Propmodo

For an industry built on data, RealPage’s rent-pricing saga is becoming a defining moment. What began as tenant complaints has turned into one of the decade’s most important antitrust fights. The DOJ and several states have accused RealPage’s revenue-management software of creating a “cartel effect” that pushed up rents by aligning landlords’ pricing decisions through shared data. Dozens of settlements are already reshaping the market faster than the courts can. Whether the legal precedents come from Washington or a patchwork of state deals, one thing is clear: the rules for algorithmic pricing in real estate are being rewritten in real time. https://lnkd.in/gx7YfFRq

CoStar Group is once again taking a rival to court, this time Zillow, over tens of thousands of allegedly misused listing photos. The company’s legal strategy has already sunk Xceligent and scored a win against Crexi. Now the Zillow case could reshape how property photos are licensed and shared across the industry. Is this necessary protection of intellectual property or the overreach of a gatekeeper? #CommercialRealEstate #PropTech #CRE #Copyright #RealEstateTech #CRENews #CoStar #Zillow https://lnkd.in/gXKXYXJg

The Fed’s latest quarter-point rate cut may not make homes more affordable for everyday buyers, but it could thaw the freeze in commercial real estate. If confidence returns and credit loosens, we could see a shift in leverage from lenders back to owners and investors. That change, more than the cut itself, may be what finally jumpstarts the market. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g7Wx4R8B

New York’s casino race is entering its final stage after three years of big promises, political battles, and community pushback. What began with marquee bids in Times Square, Hudson Yards, and even Saks Fifth Avenue has narrowed to six contenders. MGM in Yonkers and Genting in Queens are considered favorites, leaving four others competing for one license in Flushing, Midtown East, Coney Island, and the Bronx. This contest is not only about casinos. It is a test of how New York balances land use, jobs, housing, and community demands. By the end of the year, the state will decide who gets to place their bet on the city’s future. https://lnkd.in/gmiDhabV

Cities across the U.S. are testing vacancy taxes to nudge commercial landlords into action. Sacramento is the latest to explore the idea, joining San Francisco, Portland, D.C., and others in the debate over whether taxing empty storefronts and parcels can spark revitalization or backfire by straining owners already struggling to fill space. Would a vacancy tax drive reinvestment or just add pressure to an already fragile market? #vacancytax

Most new CRE agents start the same way: hours of cold calling just to land their first clients. Nick Kaye, now COO and co-founder of Sierra Capital Club, remembers spending “90 percent of my time cold calling.” That struggle led him and friends to build Terrakotta (YC W24), an AI-powered sales platform that automates list-building, dials through contacts, leaves personalized voicemails, and preps agents when someone finally picks up. The result: more connections, less burnout, and faster paths to revenue. Cold calling isn’t going away—but tools like Terrakotta are changing what it looks like. https://lnkd.in/gYgcNeAM

Building new affordable housing in Los Angeles has become nearly impossible. With 78% of the city zoned for single-family homes and costs for labor and insurance skyrocketing, the economics don’t pencil. But some investors are taking a different approach. Brothers Nathan and Michael Kadisha of K3 Holdings are converting existing apartment buildings into affordable units—keeping residents in place while upgrading properties through city programs like Measure A. Their strategy highlights a path forward: purpose-driven investment that balances financial return with civic impact. If it works, it could inspire others to help tackle LA’s housing crisis. https://lnkd.in/gAyriU-k

📊 Retail real estate is no longer just about location, location, location. First came foot traffic counts. Now, thanks to new technologies, retail landlords can unlock deeper insights about who customers are, where they came from, and even how they move throughout a property. In this special episode of Propmodo’s Decoding Real Estate Podcast, sponsored by Aislelabs, Garrett Schemmel, CEO of Aislelabs, explains how mobile data, WiFi analytics, and other tools are reshaping the way landlords and tenants think about retail space. From smarter lease negotiations to owned marketing channels through WiFi logins, the conversation reveals how data is becoming one of the most valuable assets in retail property management. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gDuAMUg4 #RetailRealEstate #CRE #Proptech #Leasing #FootTraffic

Two years after New York’s Local Law 18 effectively banned most short-term rentals, the housing market looks the same. Rents remain at record highs, vacancies near historic lows, and many former Airbnb units never made it into the long-term rental pool. The lesson: restricting Airbnbs may ease nuisance complaints, but it’s not a solution to affordability. The real issue is a structural shortage of housing. Without adding supply, removing tens of thousands of listings barely makes a dent. Policymakers risk misdiagnosing the problem—lasting affordability gains will come from building more homes, not just banning alternative uses for existing ones. #Housing #RealEstate #Multifamily #Airbnb

For years, San Diego’s 101 Ash Street tower symbolized everything that could go wrong in civic real estate: asbestos contamination, lawsuits, failed lease-to-own agreements, and more than $2.5 million a year in taxpayer costs just to sit empty. Now, the city has voted to give it a second life. The 21-story office building will be converted into 247 income-restricted apartments, along with retail space and a childcare center. Backed by low-income and historic tax credits, the $267M adaptive reuse project could turn a liability into a model for public-private partnerships. It’s more than a redevelopment—it's an attempt to restore public trust while addressing San Diego’s housing crisis. But the plan carries big risks: financing hurdles, volatile abatement costs, and the political weight of a building that became shorthand for mismanagement. Will 101 Ash become a cautionary tale redeemed, or another costly misstep? #CommercialRealEstate #AdaptiveReuse #Housing #SanDiego #CRE #AffordableHousing https://lnkd.in/gPmgxeDK