Dishin' Dirt with Gary Pickren

Send us Fan Mail Everyone has a 2026 real estate forecast. Interest rates, home prices, inventory levels — the predictions are everywhere. But what do the experts actually agree on, where do they diverge, and what critical piece are most of them missing? In this episode, Gary Pickren cuts through the noise and gives South Carolina real estate agents and brokers a clear-eyed view of what to expect...

Send us Fan Mail Every major housing analyst made predictions for the 2025 real estate market. Interest rates were supposed to fall. Home sales were supposed to rebound. Inventory was going to loosen up. So — who actually got it right? In this episode, Gary Pickren puts every major 2025 real estate market prediction on the scoreboard and measures it against what actually happened. For South Caroli...

Send us Fan Mail On this extended edition of Dishin' Dirt, I examine the contentious topic of whether South Carolina should adopt a statewide MLS or maintain its current multiple local MLSs.  I am joined by MLS current and former board members, Craig Summerall, Matthew Thrift, and Brad Allen. Our conversation delves into the pros and cons of both systems, the ethical implications for real est...

Send us Fan Mail Reah Smith joins me on Dishin' Dirt to discuss the ongoing issue of commission steering in real estate, its implications following the Sitzer/Burnett settlement, and the ethical considerations surrounding compensation structures.  We explore the importance of buyer agency agreements, the role of bonuses in transactions, and the need for a cultural shift within the industry. O...

Send us Fan Mail The National Association of REALTORs was in the news last week concerning two policies. One was changed and the other was upheld.    First, NAR voted to end the requirement of NAR membership to gain access to REALTOR owned MLSs. This is a great policy change but did the change go far enough? Secondly, NAR failed to approve the required disclosure of referral fees in a real estate...

Send us Fan Mail I have been saying since the settlement that broker-to-broker compensation is a broken model. Tony Nalley of ERA Wilder Realty joins me today to discuss how they moved away from broker-to-broker compensation. Tony tells us why they made the move, how it was rolled out to the agents and how it has been a positive for the brokerage's agents and clients.   Hopefully, other broke...

Send us Fan Mail I had the absolute pleasure this year of meeting and getting to know Keon Alrich, the current SC REALTOR President. Keon is finishing her term as President and agreed to sit down with me for an exclusive one-on-one interview to discuss her thoughts on her year of service. We discuss successes, plans, regrets, threats and opportunity.  Whether you are a REALTOR or not, you don&apos...

Send us Fan Mail There is a brand-new study being touted in the industry that discusses the state of your commissions/fees since the Sitzer Burnett settlement.   The study by the Consumer Policy Center is eye-opening in the omissions and obfuscations made to reach the predetermined conclusion that real estate agents are doing workarounds in order to preserve pre-settlement commission rates.  Oh, t...

Send us Fan Mail If you are a follower of Dishin' Dirt, you know that I have spent the better part of  the past year and a half telling everyone about the risks that come post-Sitzer Burnett.  Today, I am going to discuss the cancer of dual agency and why 9 states have already outlawed it.  Why is South Carolina not following suit? Are we going to wait for Sitzer 2.0 to do something about it....

Send us Fan Mail Why do builders offer a buyer agent incentive?  It is very simple; to convince you to show their house over the competitors and so you will advocate for the builder when the buyer is choosing between multiple houses.  Congratulations you just described commission steering.  See the problem with that? You are supposed to advocate for your client and not the seller! These bonuses an...

Send us Fan Mail I have spent a lot of time lamenting over the destruction of Clear Cooperation.  The biggest threat to CCP is Robert Reffkin, CEO of Compass. With a possible Anywhere merger at hand, many in the industry fear that he will push the policy over all Anywhere brand platforms.  Today, I have a copy of the advertisement Compass uses to sell clients on the Compass Private Exclusives and...

Send us Fan Mail Last week all the buzz was the Compass/Anywhere merger.  This week the big news is Zillow and its numerous legal troubles. Zillow has had a terrible month. Multiple lawsuits and now government interaction has marked the many troubles facing Zillow. Today, I examine these cases and discuss how the cases could affect all real estate agents, particularly those who rely on leads. Don&...

Send us Fan Mail Huge news in the real estate market!  Compass is buying Anywhere brands. We will look at the recent merger announcement between Compass and Anywhere with guest Colton Lindsay, a recognized real estate expert from Utah. We will explore the implications of this merger, the debt crisis facing the parties, and the importance of data in shaping the deal.  Our conversation will also tou...

Send us Fan Mail On September 17, I had the opportunity to record Dishin' Dirt live onstage at SCR's REALTOR Mania. My guest was Jon Waclawski, General Counsel, Senior Vice President for NAR.  We discussed everything from the status of legal cases against NAR, the good and bad of Sitzer/Burnett, Clear Cooperation, In-House Listings, the Three-way agreement, MLS rules and a whole lot more...

Send us Fan Mail In this abbreviated episode of Dishin' Dirt, I will discuss the other side of the coin in the builder agent debate. I will talk about the fiduciary duty that buyer agents have in a new construction transaction. Quit dropping off your clients and leaving!  Why do I even have to say this. And then I will shift gears to explain the implications of the new FinCEN reporting requir...

Send us Fan Mail Four-time guest, Garrett Maroon, joins me on Dishin' Dirt to discuss the intricacies of balancing work and family life, particularly in the real estate industry.  We explore the concept of redefining success beyond traditional metrics, emphasizing the importance of personal fulfillment and relationships.  Garrett also shares insights from his book, 'The Balanced Breakthr...

Send us Fan Mail Builder and seller agent incentives are a big problem in our industry today.  Should the agent get an incentive simply to show a house or should that incentive go to the buyer?  Don't you have a fiduciary duty to do what is in the client's best interest?  How is it in the client's best interest for you to get a bonus for steering them to a house?  Doesn't sound...

Send us Fan Mail The Central Carolina REALTORs Association has amended its' sales contract. The contract that will go live near the end of September 2025 and includes new provisions on agent compensation, seller transaction costs, authority to sign and home warranties.   Finally, compensation is in the contract where it should have been the past year. Hopefully this will stop the numerous pro...

Send us Fan Mail It has been one year since real estate as we know it was supposed to end with the Sitzer Burnett/NAR settlement.  House prices and commissions were supposed to collapse, and no real estate agent in their right mind was ever going to work with a buyer again. Today, I will discuss the implications of the first anniversary on the real estate industry. I will address the misconception...

Send us Fan Mail What the heck is Geographic Farming and how can it make you a lot of money? Janine Sasso, a successful real estate agent and author, joins me to discuss this very effective sales strategy for every real estate agent. Janine emphasizes the importance of being a hyper local agent , focusing on geographic farming, and building relationships through direct mail and events. She also di...

Send us Fan Mail Today I am I going to dig deeper into the significance of the Dawkins vs. Eastwood Homes case. I examine the implications of "take or leave it" builder contracts, particularly focusing on the unconscionable provisions that the Court has said can disadvantage home buyers while urging builders to reconsider their contract terms to avoid potential legal repercussion. This c...

Send us Fan Mail Real estate agent complaints about being cut of out of builder transactions and builder agents having direct communication with represented clients is on the rise.   Today I review the recent guidance letter from the South Carolina Real Estate Commission regarding builder agents and their responsibilities. In particular, I discuss the need for builder agents to comply with the sam...

Send us Fan Mail The Real Estate Commission continues to receive complaints about licensees advertising or marketing listings that belong to another Broker.  As a result, the Commission issued a new guidance letter on how advertising and marketing must be handled in social media, print media and other communications. The Commission also discusses the rationale behind the law as well as why it matt...

Send us Fan Mail FinCEN will simply not go away. We thought it was over last year when the government halted the requirement to file your business entity disclosures. But now the anti-money laundering portion of FinCEN requirements for cash transactions involving a corporate entity purchasing property must provide a 120 plus item disclosure which will cost your clients hundreds of dollars and hour...

Send us Fan Mail The South Carolina REALTORS Association has revised the contract to address compensation in the contract. Today, I examine those changes but more importantly I look at the "why" behind the changes.  Once we understand the "why" it makes the changes more acceptable and likely to be implemented. I also look at the new Form 555 Home Warranty form. Don't forge...