On today’s episode of The Real Word, Byron Lazine and Nicole White break down AccountTECH’s latest brokerage profitability report showing a growing share of firms moving into positive EBITDA.
They connect that trend to CoStar’s 2026 outlook and Zillow’s recent layoffs as real-world examples of cost discipline reshaping margins, then put it all through the Racket Round to debate whether the industry is truly getting healthier or simply getting leaner.
⏰ Timestamps:
00:32– AccountTECH 2025 Brokerage Profitability report
02:01 – Percentage of companies with positive EBITDA
03:31 – Zillow workforce reduced by 3% amid annual performance reviews
05:07 – CoStar Group financial report details reduction in Homes.com investment
07:20 – Racket Round and Question #1: “Is that because firms got healthier or because the weakest firm shutdown merge or stop reporting”
10:38 – Q2: “Is that a sign the whole industry is getting more careful”
14:01 – Q3: “Is it here to stay or is it just companies just have to do until transactions pickup?
14:56 – Q4: “Is this a story of brokerages getting better or brokerages getting smaller in leaner until the spreadsheet turns green”
17:55 – BAM Pro Bowl III
