Breaking
MLSA 2nd major MLS says it will shut off Zillow's listing feed•MERGERCompass–Anywhere consolidation pushes combined Hamptons listing share past 40%•OPINIONZillow economist: Compass just told you who benefits from private listings•RATES30-year fixed eases 22 bps to 6.41% as lock-in effect softens•MOVESDouglas Elliman wins Samantha Behringer back; two Sag Harbor producers cross from Compass•FUNDINGPropTech funding up 11% YoY in Q1 to $2.8B as AI tooling drives recruiting•MLSA 2nd major MLS says it will shut off Zillow's listing feed•MERGERCompass–Anywhere consolidation pushes combined Hamptons listing share past 40%•OPINIONZillow economist: Compass just told you who benefits from private listings•RATES30-year fixed eases 22 bps to 6.41% as lock-in effect softens•MOVESDouglas Elliman wins Samantha Behringer back; two Sag Harbor producers cross from Compass•FUNDINGPropTech funding up 11% YoY in Q1 to $2.8B as AI tooling drives recruiting•
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Michael Valdes on consolidation, profitability and what real estate agents must do next

A veteran industry executive lays out how agents and brokerages should adapt to a consolidating, margin-pressured market.

InmanInman Connect View on Inman.comMay 24, 2026 7 min
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Consolidation has changed the question every operator has to answer. It's no longer 'how do I grow?' but 'how do I stay profitable while the biggest players reset the cost of competing?'

The advice is unglamorous and durable: know your numbers per agent, invest in the tooling that compounds, and be ruthlessly clear about the value you provide that scale cannot.

"Profitability is a strategy now, not an outcome."

For agents, the same logic applies one level down — treat your business like a business, and pick a brokerage whose economics and tools actually move your bottom line.