Real estate agents are going on four years of a down market, and RealScout CEO Andrew Flachner has a unique view of how that has impacted their businesses.
As CEO of the fast-growing company that powers the businesses of tens of thousands of agents, Flachner has seen agents adapt and brokerages get smart about returns on investment and finding efficiencies.
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After launching his podcast, Playmakers, in May 2025, Flachner has cemented himself near the center of the industry, interviewing top executives, coaches and other industry players and quickly growing his own media presence.
And just last week, Flachner became an inaugural member of the Inman Advisory Council. He spoke with Inman about that and the biggest stories in real estate right now.
Inman: About a month ago you announced an integration with Opendoor. What was the thinking?
Andrew Flachner: There’s a lot of uncertainty for homesellers in today’s market, and iBuying is actually making a comeback with new offerings like Cash Now, More Later, which allows a seller to accept an iBuying offer without leaving money on the table, then put the home back on the market to capture the upside minus costs.
I was just with an agent who was talking about how important this is becoming — providing more options to sellers in an uncertain market. It may appear in a listing presentation, it may be something you keep in your back pocket if the listing goes stale, or it might be something you present early so the seller can free up some cash. And it’s compelling from an agent standpoint because the agent gets their seller-negotiated commission, plus a bonus commission from Opendoor of up to 2 percent on top of that.
I can’t not ask about Zillow, MRED, Compass. Are we in a new era where brokers are finally regaining authority over their data?
We’re big believers in transparency, and we know what’s best for consumers is getting the most eyeballs on listings. What I’m fearful of is that we’re seeing a game of prisoner’s dilemma unfold where some brokerages are flexing market share to create walled gardens. That splinters the marketplace in a way that I think can be damaging to all of its participants.
We generally applaud the efforts of any organization trying to expose listings to a broader pool of buyers. And we work closely with MLSs who supply listings to RealScout.
It feels like we’re already at some level of splintering: Zillow Preview, the Compass-Redfin partnership. As a consumer who was in the market recently, I was already going to multiple sites.
I think there’s just a lot of nuance. Geographic nuance, legislative nuance. It’s probably more acute in coastal cities where Compass has dominant market share, but there are plenty of places in the country where it’s not as much of an issue. That said, it is becoming a real pain point for all the stakeholders of the industry.
What I’d really not like to see is a future where consumers and agents have to go to four or five different places to get a complete picture of the market. RealScout will continue to fight to make sure our customers have access to what they need — both on listing exposure and listing access — and we’re trying to align with partners who believe in that as well.
With ongoing brokerage consolidation, how should agents be thinking about where they belong?
The most important thing is the type of support they’re going to get from leadership, their team lead or brokerage staff. Beyond that, it really depends on their goals.
If you want to build a big team, certain brands have better infrastructure for that. If you want to be a high-performing solo agent, or build a media brand, you’d probably align with someone different. Serhant is making some big moves in that space.
It’s hard to make a blanket statement. I do think a lot of the more traditional incumbents are going to have to evolve or be consolidated — we just saw that with Real and REMAX.
How would you describe the state of the market right now?
It’s been a protracted, challenging market, and a lot of our customers have found it difficult. There’s just not a lot of movement, not a lot of transactions.
Interest rates are discouraging people from buying — and from selling, because they’re going to have to find somewhere else to buy. I’m in that position myself. I don’t have any immediate plans to move, but even window shopping, I realize it doesn’t make a lot of sense given that we have a 3 percent mortgage rate on our loan.
Are you seeing agents adapt, or just leave the industry?
The tough market is forcing agents to approach their business with a lot more rigor. When the market was great, real estate agents, teams and brokerage executives would throw money at lead gen without a really clear understanding of how each channel was performing. Now there’s a lot more discipline around understanding your metrics — understanding where you can invest a dollar and get $1.50 out, instead of $1.10 or 90 cents.
That rigor is also encouraging practitioners to invest in the highest-margin lead gen, which is database nurture. It’s investing in past clients and sphere of influence.
And now they’re layering AI on top of that?
There’s some of that, although there’s also a lot of waste as people find their footing. We’re not really seeing people use AI to dramatically cut costs. We’re seeing the best real estate professionals use AI to just do more.
Sure, there are some layups, like using AI to help with listing descriptions. But agents are becoming more efficient, and that’s not causing them to slow down; it’s causing them to pull ahead.
That’s true across other verticals as well. Even software companies are investing more, hiring more. AI is causing them to need more talent because they’re able to do more and it puts strain on different parts of the business.
What made you want to join the Inman advisory council?
I care deeply about this industry, and Inman is an organization that’s provided me and my company with a lot over the years. I’ll never forget the opportunities Brad gave me in the early days and the platform he gave RealScout.
I want to make sure that community is as strong as possible — that there’s a forum to communicate ideas and collaborate among the playmakers of the industry so we can drive it forward. That’s why I’m volunteering my time.
