Context with Mike DelPrete Guy Gal: Coming Soon Stratagems
Mar 29, 2026
Guy Gal, CEO and co-founder of Side, leads a platform for high-performing boutique brokerages. He discusses why Side partnered with Zillow Preview, the pre-marketing vs iBuying hype, and how too many part-time agents are the industry’s real problem. He contrasts corporate extraction with local, community-focused brokerage models and why real estate keeps returning to local storefronts.
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Pre-Marketing Is A Solution Without A Problem
- Pre-marketing and exclusives are largely a solution searching for a problem and unlikely to change consumer behavior meaningfully.
- Guy Gal says the tactic creates problems like longer holding periods and doesn't clearly solve sellers' core issue of coordinating buys and sells.
Offer Agents A Better Alternative Not Just Criticism
- When an industry trend creates noise, give agents a competitive, ethical alternative rather than simply opposing it.
- Guy explains Side joined Zillow Preview so agents could offer a more inclusive visible option instead of exclusive programs that require buyer agreements.
Pre-Marketing Is The iBuyer Replay
- Guy compares the pre-marketing frenzy to the iBuyer craze where brokerages created parity offerings just to match consumer-facing marketing.
- He notes many brokerages plugged third parties (Homeward, Flyhomes) to appear competitive while not endorsing the model.