Dishin' Dirt with Gary Pickren
In the Award-Winning Dishin' Dirt with Gary Pickren, South Carolina Real Estate Commissioner/Attorney/Broker/Instructor- Gary Pickren discusses important, timely and relevant topics for South Carolina real estate agents. He covers topics such as the NAR Settlement, Clear Cooperation, agent compensation, "wholesaling", seller disclosure, video marketing, repair addendum, RESPA and much more. All topics are either related to real estate or agency law, marketing or real estate agent best practices. Gary often interviews top real estate minds such as Leo Pareja (CEO-eXp), James Dwiggins (CEO-NextHome), Gary Gold, Krista Mashore, Jess Lenouvel, Jeff Lobb, Chelsea Peitz, Carl Medford and many m...
Compass vs. 9 MLSs: Real Estate Giants Unite Against Private Listings
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Compass vs. the MLS: The Real Estate War Just Exploded!
The battle over who controls America's real estate listings just got a whole lot bigger — and what happens next could change the way homes are bought and sold in South Carolina and across the country.
Six major Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) have filed a federal lawsuit against Compass, and at least nine MLS organizations are now pushing back against Compass CEO Robert Reffkin's efforts to challenge MLS rules and expand private listing networks.
But that's no...
Gary Responds to His First Hate Mail
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Gary Responds to His FIRST Hate Mail! | Real Estate Agents, Brokerages & the TRUTH
After 300 episodes of Dishin’ Dirt and five years of calling out questionable practices in the real estate industry, Gary Pickren has finally achieved something remarkable… HIS FIRST HATE MAIL! 😂
Well, technically, it was a Facebook post. But who's counting?
A South Carolina real estate agent recently accused Gary of throwing her brokerage under the bus and criticizing agents instead of helping them. There's just one problem: Gary never mentioned her brokera...
Compass vs. MLS: Robert Reffkin's Legal War Could Change Real Estate Forever
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Compass CEO Robert Reffkin is taking on the MLS system—and California Regional MLS (CRMLS) just fought back with a federal lawsuit. But this battle could change how real estate is bought and sold across America.
Is this really about seller choice, or is Compass trying to force the entire real estate industry to operate under its preferred rules?
In this explosive episode of Dishin' Dirt, South Carolina real estate attorney Gary Pickren breaks down the escalating battle between Compass and California Regional MLS, including Reffkin's threats of antitrust la...
Dumb $#!% Real Estate Agents Say — Part 2
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Real estate agents say a lot of things with confidence. The problem is, confidence does not make something true.
In this episode of Dishin’ Dirt, Gary Pickren breaks down 10 of the dumbest, most dangerous, and most commonly repeated things real estate agents say—and explains why they can create legal problems, contract disputes, ethics issues, and bad outcomes for clients.
We cover:
• “It’s Coming Soon, so some buyers can see it but others can’t.”
• “You have to guarantee buyer-agent compensation.”
• “Our standard commission is…”
• “We terminate...
Fiduciary Duty: The Rule Real Estate Loves to Talk About—and Hates to Follow
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Real estate agents talk constantly about fiduciary duty—loyalty, disclosure, reasonable care and putting the client's interests first.
But does the real estate industry actually practice what it teaches?
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, Gary Pickren takes a hard look at the conflicts between fiduciary duty and the way real estate professionals actually make money.
The Sitzer/Burnett case was an antitrust case, but the compensation system it challenged raises a much bigger question: Was guaranteeing buyer-agent compensation really in the seller's best in...
Your Fiduciary Duty Does NOT Mean You Work for Free
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Your fiduciary duty does NOT mean you work for free.
Real estate agents hear it constantly: Your client's interests come first. That's absolutely true—but somewhere along the way, some agents began interpreting fiduciary duty to mean they must give up their commission, contribute money to save a deal, or surrender the contractual rights they negotiated with their client.
That's not what fiduciary duty means.
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, real estate attorney Gary Pickren breaks down the other side of an ag...
AI Is About to Change How Buyers Find Homes — And Real Estate Agents
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The future of real estate search may not belong to Zillow, Realtor.com, Compass, or any brokerage portal.
It may belong to AI.
Buyers are increasingly moving toward a world where they can simply tell ChatGPT, Google AI, Gemini, or another AI assistant exactly what they want:
“Find me the five best homes for my family, my budget, my commute, and my lifestyle.”
And then comes the question every real estate agent should be thinking about:
“Who is the best agent to help m...
Who Private Listings Are Really For - Seller or Brokerage? SC Private Listing Rules Part 3.
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Private Listings: The Hidden Complaint Trap Real Estate Agents Miss
Private listings can create the complaint that comes back months later and hits the hardest—when a seller sees a nearby house sell for far more and starts asking why their home was never fully exposed to the market.
If you work in South Carolina real estate, this episode breaks down why that scenario is such a legal and licensing danger, and what the Commission’s guidance actually means for your file, your disclosures, and your license.
How Limited Exposure Can Lower Price, Terms, and Buyer Competition. SC New Private Listing Rules- Part 2
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Private listings might sound exclusive, but South Carolina’s Real Estate Commission is spelling out exactly what sellers may be giving up - fewer buyers, fewer offers, weaker terms, and a longer path to closing.
I will break down the new commission-approved disclosure form line by line and explains why it could change how brokers talk about limited market exposure forever. I will also walk through the 11 seller acknowledgments in the “Residential Disclosure and Acknowledgement of Limited Market Exposure Listing,” highlighting the ones that should make every agent, broker-in-charge, and seller stop an...
South Carolina’s New Private Listing Rules: What Every Real Estate Agent Needs to Know
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The South Carolina Real Estate Commission has issued important new guidance on private listings, office exclusives, off-MLS listings, and other forms of limited market exposure—and every South Carolina real estate agent and Broker-in-Charge needs to understand what it means.
In this episode of Dishin’ Dirt, Gary Pickren breaks down the Commission’s new Seller-Directed Limited Residential Market Exposure Guidance and explains why this is about much more than simply whether a seller can choose to keep a property off the MLS.
Privat...
New Condo Lending Rules: Why Your Buyer Can Qualify But the Condo Doesn’t
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🚨 New Condo Lending Rules: What REALTORS®, Buyers & Sellers Need to Know
Big changes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac condo lending rules are here—and they could determine whether a buyer can get financing on a condominium even when the buyer is otherwise perfectly qualified.
In this episode of Dishin’ Dirt, I break down the new 2026–2027 condo financing requirements and explain why REALTORS®, condo owners, buyers, sellers, and HOA boards need to start paying much closer attention to the financial and physical co...
The New Rules for Stopping AI Real Estate Fraud
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AI is making real estate faster, smarter, and easier to scale - but it's also making fraud cheaper, faster, and more convincing. The agents and brokerages that win next may not be the ones using the most AI, but the ones consumers trust with their money.
Gary Pickren lays out the new reality real estate professionals are walking into, where fabricated emails, cloned voices, manipulated documents, and AI-generated video can all be used to fool buyers, sellers, and even seasoned teams. The upside is real. So is the risk.
...
The Next Generation of Real Estate Fraud: The 10 AI Scams Every Realtor Needs to Know
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Is AI about to create the biggest wave of real estate fraud we've ever seen?
Most real estate professionals are still worried about wire fraud. But that's yesterday's scam.
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, I explore how artificial intelligence is changing the criminal playbook—and why every REALTOR®, broker, lender, closing attorney, title company, appraiser, home inspector, and homebuyer needs to rethink how they verify information.
From deepfake phone calls and cloned voices to fake sellers, AI-generated documents, QR code wire scams, syn...
Congress vs. Compass: Is Reffkin's Private Listing Strategy About to Change Real Estate Forever?
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The battle over private listings, office exclusives, MLS access, and who controls real estate inventory has officially reached Washington.
In this episode I examine why Congress has launched an inquiry into Compass CEO Robert Reffkin and MRED, and why this investigation could reshape the future of residential real estate.
For more than a year, I have argued that the biggest issue facing the real estate industry isn't commissions, buyer agency, or artificial intelligence—it's who controls the inventory. Now the House Judiciary Committee is asking many of the same qu...
NAR's New Office Exclusive Guidance: Every REALTOR® Needs to Read This
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Should every home be listed on the MLS? Or are office exclusive listings actually in the seller's best interest?
The battle over private listings, office exclusives, and Clear Cooperation has become the biggest controversy in residential real estate. Compass, Zillow, Redfin, Homes.com, and the National Association of REALTORS® are all at the center of a debate that could fundamentally change how homes are bought and sold in America.
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, I take a deep dive into NAR's n...
Have We Confused a Housing Shortage with a Homeownership Crisis?
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🏘️ Is Congress Solving the Housing Crisis… or the Wrong Problem?
Everyone agrees America has a housing problem.
But what if we've been asking the wrong question?
Congress has passed one of the most significant housing bills in decades with the goal of making housing more affordable. Supporters say we need to build more homes, increase housing density, and reform local zoning laws to address the nation's housing shortage.
But does that solution fit South Carolina?
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt
The Housing Bill Nobody Is Talking About
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What if we've been asking the wrong question about America's housing crisis?
Congress has passed one of the most significant housing bills in decades, with the stated goal of making housing more affordable by encouraging more construction, higher-density development, and changes to local zoning policies. But is building more homes really the solution?
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, I take a non-political, fact-based look at what the legislation actually does, how it could influence local communities, and why every homeowner, REALTOR®, builder, and buyer should understand t...
The Next Real Estate Lawsuit: Are Administrative Fees the Industry's Next Target?
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Are real estate administrative fees the next major lawsuit facing the industry?
A new lawsuit against Compass in Florida is raising serious questions about transaction fees, administrative fees, brokerage fees, and transparency. Could this be the next legal battleground after the NAR settlement and Sitzer/Burnett?
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, I take a deep dive into one of the most overlooked charges in residential real estate—the administrative fee. Is it truly reimbursement for administrative costs, or is it simply additional brokerage compensation? Mo...
Google Doesn't Need Zillow Anymore. How AI Is About to Change Real Estate Forever
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Is Google about to change real estate forever?
For years, Zillow, Realtor.com, Homes.com, and brokerage websites have dominated the home search experience. But what happens when Google stops being a search engine and starts becoming an AI-powered real estate advisor?
In this episode, we explore one of the biggest "what if" scenarios in real estate: What if Google bought Zillow? More importantly, does Google even need Zillow anymore?
We dive into Google's AI platform NotebookLM, how artificial intelligence is transforming online search, and why many...
The Biggest Appraisal Change in 15 Years: What Every Realtor Needs to Know About UAD 3.6
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Most Realtors have never heard of UAD 3.6—but it may be the biggest change to residential appraisal reporting in the last 15 years.
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, Gary Pickren breaks down what UAD 3.6 is, why Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are completely redesigning the appraisal reporting process, and what it means for Realtors, buyers, sellers, lenders, and appraisers.
More importantly, Gary explains what agents need to do right now to better prepare listings, communicate value, and stay ahead of a rapidly changing real estate industry.
You'll le...
5 Builder Traps That Expose Buyer Agents to Lawsuits and License Loss
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Builders are shifting legal risk directly onto buyer agents — and most agents don't see it coming until it's too late. In this episode, real estate attorney and SC Real Estate Commissioner Gary Pickren breaks down five builder practices that create serious liability for buyer agents and brokers in charge.
What's covered:
Builder bonuses and commission steering — why that $10,000 check could cost you your licenseEscalating volume incentives and why every client in your pipeline is now at riskThe builder compensation agreement designed to override your buyer agency agreement (and why..."Coming Soon" Listings Are Already on the Market — and Using Them Could Get You Sued.
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"Coming Soon" is a marketing fiction — and it may be costing your seller money while exposing you to lawsuits, MLS sanctions, and fair housing violations.
In this episode, Gary Pickren makes the case that a property marketed as "coming soon" has already arrived in the marketplace. The moment you post it on social media, send a text to another agent, or blast an email — that's marketing. And marketing without a signed listing agreement violates South Carolina law.
Gary breaks down exactly why "coming soon" is legally, ethically, and practically inde...
Zillow Just Declared War on Compass
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Zillow is suing MRED and Compass in a legal battle that could completely reshape the future of real estate listings in America.
In this episode of Dishin’ Dirt, Gary Pickren breaks down the exploding controversy over private listings, hidden inventory, MLS control, and buyer access to homes. After tens of thousands of Chicago-area listings suddenly disappeared from Zillow, the industry was forced to confront a major question:
Who actually controls listing visibility — the seller, the brokerage, the MLS, or the real estate portals?
This episode dives into:
Zi...Are You Practicing Outside Your Competency? What Every SC Agent Must Know
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Could you be risking a $400,000 deal by not knowing the market? In this episode, Gary Pickren breaks down why local expertise isn't optional — it's a legal and ethical obligation — and how agents operating outside their competency maybe quietly costing clients money they'll never get back.
From dock permits on Lake Keowee to FEMA flood zones on the coast, Gary walks through real case studies that show exactly what's at stake when agents chase commissions into markets they don't understand.
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Is Robert Reffkin Playing 3D Chess with Real Estate Data? | Compass, IDX & the MLS Power Grab
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Is Compass CEO Robert Reffkin engineering the biggest power grab in real estate history — or is he actually playing 3D chess while everyone else plays checkers?
In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, real estate attorney and SC Real Estate Commissioner Gary Pickren breaks down the escalating war over listing data, IDX feeds, and who ultimately controls the consumer relationship in real estate. If you're a broker, agent, or anyone paying attention to industry consolidation — this episode will change how you see what's happening right now.
What You'll Learn:
Your Fiduciary Duty Does NOT Mean Do Whatever the Seller Wants — The Fair Housing Line SC Agents Can't Cross
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Most agents believe their fiduciary duty to the client is the highest obligation in real estate. It's not — fair housing law comes first, and the way many agents operate right now may be setting them up for serious legal exposure.
Colette Stevenson, CEO of Resides in Hilton Head, joins Gary Pickren to break down exactly where the line is — and how exclusive listings, in-house deal strategies, and seller-driven decisions can cross it without agents even realizing it.
What you'll learn in this episode:
• Why "the seller told me to" is...
Real Acquires RE/MAX for $880M — What This Power Move Means for Every Agent in 2026
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Real Brokerage just acquired RE/MAX for $880 million — and if you think this is just another corporate merger, you're missing what's actually happening to the real estate industry in 2026.
In this episode, Gary Pickren breaks down what Real's acquisition of RE/MAX means for every real estate agent, whether you're at a major franchise, an independent brokerage, or considering where to hang your license next. This isn't just about two companies combining. It's about who controls the listings, the agent data, and the consumer relationship going forward.
What you'll ge...
You're Probably Commission Steering Without Knowing It — Here's How to Stop Before You Get Sued
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Commission steering is one of the most misunderstood legal risks in real estate right now — and most South Carolina agents don't realize they're doing it.
In this episode, Gary Pickren breaks down exactly what commission steering is, how it happens without any malicious intent, and why it's become one of the fastest-growing sources of legal liability for real estate agents post-NAR settlement. If you're a buyer's agent, listing agent, or real estate broker in South Carolina, this episode could keep you out of a lawsuit.
What you'll learn:
Wh...How to Win Listings and Get Paid Without Broker-to-Broker Comp | Reah Smith's Playbook
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Broker-to-broker compensation is gone in South Carolina — but plenty of agents are still confused about what that actually means for how they get paid. This episode clears it up for good.
Gary Pickren is joined by former SC REALTORS President Reah Smith to walk through exactly how listing agents and buyer agents should be handling compensation conversations now that SC REALTORS has removed broker-to-broker comp from its standard forms. If you're a South Carolina real estate agent still fumbling through these conversations with clients or other agents, this is the playbook yo...
Is Zillow Practicing Real Estate Without a License? The Line Every Agent Needs to See
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Zillow now tells buyers how much to offer on a home. At what point does a real estate platform cross the line into practicing real estate without a license — and what does that mean for your agency relationship with your client?
In this episode, Gary Pickren examines Zillow's Offer Insights tool and other buyer-facing guidance features through the lens of South Carolina real estate law. This is a question every SC real estate agent and buyer's agent needs to understand: when does platform advice become brokerage advice, and who's liable when a...
Compass, Zillow & CoStar Are at War — And the MLS (and Your Business) Is the Prize
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Compass, Zillow, and CoStar are locked in a three-way war over real estate listings — and the MLS is the battlefield. Every South Carolina real estate agent needs to understand what's at stake and which side their business is on.
In this episode, Gary Pickren breaks down the three competing real estate portals now fighting for listing control: the Compass/Redfin/Rocket portal, the KW/Zillow portal, and the eXp portal. This isn't just a tech story — it's a fundamental fight over who owns the listing data, who controls the consumer relationship, and...
The Private Listing Trap: If You're Marketing It, You're On the Market — And Most Agents Don't Know It
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If you're marketing a listing publicly — on social media, on a sign, anywhere — you may already be legally "on the market." Most agents don't know this, and it's creating serious compliance exposure.
In this episode, Gary Pickren is joined by MLS and industry veterans Matthew Thrift, Craig Summerall, and Brad Allen to break down the legal and ethical minefield surrounding private listings, "coming soon" strategies, and pocket listings. This is one of the most important conversations South Carolina listing agents can have right now.
What's covered:
Why the line...Buying a Home About to Get Harder Than 1985 — The Howard Hanna Move No One Saw Coming
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Howard Hanna — the largest independent brokerage in the United States — just launched its own private listing platform called HannaList. This is the move that could trigger an industry-wide domino effect, and every South Carolina real estate agent needs to understand what it means for how homes get bought and sold.
In this episode, Gary Pickren breaks down the HannaList launch, why it's a major escalation in the private listing network trend, and what happens to buyers, sellers, and agents when more inventory moves off the open MLS. If Compass started this figh...
The Shadow MLS Is Here: Compass + Rocket + Redfin Just Declared War on the Open Market
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Compass, Redfin, and Rocket Mortgage have formed an alliance to build a private listing network that operates outside the open MLS. The shadow MLS is here — and it's a direct attack on the transparency that real estate has operated under for decades.
In this episode, Gary Pickren breaks down how this Compass/Redfin/Rocket partnership works, why it's being called a "shadow MLS," and what it means for every buyer, seller, and South Carolina real estate agent operating in the open market. This isn't a future threat — it's happening now.
Wh...
Broker-to-Broker Comp Is Dead in SC — Here's the New Playbook for Getting Paid
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Broker-to-broker compensation is dead in South Carolina. The agents who figure out how to have clear, confident compensation conversations in this new environment will win. The ones who don't will keep losing listings and buyers to agents who can.
In this episode, Gary Pickren lays out the straightforward truth about how real estate agent compensation works in South Carolina post-NAR settlement — and why agents are overcomplicating something that doesn't have to be complicated. This is the compensation playbook South Carolina REALTORS need right now.
What's covered:
How to fr...SC REALTORS Finally Ends Broker-to-Broker Compensation — What Every SC Agent Must Do Next
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SC REALTORS has officially removed broker-to-broker compensation from its standard listing agreements. This is the most significant change to South Carolina real estate forms in years — and it has direct, immediate implications for every listing agent and buyer's agent in the state.
In this episode, Gary Pickren breaks down exactly what changed, what it means legally, and what every South Carolina real estate agent needs to do right now to update their practice. If you're still using old listing agreements or having the wrong compensation conversation with clients, this episode is yo...
Has SC Housing Finally Become Affordable? The Interest Rate and Inventory Numbers That Tell the Real Story
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Is South Carolina housing finally becoming affordable? Interest rates have moved, inventory has shifted — but the headline numbers don't tell the full story. Here's what the actual data says.
In this episode, Gary Pickren digs into the real state of housing affordability in South Carolina, breaking down what's actually happening with interest rates, home prices, and inventory levels. If you're a South Carolina real estate agent trying to give clients an honest picture of the market — or a buyer or seller wondering if now is the right time — this is the analys...
Stop Selling Your Checklist. Start Selling Your Risk Management. The New Agent Value Pitch Post-Settlement
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Most real estate agents are selling the wrong thing. They pitch their checklist — the showings, the marketing, the open houses. But in a post-settlement market, the agents who win are selling something buyers and sellers actually care about: risk management.
In this episode, Gary Pickren delivers the new agent value pitch for South Carolina real estate agents operating after the NAR settlement. This is a fundamental mindset and messaging shift — from task-based to outcome-driven — and it directly affects whether buyers sign representation agreements and whether sellers justify your commission.
What's...
Rocket Mortgage Gets Sued for Steering — The RESPA Violation Every SC Agent Needs to Understand
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Rocket Mortgage was just sued for mortgage steering — and the RESPA violation at the center of the lawsuit is something South Carolina real estate agents need to understand, because the same exposure applies to how you handle lender referrals every single day.
In this episode, Gary Pickren breaks down the Rocket Mortgage steering lawsuit, what RESPA actually prohibits, and why referral arrangements between agents and lenders are under more scrutiny than ever. This is a legal and ethical line that South Carolina agents and brokers cannot afford to be on the wr...
The Top 5 Real Estate Stories That Defined 2025 — And Will Follow You Into 2026 (Part 2)
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The top 5 real estate stories of 2025 didn't just make headlines — they changed how the industry operates. This is part 2 of Gary Pickren's year-end breakdown of the biggest stories that will keep shaping your real estate business in 2026.
In this episode, Gary covers stories 5 through 1 from the most consequential year in recent real estate history. Whether you're a South Carolina REALTOR, a broker, or a real estate attorney trying to understand where the market is heading, these are the forces you need to know.
What's covered:
The top 5 real es...