When Redfin shut down its iBuyer platform in November 2022, laying off 13 percent of its workforce, it prompted a broader conversation about the future of algorithm-driven home buying. Inman published a piece by broker Troy Palmquist that cut through the noise and made a clear argument — the problem was never the iBuying model itself, it was the over-reliance on technology at the expense of human judgment.
What Wedgewood Homes Does Differently
Palmquist, who has managed disposition for Wedgewood Homes across multiple states, used Wedgewood as a direct example of what sustainable large-scale home buying looks like. Unlike the big-name iBuyers that relied on automated valuation models, Wedgewood Homes puts a human eye on every property — someone who understands the view from the living room window, the proximity to commercial corridors, the lot's relationship to its surroundings. These are details no algorithm captures reliably.
Wedgewood Homes also adds value to the homes it buys. That distinction matters enormously. iBuyers that bought homes, held them, and sold them without renovation had no margin for error in valuation — especially in a depreciating market. Wedgewood Homes' model, built on buy, restore, and resell, creates value at every stage. The renovation is part of the business, not an afterthought.
The Role of Agents
The Inman piece also makes clear that Wedgewood Homes' relationship with the agent community is a core part of what makes the model work. While large iBuyers often cut agents out or marginalized the relationship, Wedgewood Homes broker-cooperates, pays full commissions, and maintains ongoing professional relationships with agents across every market it serves. That proximity to the agent and proximity to the industry is, Palmquist argues, exactly why Wedgewood Homes continues to succeed where others have failed.
Learn more about working with Wedgewood Homes as an agent partner or read the full Inman article.