AJ LaTrace

Director, News Reporting

AJ has covered real estate for the last decade as a reporter and editor for publications including Vox Media's Curbed, Chicago magazine and Business Insider. At Business Insider, AJ led the brand's coverage of how everyday people invest in real estate as a means of gaining financial independence, and he reported on big-picture trends and pain points in the broader U.S. real estate market. AJ is based in Chicago, where he also moonlights as a small-time landlord.

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A third of homes for sale are new construction
With many owners of existing homes hesitant to give up their low mortgage rates, new homes continue to account for an outsize share of the market.
May 20, 2024
Why — and how — second place counts in home search
Both Homes.com and Realtor.com claim to be No. 2 in the battle to unseat Zillow as home search champ. A look at CEO claims, what’s at stake and how we got here.
May 18, 2024
eXp CEO: ‘Treat your buyers like you treat your sellers’
Company leaders hosted a livestream to discuss NAR settlement outcomes, including buyer agreements and how to talk to sellers about buy-side compensation.
May 17, 2024
CoStar CEO says competitors are ‘going to adopt our model’
Will Homes.com sell buyer agent leads? “Never,” says Andy Florance, who believes all the portals will eventually move to “your listing, your lead.”
May 16, 2024
Compass scoops up Tennessee’s top brokerage
The addition of Parks Real Estate and its 1,500 agents now makes Compass the biggest brokerage in the state.
May 14, 2024
Realtor.com CEO takes aim at ‘deceptive’ claims
Damian Eales told Real Estate News that he loves competition but takes issue with Homes.com’s traffic claims and says they have “disparaged” buyer agents.
May 14, 2024
Portals ‘should not work against outcomes’ the government seeks
In a conversation with Real Estate News, Realtor.com CEO Damian Eales discussed NAR, the benefits of major rule changes and the role of home search sites.
May 8, 2024
Real Brokerage revenue up 86% as agent count soars
The company remains on a rapid-growth trajectory, but net losses also increased this quarter, largely due to a recent commissions lawsuit settlement.
May 7, 2024
CoStar CEO on Matterport deal: Virtual tours, real advantage
Andy Florance discusses the “transformative technology” and his plans to rapidly expand the company while rolling out generative AI features later this year.
May 4, 2024
Zillow revenue up thanks to big gains in rentals and mortgages
The company reported better-than-expected revenue of $529 million in Q1 — a 13% improvement from a year ago — and hinted at further monetizing its audience.
May 1, 2024
CoStar, Realtor.com CEOs on traffic, ads and fierce competition
Andy Florance and Damian Eales took to the stage separately during the T3 Leadership Summit to address contentious traffic claims and highlight growth goals.
April 27, 2024
Glenn Sanford: ‘Our real goals are not domestic’
During the T3 Leadership Summit, the eXp founder discussed some of his early challenges, the need for internal disruption, and his international ambitions.
April 25, 2024
NAR deal ‘could be detrimental’ to Black agents, buyers
In a conversation with Real Estate News, Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose of NAREB discussed the pros and cons of the recent settlement and upcoming rule changes.
April 25, 2024
Anywhere focused on cost-cutting as revenue holds steady
Revenue and agent count dipped slightly, but the company highlighted the strength of its Sotheby’s brand and its progress toward a $100 million savings goal.
April 25, 2024
Zillow CEO: ‘Keep your head down and deliver for your customers’
At the T3 Leadership Summit, Rich Barton discussed what’s in store for Zillow and the industry — and encouraged the audience to “resist the urge to chaos.”
April 24, 2024
Top portal rivals show mutual support for buyer agency
This week, Zillow CEO Rich Barton praised Realtor.com CEO Damian Eales’ latest push to educate homebuyers about changes coming to the industry.
April 19, 2024
Inventory is way up in Florida — but prices are still rising
Active listings are back to pre-pandemic levels, but home prices — and home insurance costs — keep going up, creating a tough market for buyers and sellers.
April 19, 2024
Why is housing supply so low? Blame local zoning
Two U.S. senators are pushing for policy changes that would reduce “exclusionary” zoning regulations and promote local development.
April 18, 2024
Agents optimistic about the market, concerned about buy-side pay
A new survey from Real Brokerage offers insight into agent sentiment and how they really feel about the industry changes set to go into effect this summer.
April 16, 2024
Commissions, steering and the MLS: Myths and realities
During a livestream presentation, Bright MLS’s chief economist highlighted some of the most misunderstood topics or mistaken beliefs about real estate.
April 16, 2024