The NAR Settlement One Year Later: Here's Why Commissions Are Not Down and Realtors Are Not Out

<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-b822268b-7fff-99fe-5fd3-6cbfa52cb9c8"><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">As featured in <a href="https://www.inman.com/2025/11/05/why-commissions-have-risen-since-the-2024-nar-settlement/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Inman News</span></a>.  </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-hHZ6okAaSzZ4-DWkczm8yZ_PfHsOdZPAEEc7YmYCxwxPp3fQsgWOQopRVtQWVm3FrtKuSsaeZcWN406kze-0QABsy1Dgq7viZOIR6UkBEG111gLU3Wx7bc8d5BdDuIQsnAznEBQL4yLgxY9TXTZID4XaaeO09PjNP9fR73xwnlIBEApSxM5n8BT5lY/s1024/cjWJVw_WaRaSCPjoyZghX.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-hHZ6okAaSzZ4-DWkczm8yZ_PfHsOdZPAEEc7YmYCxwxPp3fQsgWOQopRVtQWVm3FrtKuSsaeZcWN406kze-0QABsy1Dgq7viZOIR6UkBEG111gLU3Wx7bc8d5BdDuIQsnAznEBQL4yLgxY9TXTZID4XaaeO09PjNP9fR73xwnlIBEApSxM5n8BT5lY/s320/cjWJVw_WaRaSCPjoyZghX.png" width="320"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>AI-generated image: The NAR settlement didn't make Realtors down and out. It proved their worth. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></h1></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-b7a5385f-7fff-6c4c-6e3b-696d1f8f4ee1"><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Many expected commissions to fall after the 2024 NAR commission settlement, but data shows that average rates have actually ticked up slightly. Why?⁣ <span></span></span></h1></span>

commision, NAR, realtors, settlement

The NAR Settlement One Year Later: Here's Why Commissions Are Not Down and Realtors Are Not Out

As featured in Inman News .   AI-generated image: The NAR settlement didn't make Realtors down and out. It proved their worth.  Many exp...

Is This The Fall of “GodZillow” Or The Entire RE Industry? 5 Better Questions to Get Real Estate Deals on Track

<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-931754fd-7fff-5db9-5903-5175d52b44c2"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">As featured in <a href="https://www.housingwire.com/articles/real-estate-incentive-reform-zillow-industry-challenges-2025/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HousingWire</span></a>.</span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76yAUCb3NmtMhXdw3bv6jmFAgdbry6ut3ChA5N7YfUnjlchNR12vg2HGfi3xkKP0amuBE-0AO3fqr4tasEGDV5oj4EfBMtaV3Q2L5OiHHHjFr_8GCi3SEXV5Yu-2rZWgBwafznwGNSomgw85f6nt5g7K9X-wIE3c_MsvlePyuVQnHjzmh-YXPDmdlPvM/s1024/YUDHLG2N-4t0o8KuWrnbs.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76yAUCb3NmtMhXdw3bv6jmFAgdbry6ut3ChA5N7YfUnjlchNR12vg2HGfi3xkKP0amuBE-0AO3fqr4tasEGDV5oj4EfBMtaV3Q2L5OiHHHjFr_8GCi3SEXV5Yu-2rZWgBwafznwGNSomgw85f6nt5g7K9X-wIE3c_MsvlePyuVQnHjzmh-YXPDmdlPvM/s320/YUDHLG2N-4t0o8KuWrnbs.png" width="320"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3a8d87f9-7fff-317d-14c4-8ec6b30de263"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Caption: AI-generated image of “GodZillow”. </i></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br></span></div><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“GodZillow”: Am I the Drama?</span></h1><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Way back in 2014, </span><a href="https://www.inman.com/2014/08/21/realtor-com-should-be-match-com-for-real-estate-agents/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I wrote</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Run for your lives - godZulia is coming muah!</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"  </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">V</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">arious articles make it seem like Godzilla is being resurrected in the form of this merger (Zillow and Trulia), hence my term godZulia.<span></span></span></p></span></div>

economy, fair housing, NAR, realtors, zillow

Is This The Fall of “GodZillow” Or The Entire RE Industry? 5 Better Questions to Get Real Estate Deals on Track

As featured in HousingWire . Caption: AI-generated image of “GodZillow”. “GodZillow”: Am I the Drama? Way back in 2014, I wrote : " Ru...

Does the Proposed Texas Bill Allow NAR Member Hate Speech or Simply the Expression of Unpopular Opinions?

<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-cc8cb5a6-7fff-6290-5ae6-5921a40f1276"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 16pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 15pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">9 Possible Guardrails to Prevent the Former (Hate Speech), Particularly if Other States Introduce Copycat Bills. </span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 16pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p>As featured at <a href="https://www.housingwire.com/articles/does-the-proposed-texas-bill-allow-nar-member-hate-speech-or-simply-the-expression-of-unpopular-opinions/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HousingWire</span></a>.  <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadeXoZaXMNpd0iANOb7FrKuKdmXEVpGMGeoWhP3Z4G-77y9r5Zx68Ydlo0bc-q5FxKsiAi5t7meTVbzW4tKsITuRWGKvJ3-SxtggC0kMB1IFx5oSBmcGP5m1nFxGlAGDNssR7x3MmC1OjbM9PJ6_8Df52zB1loXmMYjSMqMh9e6H3BAmk-vH3-ZNFvRw/s3247/k-mitch-hodge-MMO93Zo2VyQ-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3247" data-original-width="2435" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadeXoZaXMNpd0iANOb7FrKuKdmXEVpGMGeoWhP3Z4G-77y9r5Zx68Ydlo0bc-q5FxKsiAi5t7meTVbzW4tKsITuRWGKvJ3-SxtggC0kMB1IFx5oSBmcGP5m1nFxGlAGDNssR7x3MmC1OjbM9PJ6_8Df52zB1loXmMYjSMqMh9e6H3BAmk-vH3-ZNFvRw/s320/k-mitch-hodge-MMO93Zo2VyQ-unsplash.jpg" width="240"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@kmitchhodge?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap-mode: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out;">K. Mitch Hodge</a><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/red-and-white-polka-dot-rain-boots-MMO93Zo2VyQ?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap-mode: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out;">Unsplash</a>. </td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 15pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br></span><p></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-bc6ccb53-7fff-199b-3c19-8b1abc600f02"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Everything is bigger in Texas” is a folksy saying that conjures smiles when thinking about Buc-ee’s, wide-brim western hats, or ostentatious longhorn belt buckles. <span></span></span></p></span></div>

bills, laws, NAR, realtors, senate, speech, texas

Does the Proposed Texas Bill Allow NAR Member Hate Speech or Simply the Expression of Unpopular Opinions?

9 Possible Guardrails to Prevent the Former (Hate Speech), Particularly if Other States Introduce Copycat Bills. As featured at HousingWire ...

Real (Estate) Talk: Is NAR Mentorship Overzealous Charity Work Or Rightful Amends?

<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-e1c2d621-7fff-443d-e92e-29c8882448a2"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As featured in my monthly column on <a href="https://www.inman.com/2022/08/09/real-estate-talk-is-this-overzealous-charity-work-or-rightful-amends-by-nar/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">race and real estate in Inman News</span></a>. </span></p></span></span><span><span><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: xx-large; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVwCVZI6KZqolJ6O4Y7G_lZ4fpdiOMTz3k1yq-sIAEeY5LoBPTLh5fwbcGrbw8nrGpxqDjDMSc9T6bZZrdP-HY4XYmgcJTRDTUX4hJGFI398vyv2qQZlxXnVFWSP9v0w8hdB26Q0Xs-HUhJHvp0ogmKNJWWvABTsUZwDRl8UJZKIZFV-Go_cjJW07/s1920/mentor-ga0ceb3747_1920.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVwCVZI6KZqolJ6O4Y7G_lZ4fpdiOMTz3k1yq-sIAEeY5LoBPTLh5fwbcGrbw8nrGpxqDjDMSc9T6bZZrdP-HY4XYmgcJTRDTUX4hJGFI398vyv2qQZlxXnVFWSP9v0w8hdB26Q0Xs-HUhJHvp0ogmKNJWWvABTsUZwDRl8UJZKIZFV-Go_cjJW07/w400-h300/mentor-ga0ceb3747_1920.png" width="400"></a></div><br><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you heard about one of NAR’s fairly new initiatives to increase proficiency among all new agents?<span></span></span></p> </span></span></div>

inman, mentorship, NAR, realtors

Real (Estate) Talk: Is NAR Mentorship Overzealous Charity Work Or Rightful Amends?

As featured in my monthly column on race and real estate in Inman News . Have you heard about one of NAR’s fairly new initiatives to increa...