Why is Purplebricks’ backer betting hard on hybrid agents?

Axel Springer, the $6 billion European media house, is going “all in” with online hybrid agents, through its investments in Purplebricks and Homeday. It’s making a calculated bet that competing with its real estate agency customers is the best long-ter… Continue reading

What’s the most dangerous thing about Purplebricks? Its risk tolerance

Purplebricks’ core U.K. market continues to grow and is meaningfully profitable, proving that the model works. Key performance indicators in its other three markets reveal a deeper story of investment, growth and challenges. Continue reading

Why seller leads are Zillow’s biggest opportunity

Last week, Zillow announced its latest financial results, and the stock dropped 25 percent (losing $2 billion in value). But the story everyone is missing is the Zillow Offers business and its huge potential with seller leads. Continue reading

Why Zillow has the advantage over KW, Rocket Homes and others

Zillow benefits from practically unbeatable network effects in the consumer space. Both of these moves ignore basic strategic principles of playing to your strengths and picking battles you can win. Continue reading

How realtor.com just got way better at lead conversion

News Corp., owner of realtor.com, announced the $210 million acquisition of lead qualification service Opcity. With this acquisition, realtor.com dives deeper into the lead conversion funnel in a major way. Continue reading