Attendees encouraged by reverse mortgage conference in California

On Tuesday, the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) held its first dedicated reverse mortgage industry event of the year. The association’s Western Regional Meeting in Irvine, California, included an estimated 150 registrants from 75 companies around the country and took place in t

Precision partners: How AI and human expertise are elevating lending excellence

Artificial intelligence has moved from a buzzword to boardroom priority in lending. After years of hype and speculation, we’re finally seeing real transformation in how loans are processed, underwritten, and serviced. What’s most fascinating isn’t just the technology itself but the emerging pattern

New York Times relights the fuse on NAR settlement, cooperative compensation

The real estate industry and The New York Times have not been on good terms for a while now. Although the mutual disdain began with the Times’ 2023 expose of alleged widespread sexual harassment and a “culture of fear” at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), things really began to heat up wit

Buyer questionnaire: The best questions to ask your clients (+PDF)

You’ve set an appointment with a new potential buyer client – congrats! But, now what? Successful agents send a real estate buyer questionnaire to all buyer leads. This will not only save you time in the future, but it will also position you as a professional. Since you’ll be guiding them through th

Agents share dueling opinions on off-market listings

Industry debate around off-market listings — or pocket listings — has become increasingly heated. For some agents, these private transactions are tools of exclusivity and strategy. For others, they’re a disservice to sellers and a potential breach of fiduciary duty.Four agents with strong opinions;

Coldwell Banker Realty expands agent transaction support

Coldwell Banker Realty has launched a national rollout of its Transaction Concierge program, a back-office support system designed to assist real estate agents with administrative tasks during the homebuying process.The program provides Coldwell Banker-affiliated agents with access to in-house emplo

Mutual of Omaha reverse AE Kathy Martinez has died

Kathleen “Kathy” Martinez, a reverse mortgage industry veteran and account executive who most recently served with Mutual of Omaha Mortgage’s reverse division, died last week in her community in Florida. She was 60 years old.Martinez’s career in the reverse mortgage industry goes back more than two

Movement to settle dramatic legal battle with Summit

Movement Mortgage, a top-25 U.S. mortgage lender, is close to resolving a two-year legal battle with rival Summit Funding, its founder and president Todd Scrima, and several former employees who transitioned to the competitor. The case, which involved allegations of employee poaching, misappropriati

Liberty Reverse parent Onity praises Q1 earnings performance, proprietary product launch

Despite an overall reduction in its reverse mortgage servicing portfolio when compared to the prior year, the parent company of one of the nation’s largest reverse mortgage lenders continues to tout the overall performance and profitability of the division in a high mortgage rate environment.Onity G

Compass has sued an MLS. History could shed light on its antitrust claims

The antitrust lawsuit filed last week by Compass against Northwest MLS (NWMLS) has generated a lot of talk, but it is far from the first time a brokerage has sued an MLS over an alleged antitrust injury. There is a slate of recently filed suits — as well as those filed in the 1970s and ’80s — that a

UWM faces class-action lawsuit over alleged misuse of 401(k) plan assets

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging misuse and misallocation of assets within its 401(k) retirement plan. The company has called the suit a “baseless claim.”Filed Monday in a Michigan district court, the lawsuit accuses UWM of violating the Employee Retirement I

Former Texas title employee sentenced for $350K wire fraud scheme

A former escrow officer at a McAllen, Texas-based title insurance company has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for orchestrating a complex wire fraud scheme that defrauded homebuyers and mortgage lenders of more than $350,000, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.Mayela Saby C

HUD secretary open to withholding federal funding from cities over homelessness

The Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is open to withholding federal funding from major American cities that fail to show progress in dealing with homelessness issues.“That may be a good idea,” Turner told conservative radio show host Ari Hoffman in an interview Wed

DOGE cuts to AmeriCorps imperil Habitat for Humanity programs

The Corporation for National and Community Service, better known as AmeriCorps, was a target of the U.S. DOGE Service earlier this month as most staff have been placed on administrative leave, according to recent reporting by the Associated Press (AP).The move — seen by roughly two dozen states as a

Greystar hit with second lawsuit over alleged ‘junk fees’

Greystar Real Estate Partners, the nation’s largest residential property management firm, is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it imposed illegal and excessive fees on tenants across California.The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, accuses Gr

Pending home sales post strong gain in March but lag behind 2024 pace

Recent data hasn’t provided much optimism about the direction of the housing market, but one report suggests better conditions are on the way.The March reading of the Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) clocked in at 76.5, a 6.1% rise compared to February.

How Dean Clark built an 8-figure team working absentee owners (+ script)

Struggling to find a lucrative listings niche in 2025? You’re not alone. Listings (of any kind) seem even more out of reach for newer agents this year. Inventory is rising, sure, but sales are still sluggish. Then there’s the economy. We went from facing mild headwinds for the real estate market to

Real estate commissions are holding steady, but for how long?

Since the National Association of Realtors‘ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement took effect in August 2024, many real estate professionals have been asking, “Will our commissions change?” A new HousingWire survey of select residential real estate professionals offers the most comprehensive look yet

Will Trump install a shadow Fed president to get lower rates?

President Trump attacked Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell again at a rally on Tuesday and it made me think about another game plan Trump might have for Powell. Maybe the next stage is creating a shadow Fed president to undercut the Fed Chair.Last week, President Trump said he wouldn’t fire Pow

Homes.com grows with increased agent adoption, consumer demand

Homes.com continues to ascend and has become the second-largest residential real estate portal in the U.S., according to CoStar Group CEO Andy Florance, who shared insights during the company’s first-quarter 2025 earnings call on Tuesday.Backed by sharp increases in both traffic and agent participat