Windermere’s OB Jacobi on real estate industry divides, smart leadership

On the newest episode of the RealTrending podcast, host Tracey Velt sits down with OB Jacobi, co-president of Windermere Real Estate, to discuss the evolving role of multiple listing services (MLSs) and the ripple effects from recent changes to the National Association of Realtors’ Clear Cooperation

House to hold key session on trigger leads bill in May

The federal trigger leads bill advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives after being officially noticed during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions on Tuesday.The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act is expected to be considered during a markup session on May 20 — a process that

As the Clear Cooperation debate heats up, two new platforms look to revamp the listing process

In addition to dividing the real estate industry, the debate over the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) is highlighting the different desires home sellers may have when it comes to marketing their properties. Unlist and Off-Markt are two firms that utilize different strategies as they look to capitaliz

NRMLA co-chairs offer industry advocacy update

Kicking off the first 2025 event held by the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Tuesday morning in Irvine, Calif., the association’s co-chairs offered an update on the industry’s advocacy efforts.Mike Kent and Jim Cory – SVP of corporate development and industry relations at Liber

Texas bill aims to eliminate NAR speech code

A recently introduced bill in Texas seeks to eliminate the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) speech code within the state and to bar any other trade associations from taking similar action.Texas S.B. 2713, introduced by Mayes Middleton (R), explicitly bans any trade association from “denying a

Keller Williams CEO Chris Czarnecki on what’s next after Stone Point investment

When Chris Czarnecki stepped into the Family Reunion event earlier this year, he knew Keller Williams’ culture was strong. Experiencing it firsthand confirmed what he had hoped for — a deep agent-first mindset that he believes will power the company’s next phase of growth.In his first in-person inte

Mortgage rates cool down as the spring housing market marches on

Mortgage market conditions have improved slightly as the calendar is set to flip to May, but anyone expecting sub-6% rates at the start of the year will be disappointed.Data at HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center on Tuesday showed that 30-year and 15-year conforming rates were averaging 6.95% and 6.

Appeals court restores ban on CFPB mass layoffs

A U.S. appeals court on Monday restored a temporary block on mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, allowing employees to keep their jobs for the time being despite the Trump administration’s plan to cut the agency’s staff by 90%.On Monday, Judges Cornelia Pillard and Gregory Kats

Foreclosure auctions rise in Q1 after VA moratorium expires

Foreclosure auction activity across the U.S. rose to a six-quarter high during the first three months of 2025, fueled by a surge in properties that hit the market after the expiration of post-pandemic protections, according to a report from Auction.com.Completed foreclosure auctions were up 20% from

RE/MAX hires Daniel Dennis as SVP of sales and service

Daniel Dennis, a longtime real estate executive with nearly two decades of leadership experience, has been named senior vice president of sales and service at RE/MAX, the company announced Monday.In his new role, Dennis will oversee sales and support services for brokerages in company-owned regions

‘Are you kidding me?’ Real estate industry reacts to Compass-NWMLS lawsuit

After weeks of buildup, it felt like only a matter of time before Compass would file a lawsuit against Northwest MLS (NWMLS) over the latter’s Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP). On Friday, the wait ended as Compass filed an antitrust suit against NWMLS. The filing includes alleged violations of the She

Easter-driven home sales dip masks recent growth

Last week’s pending home sales slipped to 68,000 single-family contracts — an expected Easter holiday lull that marks the first sub-2024 weekly tally in six weeks. Buyers remain mortgage rate-sensitive, of course. April’s tariff-fueled spike in U.S. Treasury yields pushed borrowing costs higher, but

Longbridge’s Melissa Macerato on the impact of new proprietary product

It’s a busy time to be in the proprietary reverse mortgage space, with new and relaunched products hitting the market and other additional features being added to existing product catalogs. Earlier this month, Longbridge Financial announced the addition of Platinum Peak, a new variation of its priva

VantageScore mortgage usage plunged 42% in 2024

VantageScore credit score usage by the mortgage industry dropped in 2024, ahead of widespread changes expected in credit reporting in the coming years. The decline was due to overall market conditions and a spike in portfolio analysis conducted by the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) in the p

South Carolina social work researchers focus on aging-in-place technology

In an effort to provide options for older Americans who want to avoid costly congregate care facilities and intend to age in place, social work researchers at the University of South Carolina will use federal grant dollars to assess the effectiveness of remote home monitoring systems for people who

HUD approves North Carolina’s $1.4B Helene action plan

Following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene last year, a recovery action plan needed to access more than $1 billion in federal assistance has been approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the office of North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) announced on Friday.Th

FHA walks back Biden-era restrictions on foreclosed property sales

In walking back policies designed to boost participation in foreclosed property sales for nonprofit and government bodies, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) said that policies put in place in 2022 that restrict certain sales to these entities for a 30-day period have produced “mixed results a

Peeking into Pennymac’s ‘aggressive’ goal to double broker market share by 2026

During last week’s earnings call, PennyMac Financial Services chairman and CEO David Spector said during a Q&A with investors and analysts that the company’s goals include continued growth in its broker direct channel and 10% market share by the end of 2026 — a goal of more than 100% growth over the

Mortgage rates settle down after wild ride

Since President Trump’s Liberation Day on April 2, mortgage rates, the 10-year yield and mortgage spreads have been on a wild ride. It’s been so wild that the low end of my 2025 10-year yield forecast range of 4.70-3.80% for 2025 was almost officially met. However, last week, mortgage rates and the

Compass files an antitrust suit against NWMLS over its CCP

The other shoe has finally dropped. After weeks of back and forth online, Compass filed an federal antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle against Northwest MLS (NWMLS) over NWMLS’s Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) on Friday.NWMLS is a broker-owned MLS, rather than owned by the Realtor ass