CMLS, this one is for you: Build the alliance now or watch Compass build it instead

In the next four months, CMLS leadership has the opportunity to convene the MLS-controlled national alliance the industry needs. The 2026 Board of Directors is in place under Chair Nicole Jensen of realMLS and Vice Chair Justin Haag of Northwest MLS, taking the helm at what WAV Group described as on

Smartfi offers 50-bps reverse mortgage discount for veterans

A new offering from Smartfi Home Loans is aimed at expanding benefits for veteran homeowners through a lower interest rate on its proprietary reverse mortgage product. In honor of Memorial Day, the company this week launched Choice Service, an enhancement to Smartfi Choice, the company’s proprietary

MISMO white paper details path to standardize mortgage fee descriptions

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO) on Tuesday announced the publication of a new white paper, “Fee Standardization in the Mortgage Industry,” outlining how its consumer-facing charge and fee guide can improve consistency and reduce costs tied to mortgage fee disclosures

2026 GameChanger: REMAX Select credits collaboration for transaction side growth

Despite business practice changes, a housing market slow, stubbornly high mortgage rates and continued housing affordability challenges, REMAX Select and REMAX Select Partners grew transaction sides by 67% between 2021 and 2025. This growth, which included 7,005 transaction sides in 2025 alone, earn

Leading beyond the process: Dawn Kernicky on mentorship, adaptability and customer empathy

As part of HousingWire’s Editor’s Choice awards spotlight series, we’re spotlighting past Women of Influence honorees whose careers, leadership and insights continue to influence the industry. This series offers a closer look at the experiences and decisions that have shaped their paths. HousingWire

How Sunlife Homes jump-started in one of the U.S.’s toughest arenas

Sunlife Homes, despite kickstarting operations during the economically wobbly and environmentally volatile pandemic era in Southwest Florida, operated among the fastest-growing homebuilders in the nation last year.  The company ranked 11th fastest-growing builder in the 2025 HousingWire Homebuilder

Unanswered calls are costing real estate agents closings

Ask any real estate agent what threatens their business, and they’ll mention market slowdowns, rising interest rates or fierce competition from other agents. Rarely will they mention the one problem that quietly costs them commissions every single week — unanswered phone calls and slow response time

Mortgage lock-in has become life lock-in 

The housing market has spent three years talking about one number: the mortgage rate. That makes sense. The mortgage rate matters. It decides the monthly payment. It decides who can buy, who can refinance, who can move and who has to wait. But the lock-in has lasted long enough that the rate is no l

Homebuilders adopt disciplined growth strategies as market pressures reshape housing in 2026

Elevated mortgage rates, affordability pressures and economic uncertainty continue to shape the housing market in 2026, prompting homebuilders to adopt a more disciplined operating approach. Across the industry, builders are refining product mix, tightening inventory levels and pursuing strategic ho

What happens to mortgage rates if the Iran conflict is over?

Though there is still a lot of uncertainty, it looks like we could have an actual end to the Iran conflict as tankers are starting to move through the Strait of Hormuz. If we don’t have to worry about oil prices getting much higher for longer, what are the implications for mortgage rates? And what h

Clients are interviewing real estate agents differently. Here’s what they’re really looking for

There’s been a noticeable shift in how clients approach this business. Buyers and sellers aren’t just hiring agents anymore. They’re vetting them more carefully, asking sharper questions and paying closer attention to how you show up before, during, and after the transaction. The dynamic has flipped

New federal funding a mixed bag for housing programs

U.S. House appropriators unveiled a fiscal 2027 spending bill that includes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with proposed cuts drawing criticism from housing advocates. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations (THUD) Act, 2027, appr

Meet the AI platform giving every agent a personal coach

For some real estate brokers and team leaders, coaching can be difficult to scale. Individual coaching offers more personalized guidance but can be costly, while group training reaches more agents but may not address each agent’s specific needs. Phillip Gagnon, founder and CEO of broker management p

Atlas VMS’s Erik Morin on HECM second appraisals, AIM-Port acquisition

Like other segments of the broader housing industry, the appraisal space is rapidly evolving through consolidation, technology adoption and federal policy shifts. Reverse mortgage professionals should be mindful of these factors as they work with appraisers to close deals. Erik Morin, CEO of Miami-b

Your LOS has 300 integrations. That’s the problem.

For years, the mortgage industry wore integrations like a badge of honor. Legacy loan origination systems have hundreds of them, connecting to every vendor, service provider and data source imaginable. The more, the merrier. Sounds impressive? Look closer. Think about the incentives. For a service p

Housing demand stays firm, pushing inventory close to negative YOY

It’s been a day full of news about a possible peace deal with Iran, which would be great news for housing. However, even though mortgage rates have risen due to the conflict lasting longer than anyone initially thought, housing demand has held up, and housing inventory is now on the verge of going n

As HEI regulations expand, states debate loan classification

As states take varying approaches to regulating home equity investment (HEI) products, the industry faces an increasingly fragmented legal landscape shaped by consumer protection concerns and uncertainty over whether the products should be treated as mortgage loans. Under an HEI, homeowners receive

HouseAmerica Financial joins All Western Mortgage 

National mortgage banking company All Western Mortgage (AWM) announced on Thursday that HouseAmerica Financial has joined the company as it continues its national expansion. HouseAmerica Financial, based in La Cañada, California, produces about $500 million annually in mortgage volume, according to

House passes bill hiking VA mortgage refi fees to fund expanded veterans’ benefits

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that increases benefits for veterans and their surviving families, offsetting the cost by raising fees on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) refinance transactions. The legislation — H.R. 6047, also known as the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmu

Judge orders MRED to restore Zillow listing feeds in Chicago

Chicagoland area listings are back on Zillow and Trulia as of Friday afternoon, after Chicago-based federal Judge John Tharp, Jr. granted in part Zillow’s preliminary injunction motion seeking to prevent Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) from suspending its listing feeds.  On Monday, Zillow filed the