Opinion
Realtor.com has sacrificed the queen in a high-stakes game of chess. But is it for the win?
Ryan O'Hara has been at the helm of real estate portal operator Move Inc. since 2014
The New Jersey-based brokerage says the acquisition of lead gen startup Opcity has turned realtor.com into a competitor
The layoffs are unrelated to realtor.com parent Move Inc.'s acquisition of lead generation firm Opcity, according to a source
Brokers who spoke with Inman are panicked over realtor.com's plans to no longer offer its lead generation service in favor of Opcity's lead referral platform
RE/MAX agents get exclusive access to Redfin's lead referral program in 5,000 US ZIP codes and Canada
The year was marked by big-name brokerage acquisitions and real estate companies boosting their tech offerings
The listing portal now allows consumers to text questions and get an immediate connection
First announced in August, the deal gives realtor.com access to Opcity’s concierge-style lead-generation model
The new pilot program, which launches in Florida under Premier Broker, will give Zillow a cut of the commission as brokerages generate leads with no upfront costs
News Corp.'s acquisition of Opcity is huge because it has a referral fee business model where customers are worth 36x more than a lead
Subsidiary Move is acquiring Austin-based startup Opcity and its license for $210M to bolster Realtor.com, but says it will ‘never’ buy and sell homes
The media giant's real estate subsidiary Move Inc. will add the lead generation startup to realtor.com, its home search and leads portal
With the consumer not having to go directly to an agent for listing information, the game has changed, and VC dollars reflect that