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Wonder who’s going to be in the news in the coming year? Here are my predictions.
Zillow enters the brokerage business. There is some good news and some bad news here. They’ve been in the brokerage business since they launched Zillow.com. The real story is that they’re broadening their reach into the business. Their seller-lead initiative and the fact that they are establishing their own lobbying efforts at the national and state level are strong indications of their intentions to widen their involvement.
The growth of Compass and eXp. This is assured, and their growth rates are far higher than almost every other national firm. We think these high growth rates will continue for the foreseeable future. While they’re coming at the market from different perspectives, they’re both playing hot hands.
Redfin will turn a profit. With their excellent understanding of the market and their need to temper their growth in favor of increased profitability, they have the reach and platform to pull this off. Whether it’s on a full-year basis or just a few quarters, they are close to turning the corner.
The big four—Realogy, Keller Williams, RE/MAX and Berkshire Hathaway—will announce significant changes to how they operate. Whether it’s Realogy’s new brands, RE/MAX’s launch of an integrated Booj, Keller Williams continued pursuit of the ultimate technology platform or Berkshire’s approach to acquisitions, significant changes are afoot in 2019.
The Big Questions for 2019
Will Upstream reach critical mass?
Will the Broker Public Portal gain enough acceptance to replace the alternatives?
Will housing sales look like a soft slide or a collision with affordability and continued inventory issues?
