Being found in the age of AI: The collapse of the ‘I’m the best’ era

Attention is now rented, and authority is infrastructure, Molly McKinley and Lauren Henss write. That means instead of the attention economy, we are now operating in the trust economy. Continue reading

Compete with giants: 5 strategies only indie brokerages can pull off

Troy Palmquist and Lauren Henss break down how the best independent brokerages are using speed, brand discipline, and agent-centric operating models to win recruiting and market share — even as consolidation accelerates. Continue reading

How one of California’s largest brokerages hit 90% retention without chasing headcount

“We don’t build rosters. We build careers”: FirstTeam’s Michele Harrington and Lauren Henss break down how discipline, service and authenticity fuel their growth in a hype-heavy industry. Continue reading

These are the 10 words that defined real estate in 2025

Prices, mortgages, inventory and more. While we wrote about a lot this year, from social media to murder mysteries, these are the 10 words that came up again and again. Continue reading

How Google could become real estate’s next big gatekeeper

In this week’s Download: How will you shift your marketing if Google becomes the next dominant player in the online listings landscape? Continue reading

70% of digital transformations fail. The other 30% will redefine us

Mergers and acquisitions are big business in real estate, and technology plays a critical role, writes contributor Lauren Henss. The real game changer? Whether the organization can handle the merger swiftly. Continue reading

10 questions to ask yourself before your next career move

In a market obsessed with movement, Lauren Henss writes, the most powerful move you can make is knowing exactly what you want — before you make it. Continue reading

Real estate leaders weigh in on Compass-Anywhere: The Download

As the logistics of the merger unfold, members of the real estate community continue to share their thoughts on the deal. Continue reading

The Compass-Anywhere merger: When elite meets scale, what happens to value propositions?

The question isn’t whether this merger will change real estate, Lauren Henss writes, but whether that change will ultimately benefit consumers, agents or primarily shareholders. Continue reading

AI isn’t here to replace agents. It’s here to make you faster, better

As real estate moves further into the age of artificial intelligence, Lauren Henss writes, it requires a combination of tech and human connection to serve clients. Continue reading