The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!
Overview
Rob and Greg dig into Brian Boero's "enshittification" post about online home search getting worse, and spar over whether that's really the story — or a distraction from the bigger issues of affordability, potential fair-housing lawsuits, and how AI is about to upend the agent's role entirely. They debate what an "ideal" buyer experience even looks like, whether the industry should be fighting for lower home prices instead of easier loans, and close out with a wider conversation about AI, housing supply, and whether today's young people are actually worse off than past generations.
Key Takeaways
- Brian Boero's Friday Flash on the "enshittification" of home search sparks the episode's central debate
- Rob argues no consumer uprising is coming — people absorb degraded experiences the same way they absorb worse airlines and shrinking candy bars
- NAACP president Derek Johnson's op-ed frames online listing access as a fair-housing issue, raising the specter of another Sitzer-Burnett-style lawsuit
- Rob and Greg disagree sharply on whether disparate-impact claims around online listings hold merit
- Rob pushes back that the real "enshittification" story is home prices outpacing wage growth — not search UX
- The two debate what an "ideal" buyer experience looks like, from full information disclosure to self-scheduled tours without agent involvement
- Rob argues the industry's political energy goes toward easier loans and lower rates instead of actually lobbying for lower home prices
- Discussion of Sitzer-Burnett's legacy: post-ruling, buyer commission behavior largely hasn't changed, suggesting culture — not rules — drives outcomes
- Rob predicts AI, MLS-only companies, and real estate lawyers could eliminate the need for listing agents; buyer agents may be more insulated for now
- Zelman & Associates' "Cradle to the Grave" research raises the question of whether the US has a housing supply problem or specifically an affordable-supply problem
- Rob draws a parallel to AI investment vs. the dot-com bubble, questioning whether current AI spending will pay off
- Both agree using AI directly — not just reading about it — is the only way to actually understand its impact on the business
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