UWM adds VantageScore alongside FICO for conventional loans

United Wholesale Mortgage announced Wednesday that independent mortgage brokers working with UWM can now access both FICO and VantageScore credit scoring models for conventional loans, a move aimed at giving brokers more flexibility when evaluating borrowers. In a press release, the Michigan-based l

ERA Real Estate affiliates form new billion-dollar-plus partnership in California

Real Estate Experts ERA Powered has entered into a strategic partnership with Legacy Real Estate & Associates, which will operate under the name Legacy Real Estate Experts ERA Powered, expanding its presence across the San Francisco Bay area. The combined California organization includes more than 3

Housing starts overachieved in March amid warning signs aplenty

Housing starts spiked in March to their highest point in more than a year, but economists caution that this increase is likely temporary as ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty roil a near- and mid-term outlook.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s new residential construction data releas

CoStar Group, Homes.com surge in Q1 — CEO welcomes end of activist ‘distraction’

CoStar Group delivered its 60th consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth in the first three months of 2026, posting results at the high end of guidance and raising its profit outlook for the year. The online real estate marketplace operator reported $897 million in revenue for the quarter

Figure’s Michael Tannenbaum warns rush to adopt AI could accelerate poor mortgage processes

The mortgage industry’s rush toward the adoption and use of artificial intelligence could risk the acceleration of inefficient processes unless lenders first modernize the underlying infrastructure powering loan origination and securitization. That’s according to Figure Technology Solutions CEO Mich

Nykia Wright outlines NAR transparency and antitrust reset

When Nykia Wright was named permanent CEO of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in August 2024, she was tasked with righting a ship, which in her opinion had “lost its way.” “What we are trying to do is get that confidence back and the only way to do that is to be transparent,” Wright told a

HUD proposes rollback of equal access rule protections

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed rolling back protections for gender identity and sexual orientation in nearly 50 housing regulations, a move that is drawing criticism from affordable housing advocates who say the changes could further marginalize vulnerable co

Everything we know about Real’s REMAX acquisition and the shift to tech-driven consolidation

The planned acquisition of REMAX Holdings by The Real Brokerage is set to reshape the residential real estate landscape, combining a fast-growing, cloud-based brokerage with one of the industry’s largest global franchise networks. Valued at roughly $880 million including debt, the deal will create a

The Gathering: Sue Yannaccone says scale can be a ‘super power’ as brokerages consolidate

As the real estate brokerage space continues to consolidate, creating large national firms with massive scale, critics have claimed this move will lead to a homogenization of formerly disparate brands.  However, Sue Yannaccone, who was recently promoted to chief operations officer of Compass Interna

CrossCountry raises bid for Two Harbors after rival offer from UWM

UWM Holding Corp. may not win the bid to acquire Two Harbors Investment Corp., but an unsolicited proposal for the real estate investment trust just forced CrossCountry Intermediate Holdco to raise its offering. Two Harbors announced Tuesday that it amended its merger agreement to increase the all-c

KW’s Sandra Howard: Why tough markets expose weak branding and how to prevent strategic drift

Companies that stay grounded in a clear identity are better positioned to make smart decisions than those that chase every new trend, said Keller Williams executive Sandra Howard — speaking at HousingWire’s The Gathering in Austin, Texas. Addressing an audience of real estate and mortgage leaders, s

Bill targets Social Security earnings limits as retirement trends shift

A proposal in Congress to eliminate a rule that reduces Social Security benefits for working retirees comes as more Americans rethink what retirement looks like and opt for flexible, phased transitions instead of a hard stop. The Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act, introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R

The Gathering 2026: Mortgage execs debate the hidden risks of credit score reform

Mortgage industry executives say the shift to new credit score models and lender choice could raise mortgage delinquencies, reshape pricing grids at the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and ultimately push costs back onto borrowers, even if the costs for scores fall on the front end. U.S. Dep

Reside outlines growth strategy at first event since acquisition

The recent Reside Oceanside Mastermind Conference in Florida marked the first major in-person gathering for the brokerage-agnostic coaching platform since it was acquired by Robert Palmer — who leads LPT Realty and its parent LPT Aperture Holdings. Attendees included team leaders, coaches and broker

LPT Realty’s Robert Palmer: ‘We run the brokerage like a business instead of as a loss leader’

LPT Realty founder and CEO Robert Palmer took the stage Tuesday at HousingWire’s The Gathering in Austin, Texas — outlining growth strategy built on team empowerment, agent retention and a deliberate separation from mortgage origination. Palmer, who spent roughly 20 years in the mortgage business, h

Keller Williams names Christopher Brodhead chief revenue officer

Keller Williams Realty has hired Christopher Brodhead as chief revenue officer, a new role that will oversee revenue growth strategy across the real estate franchise’s ecosystem, according to an announcement on Tuesday In this role Brodhead will be responsible for aligning Keller Williams’ revenue-d

HUD rescinds energy rule for new construction, opening market to more FHA, USDA buyers

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner said the agency is rescinding energy-efficiency requirements tied to loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Turner announced the move Tuesday at HousingWire’s Th

Case-Shiller: Home price growth remained slow in February

The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index rose just 0.7% year-over-year in February, down from 0.8% in January. For the ninth consecutive month, inflation outpaced home price appreciation. Consumer prices rose 2.4% — leaving any housing gain deep in negative territory in real terms.  Chicago le

Rethinking the CRM: How Sure Send is redefining daily execution for modern real estate and lending teams

For years, CRM platforms have been positioned as the backbone of productivity for loan originators, agents and sales teams. However, in practice, many have failed to evolve beyond static databases, becoming repositories of stale contacts rather than true systems of execution. As teams scale and pipe

The infrastructure cost squeeze and what builders can do

Infrastructure costs and impact fees remain the persistent financial burdens in residential development. Site grading, roads, water systems, sewer lines, drainage, utilities and development impact fees are rising faster than home prices can absorb them. For builders operating on already compressed m