I can’t believe that May is already here! I had a wonderful time celebrating Easter with friends in DC, including a number of potluck feasts. I also just got back from a brief trip to celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday! It was great to celebrate her and get the family together. I hope you all have enjoyed this wonderful spring – it’s hard to believe summer is almost here!
Over the last month, in addition to refreshing the District Roots website, I have also been working on rolling out a new homeownership and home search tool to better serve my past and current clients. It is called Mosaik, and it has some great features that can help you keep informed about your home’s value, market activity in your neighborhood, or even help you search for your next home. Some of the exciting features include:
Home Value Updates: I’ll monitor changes in your home’s value and share any updates with you.
Neighborhood Activity: I’ll keep an eye on local activity that may affect your home value and equity.
Pinpoint Search: An AI-powered, proprietary search function for dreaming about your next place
Access to Trusted Vendors: You’ll have my personal recommendations for everything from contractors to estate attorneys.
Reminders: I’ll send reminders for things like insurance renewals, maintenance needs, and tax alerts.
I’m really excited about this tool, available both online or through the Mosaik app. Past clients should receive an invitation to Mosaik this month (from support@mosaik.io titled "Invitation from Hannah Powell"), but you don’t have to be a past client to gain access – just reach out to me if you are interested!
I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter. In this edition you will find:
Real Estate News: Huge Battle Brewing Among Real Estate Brokerages
Homeownership Tips: Boost Your Spring Curb Appeal
DC Metro Area Real Estate Market Data
Neighborhood Spotlight: Glencarlyn and Forest Glen, VA
Keep an eye out for your Mosaik invitation this month and let me know if you have any questions or feedback about the tool! And as always, please let me know if there’s anything you need in the meantime. I would love to chat more!
Wishing you the best,
Hannah
Get out the popcorn, because an epic match-up between the nation’s largest real estate brokerage (Compass) and the most popular home search website (Zillow) has officially gotten spicy. Unfortunately, this nasty squabble has huge implications for how sellers market their home and buyers find their next place to live.
The Players
Zillow, Consumer Search Behemoth: Many real estate agents loathe Zillow, and I am highly sympathetic to this view. Zillow’s popular consumer search website displays data from the Multiple Listings Service (MLS), which is the database real estate agents use to update each other about homes available for sale. But the site profits by using the listing (seller’s) agent’s marketing (pictures, descriptions, video, etc.) to identify potential buyers and sell them as leads to competing agents for a hefty fee (thousands of dollars per month or even 40% of the total commission). A recent focus group indicated that consumers are often confused by Zillow's practice of displaying unrelated agents next to home listings.
Compass, Fast-growing Brokerage Giant: Compass, founded in 2012, has grown to be the largest brokerage by volume in the country. It operates as a traditional, often luxury brokerage with a large suite of tech and other tools to make agents more effective and efficient. (Full disclosure: I was affiliated with Compass from 2019-2024 and parted on good terms for unrelated reasons.) Among its other offerings, Compass is encouraging sellers to “pre-market” their properties off the MLS as a Compass “exclusive” before publicly marketing on the MLS. This is a variation on a practice called “pocket listings,” in which (primarily ultra-luxury or celebrity-owned homes) are kept off the MLS for privacy reasons. The company argues this provides sellers more control over the marketing of their property, both maintaining privacy and providing an opportunity to test a price without incurring “Days on Market” on the MLS, which can indicate that a home listing has gone stale. Other brokerages have followed suit in keeping more listings exclusive, including Sotheby’s, Coldwell Banker, and Long and Foster.
The Fight
The war currently heating up raging hot is over a blandly-named National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) rule called “Clear Cooperation.” The policy states that members must share information about listings “within one day of public marketing” to the MLS. This means no postings on social media, no signs in the front yard, etc., unless the information is shared with all agents, and effectively the world, through the MLS. The NAR, under pressure from Compass, compromised this month and created a “delayed marketing” option that would enable sellers for a set period of time (three weeks, perhaps) to delay the syndication to public sites (like Zillow) but still share information with agents at other brokerages that they could then share with their clients. This compromise did not go far enough to please Compass, but it definitely threatened Zillow.
Recall Zillow’s entire business model is predicated on being able to disseminate for sale information from the MLS to potential home buyers, so it depends on “Clear Cooperation” to provide its data. Zillow can’t make money if homes are not marketed through the MLS, so “exclusive” listings threaten to siphon away its business.
Last week, Zillow threw down the gauntlet by announcing that any listing that has first been marketed in any fashion outside of the MLS will never be displayed on Zillow. Even if the listing is later shared with the MLS, Zillow will block it and not disseminate it with its users. (Wow.) Redfin quickly followed suit in this policy, and several other brokerages have chimed in with support for Zillow (unsurprisingly, all brokerages which did not have large off-market inventories).
But is Compass an altruistic actor in this saga, just protecting sellers’ rights to privacy and marketing freedom? Of course not. By moving more listings to an exclusive site where only Compass agents can see them, it can potentially profit off both the buying and selling sides of the transaction. More importantly, it forces buyers to work with a Compass agent to gain access to the company’s exclusive listings, and puts Compass in a position to recruit more agents who fear they might lose business if they don’t have access to a growing slice of homes available for sale.
No Winners, but Consumers Are Sure to Lose
Both sides of this debate point to studies that show consumers are better off with their respective approach to Clear Cooperation. While conventional wisdom and MLS data insists that sellers are better off when more potential buyers see their property, Compass insists it has internal, real-life data that homes sell faster and for slightly more money when they are allowed to “pre-market” and test prices.
So, let’s dig out our crystal ball and see how this movie will end. If Zillow is successful in restoring Clear Cooperation, it grows more powerful, and in effect will dictate in part how sellers are to market their property and agents can do their jobs. Furthermore, Zillow is already well on its way to becoming a monolith of consumer data, having purchased both the primary system for making home showing appointments (ShowingTime) and a very popular agent Customer Relationship Management system (Follow-up Boss). (It’s hard for me to overstate how much data Zillow already has about homeowners and homeseekers.) Clear Cooperation solidifies Zillow’s dominant position in the lead-generation business.
On the other hand, if Compass prevails and the NAR’s Clear Cooperation rule is thrown out, we can anticipate increasing levels of inventory hidden from the broader consumer, unlocked only if you have an agent from the right brokerage. Expect less competition as smaller brokerages and agents are unable to compete with private listing inventories and are gobbled up by the bigger players. It may also mark the beginning of the end of the now powerful MLSs and land a blow against the NAR.
We can be sure the lawsuits will come quickly: Compass vs. Zillow, Redfin vs. Compass, everyone vs. the NAR, the Federal Trade Commission vs. the entire industry, etc. The Compass CEO has already accused Zillow and Redfin of an illegal boycott by refusing to display Compass listings. He may well prevail in court on that very point, but all this highlights the real take-away: the only winners from this saga are the attorneys racking up billable hours as these policies are fought in the courts.
There are all sorts of ways the residential real estate industry is strange. Buying a house is just not as simple as walking into a store and selecting a model off the shelf. This is where I bring value to my clients as a real estate agent: I have the experience and skills to help them navigate the complexities of the market, enabling them to purchase an awesome home or obtain a great offer for their property.
For my part, for most homes, I think a bit of pre-marketing could be helpful before a listing is widely disseminated to test a price or save the sellers time and money on repairs. But I oppose large swaths of available homes being behind proprietary silos and reducing consumer choice. And I object to companies like Zillow and Redfin threatening to harm buyers and sellers by selectively disseminating data based on whether their company will profit off it. Ultimately, I am just frustrated to watch this boardroom brawl and know that until the dust settles, it will just be that much harder to help my clients achieve their homeownership goals.
Spring is the perfect time to refresh your home's exterior. A well-maintained and inviting exterior sets the tone before anyone even steps inside. Whether you're preparing to list your home or simply want to boost its overall appearance, these curb-appeal tips can help your property shine this season.
1. Upgrade Your Landscaping
Start by giving your landscaping a seasonal refresh. Trim overgrown shrubs, shape hedges, and remove any dead or dry plants. Consider adding fresh mulch to garden beds for a polished and vibrant look. Introduce colorful seasonal flowers to create a welcoming atmosphere that draws attention to the home. A well-maintained yard not only boosts visual appeal but also signals that the home has been properly cared for.
2. Revitalize Your Lawn A healthy, green lawn adds instant charm and suggests a well-maintained property. Start by fertilizing and seeding any bare patches, or consider laying fresh sod if necessary. Regular mowing, edging, and watering will keep the grass looking its best. A manicured lawn that feels lush and vibrant creates a positive first impression and gives buyers confidence in the overall upkeep of the home.
3. Make the Front Door Pop
Your front door is a natural focal point and can set the tone for what's inside. A fresh coat of paint in a bold but tasteful color can breathe new life into your entrance. Add updated door hardware, a clean welcome mat, and seasonal planters to create an inviting vibe. If you have a front porch or seating area, arrange comfortable furniture with accent pillows and outdoor rugs to make the space feel like an extension of the home
4. Let the Light Shine In Clean windows not only brighten your home's interior but also enhance its exterior appeal. Professionally cleaned windows make the home look fresh and well-maintained while allowing natural light to flood the inside. If you have window boxes, consider adding seasonal flowers or greenery to give the windows a charming, finished look.
5. Illuminate Your Home’s Best Features Exterior lighting adds warmth and security while highlighting your home's architectural features. Consider adding pathway lights to guide visitors to the front door or installing spotlights to showcase key elements like landscaping or architectural details. Thoughtfully placed lighting can make your home feel more inviting and add curb appeal even after sunset.
6. Wash Away Winter Grime Months of winter weather can leave dirt and residue on your home's exterior, driveway, and walkways. A thorough power wash will remove buildup, giving your home a fresh, clean appearance. Clean surfaces can make siding, brick, or stonework look almost brand new, helping your home stand out in the neighborhood.
With just a little time and effort, you can significantly enhance your home’s curb appeal this spring. These small changes can have a big impact, helping your property make a great first impression.
Source: RISMedia | Spring Curb Appeal Guide
Curious about how the housing market shifts from month to month? In this section I share insights about shifts in the market so you can make informed decisions about where you live. If you are interested in how things are changing week to week, you can also take a look at the weekly updates provided by Bright MLS in their Weekly Greater DC Area Housing Market Update for a deeper level of detail.
Washington DC Metro Area Housing Data
Data Provided by Bright MLS, as of April 4, 2025
Based on the latest data from March 2025 sales, here are a few key trends we’re seeing in the market compared to 2024:
As expected with the start of the spring market, there was a surge in new listings in the DC metro area. Listings were up 19.2% from March 2024, most notably in Loudoun county which came in at a whopping 37% higher than last year. Bright MLS noted that the jump in new listings in the region was more significant than in other markers in the Mid-Atlantic, which suggests a possible nascent impact of federal government layoffs and back-to-the-office mandates.
Sold prices are still increasing, but more slowly than they have been over the past few years. In March, the median sold price was $625,000, up 4.2% year-over-year.
Some sellers are still finding buyers. In March, there were 4,952 new pending contracts in the Washington DC region, up 3.2% compared to 2024 (albeit a slow year) and an increase of 42.1% from February.
Overall inventory is also increasing, up to 1.98 months’ of supply, an increase of 0.6 months over last year. (Six months’ of supply is considered a “balanced” market between buyers and sellers, so we are still in a Seller’s market.) But the rate of growth was uneven; the District’s inventory grew by nearly double that of the region overall (+1.27 to 4.83 months.)
Overall, we are starting to see the spring housing market uptick that we expect every year, but the economic impacts from Federal government actions indicate it may be more subdued than we previously anticipated.
Remember: these trends are averaged for the metro DC region, so what is happening on your street may be different. If you are interested in seeing the latest data for a specific neighborhood or zip code, don't hesitate to reach out! I'm happy to have a conversation about what these market trends mean for your current home's value or your future home search. Shoot me an email if you'd like to schedule a time to chat or want to be sent more information about what's going on in your neighborhood.
For homebuyers looking for a blend of history, community, and nature just minutes from Washington, DC, Glencarlyn and Forest Glen in Arlington, Virginia, stand out as two of the area’s most inviting neighborhoods.
Founded in 1887, Glencarlyn is Arlington’s oldest planned community, known for its architectural variety and small-town feel, located just south of Arlington Boulevard less than 10 miles from downtown DC. The neighborhood features charming homes in Colonial Revival, Craftsman, and Queen Anne styles, many of which are part of the Glencarlyn Historic District. The neighborhood’s historic charm, strong civic association, and access to outdoor recreation make it a top choice for buyers. The active Glencarlyn civic association hosts annual events like the neighborhood Spring Fling and Glencarlyn Days festivals, helping build a sense of community among residents. Home prices can range from the upper $700s to upper $900s, with some larger and newer homes going for over $1.8m.
At the heart of the community is Glencarlyn Park, a 100-acre oasis. The park is a local favorite for its wooded trails, picnic grounds, playground, interactive Long Branch Nature Center, and scenic stream. The park also features a network of trails that connect seamlessly with Four Mile Run and the W&OD Trail, making it a hub for hikers, families, and nature enthusiasts alike.
Just south of Glencarlyn, the Forest Glen neighborhood offers a quieter, suburban vibe with mid-century single-family homes on tree-lined streets, with much of the same access to nature and community as Glencarlyn but with more attainable home prices. With spacious layouts—typically 4–5 bedrooms and 2–3 bathrooms, the area is popular with families seeking space without sacrificing proximity to DC. You can find single family homes from the mid-$600s to the upper $800s and condos from the $400s to upper $500s. Nearby parks, top-rated schools, and local shopping add to the convenience and lifestyle appeal of Forest Glen, which is just a quick drive from Baileys Crossroads and other Leesburg Pike shopping and activities.
From the nature-filled trails of Glencarlyn to the peaceful streets of Forest Glen, both neighborhoods offer unique and desirable living options in Arlington. Perfect for buyers looking to settle into a welcoming and well-rounded community.
If you're considering a move to Glencarlyn, Forest Glen, NoVa, or anywhere in the region, I would love to talk more!
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