On today’s Knowledge Brokers Podcast, Byron Lazine and Tom Toole discuss eXp’s acquisition of NextHome, Byron’s conversation with Leo Pareja and James Dwiggins, and the new partnership between Realtor.com and Zillow.
They also cover the April FOMC meeting, the latest jobs report, and the data showing 9 out of 10 consumers use real estate agents, despite the growth in AI home search tools.
⏰ Timestamps
01:13 TOPIC: eXp acquisition of NextHome and BAM’s breaking coverage
01:52 Byron’s take on his conversation with Leo Pareja and James Dwiggins
02:32 BAM is the trusted source for info around these acquisitions
04:07 Two things stand out in eXp acquisition
05:02 What stood out for Byron: talent acquisition (Byron’s and Tom’s fantasy leadership draft)
18:20 Byron & Tom discuss highlights from Byron’s conversation with Leo and James
19:35 Tom’s point: leadership, not AI/tech, is the real growth factor
20:37 TOPIC: Realtor.com and Zillow team up
26:29 The number that stands out: 75% of all portal users use one of these two platforms
28:13 What MLSs will do if they want to stay relevant
30:57 TOPIC: Jerome Powell’s last FOMC meeting as Fed Chair
32:44 Consumer sentiment on the economy and the housing market
37:23 Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale’s rate prediction for 2026 is dialed in.
38:00 Agents have 3 choices in terms of how they’re going to attract clients.
38:35 Byron’s analogy from an old school salesman: the “bluebird business”
41:16 Tom would be doing 2 & 3 (“setting snares” + “hunting”)
43:56 “There are going to be clients who impact your life…” (Byron’s story)
49:11 When you see a model you like…just copy it (no winging it, no reinventing the wheel)
51:27 90% of consumers are using an agent despite AI/tech advancements
