THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

WELCOME

Welcome back to another week in real estate where the tea is hot, the receipts are organized, and I am ready. Now let me tell y'all something: Zillow has stepped in it again. I have more than opinions here... I have receipts. We’re digging into that new lawsuit and what it really means for agents on the ground doing the work every single day.

Since we’re rolling into the final stretch of the year when buyers get quiet and agents start googling “careers with lower stress,” I want to talk about staying motivated when everyone else is slowing down. Y’all deserve to finish strong, and I’m going to walk you through exactly how I do it.

Before we jump in, I have one little favor: I’m dancing my heart out in the Alzheimer’s Association’s Dancing With the Stars competition, and your support means the world to me. Click that QR code, send a little love, and let’s make a difference together.

Now put on your dancing shoes and let's get this party started!

THE REALITY OF REAL ESTATE

Oops, Zillow Did It Again

Zillow just got slapped with a lawsuit accusing it of steering buyers toward agents who pay for placement instead of the agents who are actually the best fit. The suit claims Zillow did this while presenting those paid spots as if they were “top-rated” or “most recommended.”

In plain English, this means that plaintiffs say Zillow blurred the line between advertising and expertise. The issue is that this practice hurts both consumers and the dedicated agents out here doing the real work. It’s one more reminder that when a tech giant tries to play matchmaker without transparency, the public gets confused and the pros get burned.

Try to look surprised that I have thoughts on this.

So, this new Zillow lawsuit should be no surprise if it's not your very first day in the business. I need y’all to know that I was there when this system was unveiled. I sat in the room and I saw the slides. To backtrack, I was one of the founding members of the Zillow Agent Advisory Board, and one of the very first Atlanta agents to buy zip codes back when Zillow was selling in increments of “25%, 50%, 75%, or honey, go big or go home at 100%.”

I didn’t just dip a toe in. I spent years cutting checks to Zillow, anywhere from $500 a month to $7,000 a month, consistently. So, when I talk about this lawsuit alleging that Zillow scored agents based on how much business they sent through Zillow’s preferred partners? I'm giving y'all my lived experience.

I can say for sure that specific agents were pushed higher in the rotation because they used the right lenders (which is the basis of the suit), the right title services, the right transaction platforms, all of which Zillow owned or was profiting from. Understand that I am not repeating gossip; I’m giving first-person testimony.

On October 16, 2018, at exactly 1:16 PM (yes, I remember the time because the moment was that wild), Zillow executive Greg Schwartz stood onstage in front of 200 real estate agents and said the quiet part out loud. An agent who was investing $25,000 a month for leads stood up and said her lead flow had dropped by 70%. And Greg looked her dead in the face and said, “We’ve got a billion dollars in cash in the bank. We don’t need your $25,000 if you don’t like how we’re doing things.”

Oh, my stars and every single damn stripe.

That was the day a lot of us realized the game had changed, and we just hadn’t been informed. Then he showed us the slide deck. Yes, the slide deck. The one I still have. The one I could frame and send to anybody who wants to tell me this lawsuit came out of nowhere. I tell y'all what, that slide spelled it out in plain language:

Consumers believe they’re contacting Zillow directly when they click “Contact Agent.”

Therefore, Zillow wanted to “provide an exemplary real estate experience” by aligning with agents who met certain performance thresholds. And how were they measuring “performance”? Three ways:

1. Agents who answered their phones. Yes, fine, that’s good customer service. No argument from me there.

2. Agents with high CSAT (consumer satisfaction) scores. Again, that made sense.

3. Agents who “streamlined communication through software and service integration." Now, this is where the rubber meets the road: guess whose software and services they meant? Dotloop. ShowingTime. Follow Up Boss integrations. Zillow mortgage. Zillow insurance. Zillow warranties. Every piece of vertical integration they could plug into the transaction.

In other words, they were telling us, "Use our ecosystem, feed our data pipeline, close your buyers in our products, and we’ll make sure you get the leads." That wasn’t a secret. That wasn’t hidden. No, ma'am. This was said from the stage, into a microphone, with slides, in a room full of agents who were paying them millions of dollars a year.

So when this lawsuit says Zillow created a scoring system that quietly prioritized the agents who pushed business into Zillow-connected services, that they blurred the line between “best agent for the consumer” and “best agent for Zillow’s revenue machine,” I need you to hear me clearly: this is the worst-kept secret in real estate.

Zillow spent a decade building what they called the “Super App," meaning a fully integrated ecosystem where a buyer’s entire journey ran through their tools. You could follow the paper trail from Atlanta to Seattle and back again. For many transactions, if you lined them up and checked:

• Who scheduled through ShowingTime?

• Who wrote the offer in Dotloop?

• Who used Zillow Mortgage or a Z-preferred lender?

• Who ordered a Zillow-affiliated warranty?

• Who used Follow Up Boss inside Zillow’s integration pathway?

Cross-reference all of the above with who got the biggest share of the leads and you won’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to solve that mystery.

Here’s what this means for agents right now:

• First, expect more lawsuits. When plaintiffs discover that consumers thought they were contacting Zillow (not random agents) because Zillow designed it that way, there’s going to be more heat. And that doody rolls downhill, because Zillow didn’t want brokerage liability. They wanted your brokerage to be the one on the hook.

• Second, if you ever profited from these systems, you need to clean house. Document what you did. Be honest about what you didn’t know. Y'all may need that clarity later.

• Third, get ready for a massive wave of consumer confusion. If buyers believed Zillow was pairing them with an unbiased expert, and now they learn that those placements were influenced by financial kickbacks or usage patterns, trust is going to take a hit. You and I, the actual agents on the street, could end up doing the cleanup.

Let me put this as clearly as I can: This is your wake-up call to own your leads. If you're still renting your business from a platform that can cut you off without blinking (like they did to that agent paying $25K a month), it’s time to diversify your lead pillars immediately. Zillow is not your business partner. They are a corporation with shareholders, and they will always choose their revenue model over your livelihood.

I walked out of that 2018 meeting, sat my team down, and said, “Buckle up, ladies. This is about to get dicey.” And now? Six years later? Here we are.

The truth didn’t suddenly appear.

Oh, no. The truth finally caught up.

I get way deeper into the weeds with Jared James on his podcast, so check it out!

STORYTIME WITH GLENNDA

What’s the Opposite of Seasonal Depression?

I absolutely love this time of year! When most people are dragging themselves across the finish line, trying to muster one last drop of motivation, I’m over here sparkly, organized, and downright delighted. This stretch between Halloween and New Year’s is one of my favorite moments in both life and real estate, and I’ll tell you exactly why.

First, let’s start at home. Right now, my high school friend is at my house decorating my trees. She also pulls out the tabletop décor and sets it up the way she thinks it should go. Then, as soon as she leaves, I come in behind her and tweak it.

When I say my house is shining, I mean it is shining. I just had the deck redone, the furniture goes back tomorrow, then the housekeeper comes. By Sunday, I'll be on my A-game for one of my most beloved traditions: Sweets With Santa and Pie Pickup. We’ll have desserts, a hot chocolate bar, a bartender, a photographer, and Santa himself. People can come for photos, come for pie, or come for both. This is the prettiest, sweetest little open house of the season. And the truth is, if it were socially acceptable, I’d keep this level of sparkle up all year long. In my dining room, I basically do. Sparkly pumpkins, sparkly rabbits, sparkly hearts—whatever suits the season.

But even with all that glitter, let’s talk real estate, because this is where people always seem surprised. While everyone else is slowing down, checking out, packing up, or telling themselves the market “dies” during the holidays, I am absolutely thriving. I don’t just tolerate the end of the year—I adore it. Most agents go on vacation during this stretch. They treat real estate like a flexible side gig and disappear the minute they convince themselves buyers aren’t out there. And that’s fine with me. Less competition means more opportunity. While they’re putting up out-of-office messages, I’m picking up business.

Here’s something agents always forget: there are no tire-kickers during the holidays. Nobody wakes up in December and says, “It’s a beautiful day! Let’s go stroll through some open houses just for fun.” That energy evaporates after Halloween. Anyone shopping for a home between October 31 and January 1 is serious. As for the sellers, they're motivated, too. If someone has their home on the market during the holidays, it’s because they need to sell. People who don’t need to move don’t list their homes when they’re trying to juggle Christmas trees, extended family, travel, kids’ concerts, and all the holiday chaos. The result is a perfect little sweet spot for agents who stay active: better buyers, more realistic sellers, and less noise in the marketplace.

On top of that, anything you put under contract right now closes in the first quarter. There is nothing better than walking into a new year already holding closings. As of today, we’re sitting on three that are already lined up for January, and that feels spectacular. I’ve lived through the years when the first closing wasn’t until March, and the anxiety during those winters was enough to peel paint off the walls. I promised myself I’d never be in that position again, and the end-of-year hustle is a big part of why I’m not.

People always ask me how I stay so grounded and positive this time of year, and the answer is simpler than they expect: preparation. Organization is my antidote to anxiety. When I’m prepared, I don’t spiral.

This is the perfect moment to evaluate your business. Throw out what didn’t work, double down on what did, look at where you spent money and where you actually made money, and get your systems in order before January arrives. If you want to enter a new year feeling strong instead of scrambling, this is when you front-end load the month. Set the tone for the following year.

The truth is, many agents are losing motivation right now because they’ve bought into the myth that nobody buys a house during the holidays. And when you believe that, you behave like that. You take your foot off the gas. But in the meantime, buyers and sellers who need help today are looking around and finding no one available. That is a gift to anyone willing to show up.

If you’re one of those agents feeling stuck, here’s what I’d tell you: create your own momentum. If I had no business right now, I’d pick one listing every single day in December and feature it as my “Deal of the Day.” Or I’d call it “Home for the Holidays” and highlight one beautiful opportunity daily. It keeps you visible, keeps you consistent, and reminds your audience that you’re still working even when others aren’t. Consistency builds momentum faster than motivation ever could.

So while the rest of the industry is snoozing or stressing, I’m here sparkling up my house, hosting Santa, stacking January closings, organizing my business, and stepping into the new year feeling excited instead of exhausted. I love this time of year because it’s when intention beats competition every single time.

Show up now, and in January you will thank yourself!

@glenndabaker

Control your emotions… or they’ll control you. #MindsetMatters #GlenndaBaker

Social media isn’t optional anymore, y’all - it’s where clients decide if they want to work with you. If you’re not growing online, you’re invisible. That’s why I recommend the Estate Social Growth Program. You spend just a couple of hours filming, and the team turns it into polished, optimized content that builds your brand and gets you seen by the right clients. If you’re ready to show up the way you should, this is where you start.

GLENNDAISM

Today’s Words of Wisdom

GLENNDA BAKER & ASSOCIATES

Open the Door and Unlock the Possibility!

Let me tell y’all something: 1701 Kings Down Circle in Atlanta, GA, is the kind of house that just radiates possibility. From the moment you pull up, you feel that New England charm. I’m talking four sides of brick and mature trees swaying like they’ve been waiting to welcome you home. Plus, there’s a yard so flat and generous you could host every kind of party under the sun. This is not your typical Dunwoody “5-4-and-a-door.” This one has personality.

The magic really happens inside. Her bones are exceptional, the layout is flexible, and the whole house is a blank canvas that’s just begging for someone with vision. You’re not fighting against bad tile choices from 1998; you’re starting clean with the kind of construction they just don’t make anymore. With a lot this special and a neighborhood that supports serious value, the upside is undeniable. This isn’t just a home. It’s an opportunity, and she’s ready for her next chapter.