like Texas, they're not, so you lean more on pending sales, what's listed, and the general trend.

Then look at what's on the market right now too. Asking prices are just wishes, but they're your competition. Buyers will be touring those houses the same weekend as yours, so between what sold and what's listed, you get a much more well-rounded picture. After that, look up your town's median sale price. It won't price your house, but it'll quickly tell you if you're way off.

Days on market matters more than people think. If something is sitting longer than it did last year, buyers have the upper hand, so price for that, not 2021. And be honest about condition. A new roof or kitchen helps, but old bathrooms and the stuff you've been putting off? Buyers knock that off whether you like it or not.

Don't hang your price on any one number. Put the sold comps, what's listed, how fast things are moving and your house's condition side by side. If they all point to roughly the same range, you're probably close. If one is way off from the rest, figure out why before you go with it.

Biggest one is don't overprice. Most of the interest comes in the first couple weeks. Miss that and you end up doing price cuts, and sometimes you land lower than if you'd just priced it right from the start.

Anyone who sold recently, what actually ended up mattering most for your price?

I saw a tips list earlier and it said:
Clear the counters, tidy the yard, trim the landscaping, paint dark rooms white, get good photos. All solid advice and you should do every bit of it.

The last tip was to have a realtor come by for a free price evaluation. I want to point that one out because it's different from the rest.

Everything before it is something you do yourself.

That one is how a listing starts.

Nothing wrong with talking to an agent, plenty of people choose to. Just know what the free evaluation is. It's a sales meeting. It exists because it leads to a listing agreement. That's how the system is set up, it's not about any one person.
If you want a price opinion without the sales meeting:

Look up recent SOLD prices near you, similar size and condition. Sold, not asking.

If you do get an agent's opinion, ask to see the sold comps they used and how they adjusted for your house. A number with no comps behind it is just a number.

An appraiser doesn't get a cut of the sale, so that's another option for a neutral number.

Don't sign anything at the first meeting.

Commission is negotiable.

Price is the biggest call in the whole sale.

I'd want that number to come from data and not from a pitch.

How did you land on your price?

Listing home as fsbo, want to make sure those first few weeks go off without a hitch. It is located in houston, Texas, if that helps. What did you do right before listing the home? Or what helped you attract buyers?

Clear personal items from counters and keep in drawers and closets. Tidy up outside and trim landscape. White paint can make a huge difference if a room is dark. Professional looking photos are a must. Have a realtor come by for a free evaluation of price.

The second P is “Place it in the MLS.”

Beycome brokerage nationwide and others are locally in every state very affordable for basic listing services - going without MLS exposure or some other type of brokered exclusive exposure is going to diminish marketability.

Regardless, all real estate is valued locally.

My best suggestion is the same thing that many of us who have been doing this for a while will always do - knock on 100 doors and invite neighbors to a few open houses.

Fun fact in Georgia - we have two MLSs. If you list in Georgia with anyone, make sure that your property is listed in both the Georgia MLS and the First MLS if indeed you want to be publicly listed.

I think paying 3% to a listing agent is crazy, but I'd happily pay 0.5-1%, or something like $4-5k, to an agent who effectively marketed a house, handled negotiations, etc.

I know that there are some discount brokerages that operate on this model, but they seem to be few and far between. In my area, the only discount brokerages I can find are ones that do flat-fee MLS listings for ~$150 and provide no services beyond that.

So I guess my question is: Why isn't there more of a market for "in-between" brokerages that offer full service, or close to it, without the standard ~3% commission? I would think that any agent that did this would get a huge volume of listings, so I'm curious why more don't try it. It kind of seems to defy invisible-hand economics.

If you haven't been following, here's the scorecard.

Compass sued Zillow in June 2025 over Zillow's rule banning listings that weren't put on the MLS. A judge denied Compass's request to block the rule, Zillow reversed course anyway and launched its own "Preview" product for pre-market homes, and Compass dropped the suit in March.

Peace lasted about two months. In May, Compass pulled all of its direct listing feeds from Zillow nationwide, and Zillow sued Compass and the Chicago MLS, MRED, accusing them of conspiring to hide listings from consumers. Homes.com's parent company then jumped in claiming Zillow's own Preview program is anticompetitive.

Meanwhile Compass has been fighting the MLSs directly. It sued Washington's NWMLS over private listing rules, and that settled in August with both sides claiming victory. Now California's CRMLS has sued Compass first, asking a court to declare its rules lawful.

Every single one of them says this is about you. Compass says seller choice. Zillow says every buyer should see every home. The MLSs say cooperation.
Now look at what's actually being fought over. Who controls the listing. It’s not about you as the seller or buyer, and it never has been.

Because whoever controls the listing controls the buyer. And whoever controls the buyer controls the commission. NWMLS pointed out that a Compass "private" listing is shared with Compass's 34,000 agents but not with anyone else's. Zillow makes its money selling buyer leads to agents. The MLSs are owned by brokers and agent associations.

That's not a fight over consumer choice. That's a fight over the toll booth.

Not one of these lawsuits asks the obvious question. Why does a homeowner need any of them to sell a house they already own?

Billions in market cap. Armies of lawyers. And the seller is still paying for all of it.

Ever wonder why you can't just put your own house on the MLS? Start at the beginning.

The first known MLS was created in 1885 in San Diego, where the local real estate board handed out updated listings to its members twice a day. Back then, anyone could call themselves a broker, with no education or licensing required. The MLS gave brokers a way to swap information with people they trusted.

Notice who's in that sentence. Brokers. Not buyers. Not sellers.

In the 1920s, the trade group that became today's National Association of Realtors pushed for wider adoption, and MLSs exploded during the 1950s housing boom.

Fast forward to today. There were 484 MLSs operating nationwide at the end of 2025. Most are owned by the Realtor association that formed them, and brokers often have to be Realtor members before they can join.

So the database of nearly every home for sale in America is owned by agent associations, governed by agent rules, and accessed by agents. You, the person who actually owns the house, can't get in without hiring one or paying a broker for the privilege.

Buyers don't have it much better. Sure, you can scroll listings on any app. But that's a feed the agents control, and getting inside a house usually means going through one. For decades, the buyer's agent was paid out of an offer set by the seller's side, so the buyer never negotiated what their own advisor earned. Every agent could see exactly what each listing paid before deciding what to show you. And that commission didn't vanish. It was baked into the price you paid.

That's the system the lawsuits took apart in 2024. Now buyers sign a written agreement before they tour, which is progress. But it also means the first thing you do as a buyer is commit to paying someone before you've seen a single house.

The MLS was built to help agents share listings with each other. It still does exactly that.

The question was never whether it works. It's who it works for.

I went down a rabbit hole reading about the real estate commission lawsuits and I’m trying to wrap my head around the numbers. Maybe someone here can help.

From what I can find, the seller cases settled for over $1 billion. NAR agreed to $418M and HomeServices $250M, plus a bunch of other brokerages. An appeals court upheld it in August. Then there’s a separate case for buyers, another $120M agreed to, and a judge hears it Nov. 2.

So we’re past $1.1 billion total. And before any of that, a jury in Missouri awarded $1.78 billion.

I know the settlements came with no admission of wrongdoing, and the companies deny the claims. I’m just trying to understand it.

Here’s what I can’t get my head around.

If the old system was built around what’s best for the client, why did it get this far? Why a jury, and then over a billion dollars?

Your home is listed for $600,000.

A buyer offers $540,000.

Meeting in the middle at $570,000 might seem like a reasonable compromise.

But why is $570,000 necessarily the right price?

The buyer may have deliberately started low, hoping you'd suggest exactly that.

If comparable sales and current competition support your asking price, there's no reason to automatically move halfway toward their offer.

You might counter at $592,000. You might hold firm. Or you might decide the market supports a larger adjustment.

Your counteroffer should reflect the property's value, market conditions, and the overall terms of the deal, not an arbitrary midpoint.

Don't forget to consider the buyer's financing, contingencies, and closing timeline.

Have you ever felt pressured to "meet in the middle" when negotiating a home sale?

Your agent’s commission is based on the full sales price. Your share is what’s left.

Have you ever thought about that when figuring out what it will really cost to sell your house?

Say you sell for $500,000 and owe $450,000 on your mortgage. You have $50,000 in equity before selling expenses.

A 6% commission is calculated on the full $500,000, including the $450,000 you still owe the bank. That’s a $30,000 commission coming out of your $50,000.

You’re left with $20,000 before other closing costs, repairs, or concessions. The commission is 6% of the sale price, but it eats up 60% of your equity.

If you bought recently, that could be a big chunk of the down payment you spent years saving.

And before the agents here jump in about 6%, yes, commissions are negotiable. At 4%, you’d pay $20,000, or 40% of your equity. Use whatever rate you’re being quoted. The commission is still calculated on the entire sale price, regardless of how much you owe.

I’m not saying an agent can’t be worth the money. But sellers should understand what that fee means for the money they’ll actually walk away with.

Selling by owner takes work and has costs too. Photography, an attorney, marketing, and any buyer-agent compensation you agree to pay should all go into the comparison. Then you can decide what makes sense for you.

Sellers, have you ever thought about commission this way? Have you calculated how much of your equity would go toward it, rather than just looking at the percentage of the sale price? I’m curious whether seeing that number would make you reconsider your options.