UWM’s Jason Bressler challenges the fear-driven narrative around AI in mortgage lending

Discussions about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) have dominated conversations on stage at HousingWire‘s The Gathering. But there seems to be little common ground as some lenders are excited for the chance to scale their businesses to new heights by taking away menial tasks, while others

11 clever ways to use ChatGPT for real estate in 2025 (+ prompts)

Unless you’ve been living among the Amish, you’ve probably already tried ChatGPT for your real estate business. Most agents we work with have, but usually to write listing descriptions packed to the gills with fluffy language and way too many em dashes.Sound familiar? If so, you’ve barely scratched

Fannie Mae: Consumer housing market sentiment hits 2025 high point

U.S. consumer sentiment toward the housing market improved in May and reached its highest level since November 2024, according to Fannie Mae.Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) rose 4.3 points to 73.5 last month, driven by increased optimism about home buying and selling conditions and

CrossCountry Mortgage ordered to pay $2.1M in age discrimination case

An Ohio appeals court has upheld a jury’s decision that orders CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM), the nation’s eighth-largest mortgage lender, to pay $2.1 million to a former senior accountant who was allegedly fired due to her age. Cheryl Shephard, who joined CCM in 2016, filed the lawsuit in October 202

AI training could be alienating, leaving out older adults

Technology disruptions often arrive quickly and loudly, as has been the case with recent evolutions in artificial intelligence (AI).The use of AI-powered chatbots and devices could reshape the way people live and work for decades to come. But with any new major technological shift also comes the pos

Brokers might not agree on CCP, but they do believe in broad exposure for listings

Real estate industry executives may not see eye to eye on the National Association of Realtors‘ (NAR) Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), but there is one thing they do agree on — the vast majority of sellers receive the most benefit from listing transparency and broad exposure of their listings. “The a

Are real estate brokerages going the way of the dodo?

Real estate brokerages have faced their fair share of challenges over the past year — from legal threats and business practice changes, to a slow housing market and the breakneck pace of technological development. With all of these changes and challenges many wonder if we are on the precipice of a b

Compass talks M&A strategy at The Gathering

Private listings and Clear Cooperation (CCP) have been Compass’s headline calling cards over the past several months, but at HousingWire’s The Gathering on Sunday, mergers and acquisitions were the primary focus. In a conversation with Diego Sanchez, the president of HousingWire, Lacey Conway, the C

New listings slump. Have home sellers already called it quits?

One of the most encouraging data points for 2025 so far is that new listings have finally emerged from a two-year slump, exceeding 80,000 per week during the seasonal peak period. The question is: Have we already seen the highest new listings print for the year? We are currently in the seasonal peri

AI assistant Shilo closes $2.6 million seed funding round

Shilo.ai is going to have an easier time with product development thanks to a $2.6 million seed funding round. The AI assistant firm announced the funding round on Friday. The round was led by AZ-VC, Arizona’s largest venture capital fund, which was founded by Jack Selby, the managing director of Th

Tech Pulse: Compass touts AI platform, Prudent AI launches non-QM tool

Welcome back to Tech Pulse — a new weekly series rounding up the latest in technology, including tools, integrations and trends impacting mortgage and real estate.Here’s what happened this week:Robert Reffkin touts Compass’s AI platform, agent advocacy effortsCompass is preparing to launch a new AI

Century 21 expands with affiliation on Oregon coast

Century 21 Real Estate has added Shorepine Properties in Pacific City, Oregon, to its network — strengthening the brand’s presence in the state’s Central Coast region.Broker/owner Becky Kirkendall has led Shorepine Properties since purchasing the full-service brokerage in 2017. A former hospitality

New California wildfire homeowner assistance program includes reverse mortgages

As communities and organizations continue to reckon with the impact of the Los Angeles-area wildfires, the state is now stepping in with a new assistance program that will include impacted reverse mortgage borrowers whose homes were damaged or lost.California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday announ

Former Douglas Elliman agent withdraws lawsuit that sought unpaid commissions

A former Douglas Elliman agent has withdrawn a lawsuit that sought to recoup $1.6 million in clawbacks from deals that closed after she left the brokerage.New York and Miami agent Holly Parker claimed she’s owed commissions on deals that were pending following her exit from Douglas Elliman. In the w

In California, a local senior advocacy group continues under shadow of federal cuts

Since January, federal funding cuts have struck far and wide across a number of local, state and federal programs that tackle a variety of issues. And while the local “Choice in Aging” program in Contra Costa County, California, would be directly impacted if cuts happen, that’s not stopping people t

Why 3,700 top teams call Keller Williams home

While the nation’s top real estate teams are found at a variety of brokerages, one brand dominated the 2025 RealTrends Verified Rankings. With more than 3,700 teams in this year’s RealTrends rankings, Keller Williams leads all other firms by a wide margin. Leaders of top teams at Keller Williams bel

Senators call on Pulte to pause GSE privatization plans

A group of 14 Democratic senators, led by Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), have called on Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte to pause any potential plans to release government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conser

HUD plans new time limits, work requirements for rental aid: report

The leaders seated earlier this year in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are reportedly planning new time limits and work requirements for recipients of the department’s existing rental assistance programs, according to an internal document viewed by NPR.The document report

Why Friday’s jobs report won’t compel Powell to cut rates

Will Friday’s jobs report compel Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to cut rates by 1%, as President Trump suggested on social media today? The answer is no. While the labor market is showing signs of cooling and there are some indications of stress in certain sectors of the economy, today’s rep

How the Trump/Musk dispute could influence mortgage rates

Today marked a significant development in the ongoing dialogue between President Trump and Elon Musk, as their relationship appears to have reached a critical point of conflict. The question for those in housing is: How could this impact mortgage rates moving forward? The 10-year yield saw a slight