HUD partners with Zillow to close racial homeownership gap

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has partnered with Zillow for “Let’s Make Home the Goal,” a campaign aimed at connecting minority communities with HUD pre-housing counseling services. Continue reading

Christine Jacobson, formerly of NextHome, heads to Realtor.com

Christine Jacobson has joined Realtor.com as senior vice president of B2B marketing. In her new role, Jacobson will expand the portal’s B2B offerings in a bid to help agents grow their business. Continue reading

UK portal Rightmove rejects bid from Rupert Murdoch’s REA Group

UK portal Rightmove’s board of directors has unanimously rejected News Corp subsidiary REA Group’s $7.32 billion acquisition bid, saying it “fundamentally undervalues” the company’s current and future prospects. Continue reading

Redfin Next expanding nationwide by the end of October

Seattle-based brokerage Redfin is taking its commission-based payment model, Redfin Next, nationwide on Oct. 27. Redfin Next enables agents to keep their W-2 status and benefits while earning competitive commission splits. Continue reading

CoStar touts forensic evidence in new filing against Move

CoStar filed a motion on Wednesday asking the court to deny Move’s amended preliminary injunction due to forensic data that allegedly proves a former Realtor.com editor never shared Move-owned files with the company. Continue reading

Zillow, unfiltered: Portal giant adds AI-fueled natural language feature

Consumers using Zillow’s mobile application can now search homes with simple voice prompts based on commute, points of interest, affordability and school access, according to executives. Continue reading

Rupert Murdoch’s REA Group eyes UK’s biggest real estate portal

Murdoch’s Australia-based News Corp subsidiary announced on Monday that it was considering a cash and stock offer for the UK’s largest real estate portal. Continue reading

Realtors file suit against Move, NAR over ‘fake leads’ scheme

Eight Realtors are seeking class action status in their lawsuit against Realtor.com for allegedly selling unvetted and fraudulent buyer and seller leads. This is the third lawsuit against Realtor.com and parent company Move over its lead gen business. Continue reading

Jeremy Wacksman on becoming CEO, leading Zillow into a new era

A week after being named CEO, Wacksman shared what it’s like to take the baton from Zillow co-founder Rich Barton, the power of technology and the role portals play in a post-settlement world. Continue reading

Zillow hires former PayPal exec to lead agent sales team

Zillow is continuing its leadership shuffle, with the Seattle-based residential portal announcing a new senior vice president of agent sales on Friday. Former PayPal executive Soumya Tulloss will lead Zillow’s agent sales, the segment that includes fla… Continue reading