How the Brokerage Business is Changing

Feb 26, 2025

In this discussion, Jason Waugh, President of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, reveals the transformative shifts in the real estate brokerage landscape as we approach 2025. He highlights findings from the Global Luxury Trends report, detailing a 35% increase in luxury home sales and changing demographics of buyers. The conversation also delves into how recent legal changes are reshaping agent commissions and consumer relationships. Waugh emphasizes the importance of adaptability in the face of evolving market dynamics and consumer expectations.

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INSIGHT

Regional Impact of Lawsuits

The impact of the 2024 commission lawsuits varies regionally.
Some markets, like parts of Wisconsin, experience commission compression, while others see minimal change.

ANECDOTE

Buyer Services Agreements

Agents using buyer services agreements experienced no business changes after the lawsuits.
Those without such agreements faced different dynamics depending on local customs.

ADVICE

Seller Consultations

Have transparent conversations with sellers about representation options and compensation.
Present different approaches, like including compensation details in the offer or separate contracts.

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In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jason Waugh, president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, to talk about how the real estate brokerage business is changing in 2025. Jason shares insights from CB’s 100,000 agents, the latest findings from CB’s Global Luxury Trends report, and how the agent-consumer relationship is changing after the dramatic real estate commissions settlements of 2024.

About Jason Waugh

Jason Waugh is president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates for Coldwell Banker Real Estate. where he runs the brand’s marketing, franchise sales and operations teams for 100,000 real estate sales professionals in more than 2,700 offices across 39 countries.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What it’s like running an iconic real estate brand in 2025
The latest findings from CB’s Global Luxury Trends report
Notable demographic trends for luxury real estate buyers
How agent/homebuyer relationships are changing after the commission lawsuits
Which consumers continue to choose full-service/full-price real estate services
Which markets are noticing commission compression
Insights on today’s unique commercial real estate trends

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

A true data geek, Mike founded Altos Research in 2006 to bring data and insight on the U.S. housing market to those who need it most. The company now serves the largest Wall Street investment firms, banks, and tens of thousands of real estate professionals around the country. Mike's insights on the market have been featured in Forbes, New York Times, Bloomberg, Dallas Morning News, Seattle PI, and many other national media outlets.

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Each week, Altos tracks every home for sale in the country - all the pricing, and all the changes in pricing - and synthesizes those analytics to make them available before becoming visible through traditional channels.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

The Top of Mind podcast features top real estate industry insiders and experts to unpack the most important housing, real estate, mortgage data and trends that are shaping the housing market. Hosted by Altos founder Mike Simonsen and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.