Milestones: Startup offers Buyer Listing Service to MLSs
Editor's note: From regional and statewide players to locals focused on a single market, multiple listings services and Realtor associations are the backbone of residential real estate.
Agents find something to cheer about: Stable commissions
"Our data continues to show stability in commission rates, underscoring the critical role agents play in navigating buyers and sellers through today's dynamic market," said Real President Sharran Srivatsaa.
California’s home insurance crisis is just beginning
"I think the important thing to remember about insurance is it is a financial risk-transfer mechanism — it doesn't actually reduce risk," Lindsay Brugger, vice president of resilience for the Urban Land Institute, told Real Estate News.
Easing rents could mean fewer buyers this spring
December was the 17th consecutive month of year-over-year rent declines for 0-2 bedroom properties in the 50 largest metro areas, according to Realtor.com's latest rental market report.
8 of the best houses for sale for around £500,000
A refurbished apartment on the top floor of a duration structure with significant views throughout Tenby’s North Coastline. It has actually two recently fitted restrooms and comes with accessibility to a public garden with a course and a terrace leading straight to the beach. 2 beds, 2 bathrooms, open-plan kitchen/living location, balcony, off-road parking. This...
California agents scramble to help clients affected by LA wildfires
In a message to the agent community this week, the agency said price gouging during a state of emergency is a criminal offense and carries penalties including fines of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for up to one year.
DOJ files amended complaint against RealPage
How the scope has changed: In addition to RealPage, defendants now include six major rental investment or management companies — Greystar, LivCor, Camden, Cushman, Willow Bridge and Cortland — which operate more than 1.3 million units in 43 states and the District of Columbia, according to a news release from the DOJ.
How the country’s largest MLS is pitching its value
To comply with the NAR settlement, the organizations can no longer include offers of compensation on their platforms — a change that has made MLSs "somewhat" or "much" less valuable, according to 55% of real estate professionals in an October survey from WAV Group.
Housing optimism up ‘substantially’ compared to a year ago
Consumer sentiment has continued to trend upward, reaching 73.1 in December — "substantially above year-ago levels," said Mark Palim, Fannie Mae SVP and chief economist.
Quotable moments from a year of notable change
Instead, United, which operates on a flat fee model, offers other benefits — such as health care and financial planning — which Duffy believes are more valuable to agents and their primary business of selling real estate, not being a recruiter.
HUD: Housing programs crucial as homelessness reaches new highs
In an interview on PBS NewsHour last week, Shaun Donovan, CEO and president of Enterprise Community Partners and a former HUD chief, said the improvement in the veteran population illustrates a "really a hopeful sign we do know how to solve homelessness" and could help serve as a blueprint as policymakers work to address the crisis more broadly.
MLS, association execs expect membership declines in 2025
A recent T3 Sixty survey of real estate association and MLS executives found that more than 70% are budgeting for a projected decrease in membership, citing a combination of external and internal factors.
The Ten: How mortgage rate head fakes foiled a real estate recovery
The bond market's response to economic and political conditions — in particular, concerns about deficit spending and inflation stemming from Trump administration proposals — is also having an effect, said Selma Hepp, chief economist at CoreLogic.
Why renters — and listings — aren’t budging
During that time, monthly mortgage payments have nearly tripled, said Redfin Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari — and while rents spiked during the pandemic, a recent apartment construction boom has kept rents "relatively flat over the past two years as home prices and mortgage rates continued to climb," Bokhari noted.
The most expensive streets in the UK
Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages, Lloyds said: “London’s dominance in the list of priciest streets underscores the city's continued appeal and the resulting competitiveness at the very top end of the property market.
How to help buyers understand appraisals and inspections
The consumer guides, published on NAR's "facts" page, cover a variety of subjects aimed at educating buyers and sellers, including settlement-related topics, questions to ask agents and transaction details.
The Ten: The portal wars, and how the gloves came off in 2024
While it's too early to know who will be victorious — or even declare a stalemate or truce — in the ongoing battle between CoStar and Move, the legal wrangling between the fierce home search rivals is poised to spill over into the new year.