Real Estate Ish That Needs to Stay in 2025

Welcome to 2026!

Before we make any resolutions about doing better, let's talk about all the real estate ish that needs to stay in 2025.

This episode is your complete guide to everything we're leaving behind: coaches still denying the NAR settlement mattered, agents going viral for steering content and threatening critics, companies creating fake AI testimonials, RESPA violations dressed up as "networking," and brokers who conveniently ignored their top producers crossing every ethical line.

My "Just In Case" folder nearly crashed my laptop this year with screenshots, contracts, and social media posts that consumers definitely shouldn't have seen. So let's unpack it all, the Camp B coaches, the builder bonuses, the ego-driven commission wars, and the agent who literally looked up someone's phone number to threaten them for posting a critique.

But it's not all doom and gloom! There's actually some good news: Pennsylvania is moving forward with legislation to restrict predatory home equity agreement companies. Progress is possible when we demand better.

Plus: A personal update on why things got quiet around here at the end of 2025 (spoiler: health stuff, family stuff, life stuff), and what's coming in 2026, including special guests and our Housing Rebel provider member events with Rob Hahn on January 21st and Hunterbrook Media on February 18th for a belated Valentine's special on how much we love captive lending and new construction chaos.

Real Estate Ish We're Leaving in 2025:

• Coaches pretending nothing was wrong with pre-settlement practices
• Agents making steering content "for the algorithm"
• Fake testimonials and AI-generated marketing
• FSBO hostage situations and buyer manipulation
• "I don't do interviews" energy from agents with paid Zillow badges
• Builder bonuses to other people's fiduciaries
• RESPA violations disguised as "business strategies"

This episode is based on content from Housing Rebel. All examples are from publicly posted content by real estate professionals.

If you're looking for industry cheerleading, this ain't it. But if you're ready for honest talk about what went wrong and how we fix it, you're in the right place.

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