The real estate industry is watching the legal battles over Artificial Intelligence closely. At the center of this conversation is The New York Times Co. v. Microsoft Corp. & OpenAI, a federal copyright lawsuit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Stellar MLS launched Stellar MLS Home Search today at StellarMLS.com, powered by the Broker Public Portal's Cribio technology. With more than 75,000 customers across 20 associations in Florida and Puerto Rico, Stellar is one of the largest MLSs in the country, and its decision reflects a broader shift. MLSs across the country are independently reaching the same conclusion about how best to serve their customers.
Real estate brokers have never carried this much responsibility for technology they did not select, approve, or even know their agents were using.
Association Dues and MLS subscriptions will never fund the MLS you need to operate. MLSs and boards that keep treating non-dues revenue as a side hustle are leaving money on the table. The associations and MLSs winning this decade aren't the ones chasing the next shiny vendor deal. They're the ones building disciplined, recurring non-dues revenue programs that make membership more valuable without stepping on the one thing that keeps brokers writing checks to the MLS: their own product differentiation.
Inventory stopped being a competitive advantage the day the internet showed up, and the industry is still pretending otherwise. MLS compliance guarantees every participating agent the same data feed. AI is about to guarantee every agent the same property description, the same market report, the same “Just Listed” graphic. The only asset left that a competitor cannot copy, scrape, or automate is an audience that already trusts you. Brokerages and MLSs that keep training agents to market listings instead of building audiences are optimizing for a commodity that is depreciating in real time.
The acquisition of TTR Sotheby's International Realty and ONE Sotheby's International Realty by Sotheby’s International Realty is the clearest example yet of the most important trend in brokerage M&A today: brand-on-brand rollups. Two strong affiliates flying the same flag, sharing the same culture and the same operating system, choosing to grow together under the corporate umbrella. That is the model, and this deal is the proof.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dave, to the entire Liniger family, to her friends, and to an industry that will feel the absence of her particular kind of 'gale' for a very long time.
AI browser assistants can now access MLS information through an agent’s authenticated session, creating a data exposure channel that traditional licensing agreements and security controls were never designed to govern. Here’s why MLSs and brokerages need to rethink AI data access — and why governed infrastructure may be more effective than trying to block it.
The creator economy has arrived in real estate, and some of the most valuable voices a brokerage has are already inside the company. By empowering creator agents instead of scripting them, brokerages can turn trusted local communities into a powerful, coordinated marketing engine.
Fathom Holdings has reported more than $56 million in cumulative GAAP net losses across ten consecutive quarters, ending Q2 2026 with approximately $4.5 million in cash. WAV Group examines how Fathom’s financial position compares with Compass and Real–RE/MAX—and why the conversation may extend beyond investors to agents, consumers and trust.
The second edition of The Art of the CMA gives real estate agents and brokers a modern playbook for winning listings in the AI era. Greg Robertson and Charles Warnock explore how better technology, stronger valuation strategies and distinctly human skills can help agents turn market data into clarity, trust and client value.
Inside Real Estate is bringing AI-powered compliance reviews directly into BoldTrail BackOffice. Developed with SetWave, ComplianceAI can help brokerage teams identify missing forms, signatures, initials and inconsistent transaction information earlier in the process—while keeping supervising brokers in control of final compliance decisions.
