- Splits and Caps
- Posts
- Portal Power
Portal Power
Zillow, Compass, and the fight for who controls the front door

Splits and Caps Daily: Action for Agents
April 22, 2025
đ Market Move:
Market Manipulation
Real estate just turned into a full-on turf warâZillow vs. Compass.
Zillow laid down the law with a new policy: if a listing is marketed publicly but isnât on the MLS, itâs not showing up on Zillow.com. That triggered a wave of pushback from Compass, the loudest voice in the âoffice exclusivesâ camp. They argue private listings give sellers more control. Zillow (with support from eXp, Redfin, and NextHome) says itâs about transparency and fair housingâif youâre going to market a listing, everyone should have access to it.
Things escalated fast. LinkedIn became the battlefield, with blog posts, livestreams, and spicy comments flying. Compass cried foul over what they see as anti-competitive behavior. Zillowâs camp fired back, saying private exclusives arenât as great as advertised and challenged Compass to prove otherwise.
Behind all the noise? A simple truth: whoever controls how listings are shared controls the powerâand the profits.
đQuote of the Day:
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesnât work hard." â Tim Notke
⥠Quick Win:
Speedy CMA Text: Take 5 minutes to text three past clients: âHey [Name], home values in your area are up. Want a quick update on your homeâs worth?â Easy lead gen.
đ Fun Fact of the Day:
Ghosted: There are over 1.5 million vacant homes in the U.S. Thatâs a lot of real estate sitting there like an unused gym membership. Investors, take notes.
đ Book Recommendation:
"The Experience Economy" by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. GilmoreâThis oneâs not just a bookâitâs a red pill.
You think youâre selling homes? Services? Nope. You're selling experiences. And the second you realize that, the game changes.
The Experience Economy lays out a brutal truth: products are commodities, services are expected, but experiences are what people rememberâand pay more for. Starbucks doesnât sell coffee. They sell that âthird placeâ between work and home. Disney? Theyâre not in the amusement park business. They're in the âmake-my-kid-smile-while-I-pay-$18-for-a-hot-dogâ business.
Now zoom in on real estate. Whatâs your open house? A chore⌠or a mini-event? Whatâs your brand? A logo⌠or a feeling?
If your clients are just âsatisfied,â you're replaceable. If theyâre wowed, you're unforgettable.
Want to charge more, attract better clients, and build a referral machine?
Stop selling houses. Start selling the experience.
Read this. Then go turn your next listing into Disneyland (without the long lines or churros).
Donât wait for momentum â build it.
Reply