It sounds like the FTC is close to finalizing the Zillow-Trulia merger. Expected to close February 17th. Congrats to all my friends at both companies. Watching Zillow-Trulia battle the newly acquired Realtor.com run by News Corp will make for an interesting 2015 and 2016.

Take a peek: Keep. From my understanding, it’s a branded version of the home reports Zillow send (details). Smart approach. [H/T to Audie for the heads up on this one]

I’m not sure how many of you read Seth Godin. Those that do, know he recently wrote about the end of geography, and concluded with this statement: If you’re still betting on geography, on winning merely because you’re local, I hope you have a special…

Here is an example of why newspapers are having a hard time vs. Google. My local paper charges $50 CPM, which is $50 per thousand impressions, for a banner ad near the top of their homepage. Keep in mind this banner is not targeted to…

This coming weekend in Seattle, Zillow is sponsoring a hackathon with participation from the White House, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and offering up a $10k grand prize for the winner. It was announced a couple weeks ago,…

Zillow purchased Trulia. News Corp purchased Realtor.com. Clearly, there are things happening in the real estate industry. Joel thinks 2015 will be a big year in real estate tech. I tend to agree. But is anything really really big happening? Perhaps a real estate industry moonshot? If…

If you read this blog, you likely know I’ve been working on Horizon for the better part of a year. The starting point is Couchsurfing/AirBnB within your own trusted network; but the long term vision is trusted contacts by location. We may be crazy, but we believe Horizon is…

Zillow is in negotiations with MRIS to establish a direct data feed of broker listings ahead of the looming cancellation of Zillow’s ListHub syndication contract. “It is the sole prerogative of the Listing Broker to decide where their inventory appears,” said Jon Coile, MRIS Chairman…

Elba’s dream was to own a home with a real floor and a front door so her children could sleep in safety and comfort. Thanks to the passion of Giveback Homes Members and our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Nicaragua, that dream became a reality. Last month,…

Here’s a rough prediction for what will take the place in the listing syndication arena after the “ListHub-Zillow divorce” (for more analysis on the deal, read Rob Hahn’s thoughts here and here): Zillow will continue to invest in their listing management and reporting dashboard. Brokers & MLS’…