Issue #17 | August 6, 2025
Greetings | Buzzworthy Sales | Community Corner | Good Times | International Spotlight | By The Numbers | Community Shoutout!
Hi Friends,
You may be asking yourself…What in the world is going on with Zillow, Redfin and Compass?!
If you feel like the world of real estate has been turned upside down lately, you're not wrong. A massive shake-up is underway, and it involves the biggest names in the business: Zillow, Redfin, and Compass.
This isn't just industry gossip—it's a full-blown debacle that's changing how homes are sold and how you find them. Here’s what’s going on:
The "Zillow Ban" Lawsuit
Imagine your real estate agent finds a perfect "Coming Soon" home and lists it on their internal brokerage website (think: Compass). Later on, they try to post it on Zillow for maximum exposure. But Zillow says, "Nope, too late."
That's the core of a massive antitrust lawsuit Compass filed against Zillow in June 2025.
Compass claims Zillow has created a new rule—dubbed the "Zillow Ban"—that blocks any listing that has appeared on a competitor's site for more than 24 hours. They argue this is a power play to crush competition, limit your choices, and force everyone to use Zillow first. The lawsuit also claims Redfin is in on the strategy, creating a powerful alliance that controls the market.
From the Zillow perspective, Compass and others massively rely on their own brokerages across the country to sell ‘off market’ listings in-house. What does this mean for you? Advantage: Compass; Disadvantage: buyers who don’t work with Compass agents, aka: hopefully YOU! Sure, brokerages would love to sell in-house so they earn commissions on both sides of the deal and save lots of marketing dollars too, but I see it as an unfair advantage given Compass’s McDonald’s-style conglomerate across the country: Compass has over 400 offices across 96 markets and 33,000 agents making it the largest in the U.S. Compare that to Vanguard with its 10 offices, 300 agents and privately owned status. Now who's crushing competition and limiting choices?
And Zillow is going one step further to sway how brokerages do business: if you don’t abide by their new rules, that particular home will be forever banned from marketing on Zillow. Say you bought your home from a Compass brokerage that ignored Zillow’s rule and then go to list your home for sale a year or ten later, Zillow will not allow that home to be exposed on their site, vastly shrinking the possible buyer market for maximum exposure of your home in the marketplace.
It’s getting messy folks; I’ll keep you informed as it plays out. Enjoy the remains of the ‘official’ summer and cheers to our real Autumnal Summer next month!
Cheers, Suzanne
BUZZWORTHY HOME SALES | JULY
Tiburon
List Price | $4,995,000
Sales Price | $5,300,000
Price Per Sq Ft | $1284
Days on Market | 6
2 Offers (Cash)
4 Bed 5 Bath
Courtesy of: Bill Smith | MLS: 325061196
Sycamore Park | Mill Valley
List Price | $1,795,000
Sales Price | $1,950,000
Price Per Sq Ft | $1884
Days on Market | 15
2 Offers (Cash)
2 Bed 2 Bath
Courtesy of: Kathleen Beaver | MLS: 3250332855
Horse Hill | Mill Valley
List Price | $2,495,000
Sales Price | $2,195,000
Price Per Sq Ft | $1688
Days on Market | 111
1 Offer
3 Bed 2 Bath
Courtesy of: Kristy Greenwood | MLS: 325021253
COMMUNITY CORNER
Vintage Ruse | Mill Valley
Vintage Ruse and its proprietor Jules Mercer can be summed up in two words: YES and determination. Plus, whenever I need a laugh or lift, I can pop over to the Ruse for that too. We're both scrappy in the best way—we don't stop until we succeed, using out-of-the-box thinking to get things done.
Looking for the cooler, funkier side of Mill Valley? You'll find it at Vintage Ruse. Need a new wardrobe for Burning Man, a family photo shoot, or your kid's costume-themed school fundraiser? Short on cash? Rent instead. From $10 to $500, if Jules doesn't have what you want, she'll make it or find it.
You've probably seen that colorful yellow building at the T in Tam Junction—an electrifying spot that gives tourists flooding Highway 1 serious FOMO. Opened April Fools' Day 2022, Vintage Ruse shares space with the former Boomerang Lounge (reimagined under creator Courtney DiCarlo, the B Lounge is now a "low fuss, high vibe" women's lounge and co-working space by day, community events for all, by night).
Jules has persevered "on a wing and a prayer" through life's trials to keep this unique community space open—one that happens to sell the most fantastic apparel and footwear in all of Marin (dare I say Northern California!). Clientele runs about half locals, half tourists; many coming from LA, the East and South Bay, plus plenty of global tourists who scour the area for vintage stores while on holiday.
Ruse offers so much beyond bespoke fashion. Part community hub, part sewing workshop, part vintage/costume rental company—it's impossible to leave empty-handed. Jules has done what many shop owners can't: give the community what it wants. Her vision has been shaped by customer requests, evolving organically through trial and error, innovation, experimentation and community input. It's truly the little engine that could.
The latest project—Sewing School The Mercery—was born from community need. Jules found herself repairing clothes, making custom creations, teaching kids to sew, and saw the theme emerging. She reimagined a chunk of the store into a popular, multi-generational sewing hub.
"Sewing has become my therapy," Jules says. "We've attracted all generations—kids, tourists, all ages and skill levels to attend events and classes."
Her vision for the future is crystal clear: "I'm not going anywhere!" Her ultimate goal is securing funding and volunteers to make The Mercery and other community programs free for all, including school field trips and a fully-equipped sewing workshop.
DETAILS
GOOD TIMES | SUBLIME EVENTS
August 8 | The Verdi Club
When Dizzy Jones hosts the Alpha Rhythm Kings you know you’re in for a good time!
Bring your swagger to San Francisco's historic Verdi Club. There will be titillating entertainment where anything can happen and everything is possible. This is sure to be an event you’ll never forget; if only you could remember…
Exclusive! Use DIZZY20 for 20% discount tickets
INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT | NICARAGUA
La Joya | $550,000
3703 sq ft | $149/sq ft
The community of La Joya, located on a bluff with stunning views of the town, is situated within a large gated neighborhood called Pacific Marlin, overlooking the bay of San Juan del Sur. It lies on the southwestern coast of Nicaragua.
If safety's your jam, Pacific Marlin offers full-time security, paved roads, walking paths and access to the beach of San Juan del Sur. The town boasts English-speaking private schools, medical facilities and other amenities. For the busy types, there's lots to do here: surfing, fishing, catamaran tours, hiking, zip-lining and horseback riding. The closest airport is 37 miles north.
The five-bedroom, five-bath villa is built into a hill so you'll find yourself on the second floor when you arrive. The floor-to-ceiling sliding doors in the living room open to a deck overlooking the ocean, as does the main bedroom, with another deck with sea views and an en suite bathroom.
The house has central air-conditioning and ceiling fans and plenty of water features besides the sea view: 2 swimming pools!
Expect to pay about $850/year in property taxes and 7-10% of the property value to cover closing costs.
Listing Courtesy of The Agency
MARIN REAL ESTATE REPORT
Weekly Stats Ending July 31
COMMUNITY SHOUTOUT!
New Friends of Mill Valley Library Merch is in! Fabulously soft tees in blue and green: youth, unisex and v-neck options in S, M, L, XL as well as adorable Onesies for 18 months+ and sturdy Aprons. Order online for Library pick up @www.friendsmvl.org or purchase in person. Ceramic Mugs, Totes, Patches and Journals also still available and make perfect gifts!
100% of proceeds go towards funding programs and services at the world-famous Mill Valley Library.