>There’s too many middlemen in this process Realtor here - if you believe that, don't use Redfin or Zillow or their competitors, because they are yet another m

>There’s too many middlemen in this process Realtor here - if you believe that, don't use Redfin or Zillow or their competitors, because they are yet another middleman adding friction. I'm not going to go into a monologue here, but both are leeches on the system that add more cost. Yes, it's wonderful that they have made more info available to the public - for that they are to be commended. But if you understand how they actually make money they are adding more friction and contentiousness and I do not believe they are actually saving your, the consumer, money. >I don’t even think houses should be investments It's a sensitive and emotional topic certainly, but I would encourage you that if you feel that way, try to imagine what set of laws or social changes would need to happen in order for that to not be the case - like what would that world look like? Because each time I try to do that thought exercise with people, I continue to come back to a belief that the alternatives are not superior to the system we have. Real estate is an asset. Cars, bennie babies, stocks, bonds, gold - there are lots of types of assets in the world, but real estate with its permanence and immovability is a very, very special type of asset. Thus, it is very difficult to separate the asset from its investment potential.