Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered Get Out of Your Own Way: The Future of Brokerage with Side's Founders
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Feb 18, 2026 Hilary Saunders, chief broker officer with a legal and compliance background; Guy Gal, CEO who built Side into a community-centered invisible brokerage. They debate consolidation vs boutique brokerages. They unpack private listings' risks, how the internet shifted brokerage power, why part-timers reshape economics, and the leadership moves that enable real scaling.
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How Side's Founders Met And Started
- Guy Gal found real estate after meeting entrepreneurial agents and saw a chance to restructure brokerage for owners.
- Hilary Saunders joined after a persistent LinkedIn outreach and a serendipitous two-hour first meeting that led to co-founding Side.
Invisible Brokerage Model Explained
- Side operates as an invisible brokerage that lets agents run their own brands while Side handles transaction work.
- The model scaled to manage nearly $30B in transactions and support hundreds of independent companies.
Community Outlasts Corporate Consolidation
- Guy argues real estate's most enduring structure is local community, not corporations.
- Corporate roll-ups historically spurred growth of boutique local brokerages, a cycle he expects to repeat.