Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered Housing Crisis, Private Listings & The New Realtor.com+ with Damian Eales
Jan 22, 2026
Damian Eales, CEO of Realtor.com and industry leader focused on MLS partnerships and consumer transparency. He tackles the housing affordability crunch and why first-time buyers are vanishing. He previews Realtor.com+ and how it reshapes agent-client collaboration. He warns about private listings masking inventory and the risks they pose to transparency and fair housing.
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Housing Crisis Needs Local Action
- The housing affordability crisis is bipartisan and urgent, with first-time buyers aging and millions of homes missing from the market.
- Damian Eales urges industry-wide local action to influence policy and remove barriers to construction.
Use Local Influence To Increase Supply
- Realtors should use their local influence to campaign for policies that enable more homebuilding and density near transit.
- Focus industry energy on solving affordability rather than internal disputes like portal fights.
Interest Rates Drive Market Direction
- Market recovery hinges largely on interest rates, which drive buyer affordability and transaction volumes.
- Realtor.com expects low single-digit growth but notes a glint of optimism from recent data.
