People, Not Titles

In this February 23rd episode, Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss major real estate market trends. They cover the National Association of Realtors’ new “More Than Opening Doors” campaign, designed to highlight the value realtors provide beyond home showings. The hosts also examine CoStar Group’s investor-driven layoffs and shift toward AI-powered efficiencies. Additionally, they analyze a Miss...

Chicago Real Estate Market Update February 16th, 2026The February 2026 numbers are in, nd they tell a story that most headlines are completely missing. Is Chicago’s Housing Market Freezing in 2026? Jobs Up, Rates Stuck & Buyers Feeling the PressureIn this episode of the People, Not Titles Market Trends Podcast, host Steve Kaempf and analyst Matt Lombardi break down the most important U.S. econ...

On the February 10th episode of "Market Trends," Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss major real estate industry updates. They cover progress on bipartisan housing legislation aimed at affordability, analyze a federal court ruling favoring Zillow over Compass in a listing access dispute, and examine activist investor pressure on CoStar regarding its Homes.com acquisition. Additional to...

In this episode of the "People Not Titles" podcast, hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss major February 2025 market trends. They cover Kevin Warsh’s nomination as Federal Reserve Chair, the Fed’s latest interest rate decisions, and internal policy debates. The episode also explores the conflict between CoStar Group and hedge fund Third Point over Homes.com’s strategy, recent real...

In this January 26th Market Trends edition of the "People Not Titles" podcast, hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss major real estate updates, including the NAR’s new transparent annual report, changes to MLS access, and the impact of the Burnette settlement. They review recent housing data, interpret a dip in pending home sales as seasonal, and analyze the effects of a new execu...

On the January 20th episode of Market Trends, hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi break down the most important developments shaping the U.S. real estate industry and the Chicago housing market. Redfin CEO Steps Down, Power 200 Revealed & 2026 Market Signals | People Not Titles Market TrendsThis episode delivers high-level insight into major leadership shifts, market signals, and strategic op...

In this January 12th Market Trends edition of the "People Not Titles" podcast, hosts Steve and Matt analyze major real estate industry shifts, including Compass’s surprise early acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate and its market implications. They discuss regulatory concerns, brand consolidation, and CoStar’s strategic pullback from Homes.com marketing. The episode also covers housing af...

In this episode of "People Not Titles," host Steve Kaempf interviews Marcus Gray, founder of Gray Law. Marcus shares his inspiring journey from growing up in Chicago’s underserved west side to becoming a lawyer and entrepreneur. He discusses the sacrifices made while balancing full-time work and law school, the importance of community support, and his firm’s focus on real estate and fami...

In the first 2026 episode of the Market Trends Podcast, hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss Google’s disruptive entry into real estate listings, the resulting stock drops for Zillow and CoStar, and the potential impact on the industry. They cover current market data, including rising Chicago home prices, national inventory shortages, and improving mortgage rates. The episode also addresse...

In this episode of "People Not Titles," host Steve Kaempf interviews Salvador Cicero, a Chicago-based attorney and entrepreneur. Sal shares his journey from diplomatic legal work for the Mexican government to founding his own law firm, focusing on real estate and serving diverse communities. He discusses navigating discrimination, advocating for clients’ best interests, and the importanc...

Felix Gonzalez, founder & CEO of Archer Law, tells the story of leaving high-pressure litigation to build a 20-year real estate law practice in Chicago — a practice that has weathered market crashes, protected investors, and helped communities. In this episode of People Not Titles, Felix shares real legal lessons, practical advice for agents/investors/landlords, and an urgent case for preparat...

In this December 15, 2025 episode of "Market Trends," hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss the new "Housing for the 21st Century Act," analyze the 2026 housing market forecast, and offer advice for real estate agents preparing for 2026. The episode also covers Zillow’s legal battles, regional trends in the Midwest, and includes a lighthearted sports segment. Introductio...

On the December 9th episode of the Market Trends Podcast, Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi analyze national home prices, affordability challenges, rising listings, and “refuge markets” in the Midwest, while also reviewing corporate ownership and the impact of interest rates. They wrap up with market forecasts for 2026, industry news, local sports shoutouts, and invitations to upcoming webinars and p...

In this December 1st episode of the Market Trends Podcast, hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss major real estate industry updates, including leadership changes at the National Association of Realtors under CEO Nakia Wright, new MLS membership policies, a Consumer Policy Center report on agent commissions, Chicago’s record property tax increases, surging home prices, and market predictions...

In this November 24th episode of the Market Trends Podcast, Steve and Matt Kaempf discuss the latest economic and real estate updates, including the September jobs report, Federal Reserve interest rate predictions, and the impact of delayed jobs data due to a government shutdown. They also review the National Association of Realtors’ financial status, membership trends, and Cook County’s new price...

Dive into an inspiring masterclass on the People Not Titles podcast as host Steve Kaempf sits down with Vincent Auricchio, a distinguished Chicago real estate attorney from Auricchio Law Offices, for his third appearance. With over 27 years of experience, Vince shares profound insights on blending faith and ethics into high-stakes legal and business decisions, proving that prioritizing people over...

Full episodes available at www.peoplenottitles.comPeople, Not Titles podcast is hosted by Steve Kaempf and is dedicated to lifting up professionals in the real estate and business community. Our inspiration is to highlight success principles of our colleagues. In this episode of "People Not Titles," hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi break down major updates from the National Associati...

In this episode of the People Not Titles podcast, host Steve Kaempf welcomes back real estate attorney and soccer enthusiast Mike “Magic Mike” to discuss his involvement in the Chicago Scores Cup, a corporate soccer tournament supporting literacy programs, and how their real estate soccer team grew during the pandemic. They also cover Chicago real estate topics such as the Northwest Preservation O...

In this episode of "People Not Titles," Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss the end of the U.S. government shutdown and its positive impact on real estate market confidence, as well as former President Trump’s proposal for a 50-year mortgage to boost housing affordability. They also analyze a class action lawsuit against Zillow, the appointment of a Chief Data Officer at the National Associatio...

In this episode of the "People Not Titles Podcast," hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi analyze the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cut amid rising inflation, a potential government shutdown, and labor market stagnation, while discussing AI’s impact on employment, major layoffs, and challenges facing real estate agents. They also review housing market trends, provide a Chicago market updat...

In this episode of "People Not Titles," host Steve Kaempf interviews Jason Finn, VP of Lending at Key Mortgage Services, who shares his journey from data analytics to real estate and mortgage consulting. Jason discusses the challenges of starting over, the value of training, his passion for mentoring, and how his poker experience shapes his client relationships and commitment to integrit...

On the October 28th episode of "People Not Titles," hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss the U.S. government shutdown’s impact on real estate, the National Association of Realtors’ internal challenges, and why younger Americans are favoring stocks over homeownership. They also review Midwest market trends, share Halloween-themed real estate stats, and wrap up with sports talk and...

In this episode, we interview real estate attorney Jill Daniels, who shares her journey from litigation to real estate law, her experience starting a virtual law firm, and the importance of teamwork, negotiation, and technology in her practice. We discuss industry changes, including commission structures, contract updates, and rising deal cancellations, while Jill emphasizes clear communication, a...

In this episode of we discuss major real estate trends, including where the Fed is heading with rates, Howard Hanna’s Manhattan expansion, industry consolidation, and the importance of local expertise. We also highlight upcoming events, new tools like Real Trends Verified, HomeSmart’s rebranding, and wrap up with details on the next Real Estate Investor eventsFull episodes available at www.peoplen...

On the October 13th episode of "People Not Titles," hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss the ongoing U.S. government shutdown’s effects on housing, major legal news including antitrust lawsuits against Zillow, Redfin, and brokerages, a new mortgage price-fixing case, Zillow’s ChatGPT integration, investor trends, and Chicago’s Central Area Plan for 2045. The episode emphasizes th...