Tag: bess freedman
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Bess Freedman Breaks Down the Housing Affordability Challenge
Appearing on CNBC to discuss the state of U.S. housing affordability, Brown Harris Stevens CEO Bess Freedman offered a clear-eyed assessment of why homeownership remains out of reach for so many Americans—and what it will take to fix it. “Affordability remains a real challenge in the United States. The average first-time homebuyer today is 40…
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Bess Freedman Talks Housing on Two National Broadcast Networks in One Week
Last week, Brown Harris Stevens CEO Bess Freedman appeared on two major national broadcasts, first on CNBC and then on Bloomberg, her expertise and insights on the state of the housing and rental markets as 2025 comes to a close. 2025 Housing Market Reality Check In her CNBC interview, Freedman shared a pragmatic assessment of…
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Bess Freedman: The Big Bamboozle of Private Listing Networks
This article first appeared on Inman News, December 5, 2025. By now, many of you already know my stance on private listing networks. I have been incredibly vocal about their dubious nature, penned numerous opinion pieces, been threatened with lawsuits, and warned against them on television and in print. I’ve cited studies showing why PLNs hurt…
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Op-Ed: Manhattan is Doing Just Fine
Have you heard that people are fleeing Manhattan? The headlines say it over and over, but the reality tells a very different story. In my latest commentary for RISMedia, I look at what the data and our daily experience in the market actually show: no mass exodus, no panic selling, and an underlying strength that…
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The Lead: Bess Freedman and Leo Pareja Break Down Private Listings, Market Cycles, and What’s Next
In a candid conversation on the latest episode of The Lead, Brown Harris Stevens CEO Bess Freedman and Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty, sat down to talk about one of the industry’s most controversial topics: private listings. The discussion quickly expanded into a broader reflection on the housing market, technology’s evolving role in real…
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SOS: A Call for Homeowners to Take Control
When you buy or sell a home, you’re going into one of the largest financial transactions of your life. In my recent opinion piece for RISMedia, I wanted to sound the alarm: don’t assume everything and everyone involved is working in your best interest. Transparency, exposure, and honest representation matter now more than ever. “If…
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Private Listing Networks: Don’t Be Fooled by the Gimmick
By Bess Freedman I recently penned an article for Inman titled “Private Listing Networks Are the Newest Pet Rock,” where I draw a clear parallel between the fad of the silly pet rock from the 1970s and today’s push for exclusive, brokerage-only listing networks. Here’s the heart of my argument: In short: private listing networks…
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Big Firms, Big Promises — But Do They Deliver?
The recent acquisition of Anywhere by Compass marks one of the largest consolidations in the history of the U.S. brokerage landscape. On paper, it’s the kind of deal that signals strength: more agents, more offices, more scale. But as Bess Freedman, CEO of Brown Harris Stevens, reminds us that “bigger doesn’t always mean better,” especially…
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Bess Freedman on the State of the Luxury Real Estate Market: Insights from Bloomberg and CNBC
Last week, Brown Harris Stevens CEO Bess Freedman recently shared her insights on the luxury real estate market in interviews on Bloomberg Markets and CNBC’s Market Alert. Freedman highlighted how mortgage rates, while a major talking point, have less impact on high-end buyers, many of whom purchase with cash. Still, she emphasized that housing affordability…
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Bess Freedman on the Market, Private Listings, and What’s Ahead for 2026
At Brown Harris Stevens, we’ve long prided ourselves on being steady and consistent — qualities that resonate even more in times of uncertainty. In a recent conversation with Inman, our CEO Bess Freedman shared her perspective on the market, the importance of rebuilding trust in real estate, the ongoing debate around private listings, and what…