In my mind the founders could have really sped up the process by figuring out something that added new or even true value to their users. By going the route of

In my mind the founders could have really sped up the process by figuring out something that added new or even true value to their users. By going the route of simply aggregating listing info and posting information easily accessible on other sites, they relegated themselves to being just another real estate listing website. Their growth was then limited to how many phone calls and connections they make - in other words, no one was beating down their doors to list on their site and only after years of growing this way did they command some semblance of a home buyer audience that made it worth while for the sellers. The model these guys implemented is tried and tired and brings nothing new to the table. That's why they resorted to the traditional broker model in the end.