A spike in canceled home purchase contracts is not a market mystery. It is the result of persistent overpricing and deferred maintenance that suppress demand, extend days on market, and erode seller equity.
The Homes.com debate misses the bigger picture. CoStar’s board-approved strategy, capital discipline, and accountability framework offer a clearer lesson in how long-term governance works at scale.
Brokerages, MLSs, and agents who keep their digital policies current, understandable, and easy to act on will be better positioned as privacy regulation continues to evolve. Those who ignore these basics may find that the risk is not regulatory alone, but reputational.