Attack Ads! The Podcast Our New Normal… Is Abby
Dec 2, 2025
In a compelling discussion, the hosts tackle the unsettling state of the housing market and skyrocketing rents. They delve into the alleged collusion by RealPage and its intricate role in price coordination among landlords. Legal ramifications and ongoing lawsuits are explored, highlighting the Department of Justice's controversial settlement. Media complicity due to advertiser pressures is questioned, alongside the potential pitfalls of behavioral remedies. Ultimately, the conversation emphasizes that only significant rent reductions signify real change.
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Personal Crisis Framing
- Jim recounts getting stalled by streaming service customer support as an example of everyday crises that derail plans.
- He uses that personal interruption to frame how bigger institutional crises repeatedly derail public remedies too.
Software-Enabled Rent Collusion
- RealPage's algorithmic coordination likely drove recent rent spikes by sharing sensitive rental and occupancy data across large landlords.
- Matt Stoller and Jim argue that software-enabled coordination can effectively fix prices and reduce supply, inflating rents.
Enforcement Can Nudge Markets
- Legal actions against RealPage coincided with a small national rent decline, showing enforcement can influence market outcomes.
- Jim cautions that the observed 0.3% drop is minor compared to prior spikes and may reflect broader supply trends.