The Promote Podcast Shvo Business & Multifamily's Antitrust Agita
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Aug 20, 2025 Explore the tumultuous career of real estate mogul Michael Shvo, who made headlines with ambitious purchases but now faces turbulent partnerships. Delve into a crucial antitrust case impacting major landlords for alleged rent collusion through software like Yieldstar. The discussion also digs into the repercussions of these legal battles on the multifamily rental market. With insights into the evolving landscape of rental pricing and market dynamics, the episode uncovers the tension between innovative practices and regulatory scrutiny.
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Algorithm Case Challenges Traditional Pricing
- The DOJ's antitrust case claims large landlords using RealPage's Yieldstar algorithm facilitate price coordination by referencing market rents.
- Hosts argue rents are public and pricing tools mostly automate longstanding competitor checks, so the legal theory is novel and contested.
Keep Active Market Checks
- If you run a multifamily property, keep an active competitive intelligence process with frequent secret-shopping and rent checks.
- Relying solely on third-party yield tools without on-site market work weakens pricing execution and oversight.
Vertical Tools Are Lucrative But Fragmented
- Yieldstar and other platforms grew lucrative by centralizing operational workflows and pricing recommendations for owners at scale.
- The hosts note the software landscape is messy and bolted together, creating both value and vulnerability to legal and client attrition.