ICYMI, here are the must-know insights and can’t-miss controversies straight from the stage of Inman Connect New York.

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Each week on The Download, Inman’s Christy Murdock takes a deeper look at the top-read stories of the week to give you what you’ll need to meet Monday head-on. This week: ICYMI, here are the must-know insights and can’t-miss controversies straight from the stage of Inman Connect New York.

From marketing insights to CEO showdowns, Inman Connect New York, which took place Jan. 22-24 at NYC’s midtown Hilton, brought together industry leaders and experts for three days of conversations, keynotes and debates.

Whether you were here in person, joined virtually or kept up with the stories as they rolled out online, there’s probably something you missed. This recap will allow you to check back and move through all that’s new, with the latest on industry leadership, marketing, tech and development.

Commissions and Clear Cooperation

Umansky, Dwiggins clash in heated debate over Clear Cooperation

Mauricio Umansky argued that Clear Cooperation stifles competition. Meanwhile, James Dwiggins said the rule puts the customer first.

Nykia Wright vows transparency, turnaround as NAR chief executive

During her first appearance at an Inman Connect event, Wright said she previously brought another entity back “from the brink of extinction and irrelevance” and will now do the same at NAR.

Real estate lawyers take big stand against agent commission sharing

CRMLS General Counsel Ed Zorn and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Chief Legal Officer Jessica Edgerton warned agents not to fall back on old practices, like sharing commissions.

How to take advantage of ‘the new normal’ post-NAR settlement

Kendall Bonner, Russ Cofano and Christine Jacobson urged agents to change how they communicate their value.

Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman: ‘Everyone wins’ with CCP in place

In his first Inman Connect appearance since becoming Zillow’s CEO, Jeremy Wacksman talked about the Super App, AI and why maintaining Clear Cooperation is best for agents and consumers.

Brad Inman proclaims real estate agents ‘champions of the world’

Following a tough year of commission lawsuits and a challenging housing market, the Inman founder reminded real estate professionals Thursday that they are survivors poised for a rebirth.

Portals

Filters and links ‘are dead’ in Andy Florance’s portal dream

In his latest Inman Interview, CoStar Group CEO Andy Florance talked about AI transforming residential portals from digital classifieds to highly-personalized home shopping platforms.

DelPrete: Guard yourself against ‘propaganda’ in real estate data

The real estate tech strategist laid out how companies often use accurate data to present skewed conclusions — and what real estate professionals can do to spot it.

Transactions

71% of real estate agents didn’t close any deals last year

Redfin’s Joe Rath broke down the views of active agents in the industry, who make up less than a third of all Realtors.

Former HUD Secretary: We need big ideas on affordable housing

Former HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman talked about missed opportunities to improve inventory and the lack of will for solving affordability challenges.

Docusign CEO Allan Thygesen said its new software, Transaction Spaces, can reduce the complexities inherent in the transaction process.

Rocket consolidates home search, mortgage with Rocket.com launch

Rocket’s new domain targets high-intent homebuyers by utilizing AI to provide around-the-clock support, answer questions and keep clients and agents informed.

Brokerage

Shifting ground rules driving real estate brokerage consolidation

As the industry continues to evolve, smaller brokers are going to need to think about how to increase profitability, and that often requires scale, said BHGRE President Ginger Wilcox.

Real estate is not broken: Anywhere’s Sue Yannaccone

Zillow’s market cap may be 50 times bigger than the franchise giant’s, but that doesn’t mean traditional industry players need to make a “fundamental pivot,” the CEO tells Brad Inman.

Elliman’s Michael Liebowitz says the brand is all about ‘expertise’

The new CEO and chairman made his debut on the ICNY stage, sharing big ideas for how the brand plans to be an industry disrupter while maintaining its reputation as a leader in luxury.

United Real Estate’s Dan Duffy to brokers: See things differently

To achieve growth goals, brokers need to break out of existing molds and get creative with their approach, all while keeping their “strategic subway map” at the forefront, the CEO said.

Dolly Lenz tells agents to ‘stay in your clients’ pants’

Lenz’s point — not to be taken literally — was to be in constant contact with clients, aware of what they do day to day and what they need, all of which impacts how they buy and sell real estate.

‘I placed 7th; I completely blew it. Now what?’ asks former Olympian

BMX rider Connor Fields knows the highs and lows of chasing a dream: setting a goal, coming close to achieving it and falling short. However, his journey is unlike any other.

Recruiting isn’t always about who’s the best, but who’s the best fit

Recruiting and retaining agents is all about finding the people who are already the right fit for your culture and business model, brokers attending Connect NYC said.

Marketing

Anywhere’s David Marine: The power of storytelling is ‘timeless’

The key to finding a brand’s story is making sure that the consumer’s, the brand agents’ and competing agents’ views of that brand all align, Marine told Inman Connect New York attendees.

Agents on social media in 2025: ‘Just get out there and record’

In addition to committing to creating content, savvy agents told ICNY attendees that authenticity, focused branding and being fearless are some of the keys to finding success on social media.

EXp’s Wendy Forsythe to agents: Focus on experience over metrics

The chief marketing officers for eXp Realty, Brown Harris Stevens and CoStar Marketplace share why sales metrics don’t resonate with today’s consumers and what agents can do instead.

What the new AI reasoning models mean for real estate

ChatGPT is great for simple tasks like writing marketing materials. The latest AI reasoning models are capable of taking on complex assignments that once would have required a human assistant.

Want to add value? Go deep, tap your network, invest in real estate

An array of industry experts gathered to discuss ways to build new paths of business and add value to the consumer experience.

Feeling stuck? Here’s how to build true momentum in 2025

Need a little wind in your sails? Real’s Jimmy Burgess shares momentum-building strategies to help real estate agents move forward.

‘Decide what is authentic,’ then build a brand, experts say

While some stumble into their brand organically, panelists emphasized that successful branding is a strategic process that requires authenticity and consistency.

Put people first: How to connect with consumers deeper, faster

Understanding the psychology of consumers can help you create better relationships quicker, founder of The Talent Brokerage, Giselle Ugarte, said.

AI’s potential for real estate agents is vast, ICNY panelists argue

Industry leaders said that artificial intelligence is lowering the cost of producing content and that in the future it will make home searches better and more useful.

Agents need to push past fear when posting online

Industry leaders argued that social media and online videos are essential tools for today’s real estate agents to find their voices and share their stories.

Sell like a spy: Mastering connection and ‘elicitation’

Spies possess an extraordinary skill set that goes far beyond the Hollywood myths — one that can be beneficial to anyone, especially real estate professionals, according to Jeremy Hurewitz.

 Technology

6 new technologies shaping the future of residential development

“Thesis Driven” editor Brad Hargreaves shared how emerging tech in home equity, AI, ADUs, property development, off-the-grid living and driverless cars will impact residential development.

Venture capitalists: Proptech founders need tenacity

The group never broached what they look for in terms of product types or category, but they all agreed, new ventures wanting money need leaders with the courage to bleed for their company.

Christy Murdock is a writer, coach and consultant and the owner of Writing Real Estate. Connect with Writing Real Estate on Instagram and subscribe to the weekly roundup, The Ketchup.

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