Lillian Dickerson

Director, News Reporting

Lillian has covered all aspects of the real estate industry, from breaking news to in-depth profiles of celebrity agents, since 2020. She was introduced to real estate journalism by writing neighborhood profiles for the niche Washington, D.C.-based blog UrbanTurf while working full-time as an assistant at a law firm, and later spent six years as a reporter at Inman News. When she's not writing, Lillian enjoys singing in community choirs, traveling to far-flung places and visiting family on the East Coast.

The MLS dilemma: Resist — or join — the pre-marketing movement
While the Council of Multiple Listing Services has decried private listings, some MLSs have adopted policies that look a lot like Compass’ 3-phased approach.
May 15, 2026
Rocket sues UWM for putting a ‘bounty’ on Mr. Cooper loans
The mortgage giant claims that UWM tried to win back thousands of loans purchased in 2024 by Mr. Cooper, costing the company millions.
May 14, 2026
Sellers lose over $2K on typical dual agency transaction: Study
A new Zillow analysis found that homesellers collectively lost nearly $1.5B on dual agency transactions in three years — and over $1.3B on off-MLS listings.
May 14, 2026
Zillow sues Compass, MRED over ‘collusion’ to hide listings
The portal alleges it was coerced into abandoning its listing standards in Chicagoland due to a partnership-driven “monopoly” and “group boycott” in the region.
May 12, 2026
Survey: Most CRMLS users support Clear Cooperation
More than two-thirds of agents took a supportive or neutral stance. Criticism was largely focused on the difficulty of meeting the one-day listing requirement.
May 12, 2026
Douglas Elliman eyes ‘long-term strategy’ after Q1 revenue dip
Though losses mounted and revenue fell, the luxury brokerage’s CEO says he has more confidence in the company’s future now “than at any point in my tenure.”
May 11, 2026
Real revenue up 32% as firm champions ‘platform of the future’
The cloud-based brokerage’s “significant growth” in Q1 demonstrates “the continued strength of our platform and agent value proposition,” CEO Tamir Poleg said.
May 7, 2026
The MLS/CLAW partners with Compass, revises its IDX policy
The MLS, which is joining forces with the brokerage giant, will allow agents to pre-market listings to members only — without syndication to third-party sites.
May 6, 2026
BHS, FirstTeam pave new path to partnership — skipping M&A
The New York- and California-based firms said they view this strategic marketing partnership as an alternative to sweeping industry consolidation.
Updated May 6, 2026
ChatGPT’s impact on Bay Area luxury home prices
In the wake of the popular chatbot’s launch, home sale prices in San Francisco’s poshest ZIP codes saw an outsized surge compared to the market overall.
May 5, 2026
Reffkin takes ‘flood the zone’ approach in bid to sway industry execs
In a rapid-fire, eyebrow-raising presentation to real estate leaders, the Compass International Holdings CEO made a case for “restoring” the MLS of the past.
May 2, 2026
What works — and what doesn’t — in agent-vendor relationships
Agents today are inundated with options for services and partnerships, but alignment is key, according to a panel of real estate professionals.
May 2, 2026
Realtracs opens MLS service nationally
The Tennessee-based MLS announced it would expand its service across the U.S., following in the footsteps of Chicago’s MRED.
April 30, 2026
The MLS ‘isn’t really dead after all,’ CRMLS CEO says
CRMLS CEO Art Carter and Bright MLS CEO Brian Donnellan grapple with how to respond as more brokers seek alternatives to the MLS to promote their listings.
April 30, 2026
Compass, United the latest to settle in Tuccori
The deals are pending, with few details disclosed. Plus, Weichert negotiates with Batton plaintiffs; Compass rebuts NWMLS claims; TRD defamation suit dropped.
April 28, 2026
Average monthly mortgage payments top $2K — a new record
Over the past five years, the average payment has jumped 44% — and breached $2,000 per month for the first time late last year, according to Realtor.com data.
April 24, 2026
Robert Reffkin says he’s not trying to ‘destroy the MLS’
The CIH Chairman and CEO explained why he’s pushing for more choice in how listings are marketed — and questioned the concept of a real estate “industry.”
April 24, 2026
Portals are ‘increasingly closing their ecosystem’: Realtor.com CEO
Damian Eales is frustrated that the industry is spending so much time on pre-marketing debates — and so little time addressing the housing supply crunch.
April 24, 2026
MRED opens access to all agents — with Compass the first to join
The Chicago MLS, which runs a private listing network, is expanding nationwide to give agents “more choices.” It will receive Compass’ full listing inventory.
April 24, 2026
Mortgage rates less of a factor for buyers, sellers this year
A third of sellers listing this spring have sub-5% mortgages, while most buyers aren’t waiting for rates to drop — spurring market activity, a new survey found.
April 23, 2026