CoStar amicus brief denied in Zillow MRED Compass case

CoStar’s attempt to enter the ongoing legal battle among Zillow, Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) and Compass International Holdings has been denied.  In a ruling on Tuesday, Illinois-based federal judge John Tharp denied CoStar’s motion to file an amicus curiae brief. No reason for the judge’s denia

Social Security funding gap widens in 2026 trustees report

Social Security’s long-term financial outlook deteriorated significantly in the latest annual report from the program’s trustees, with officials projecting a larger funding shortfall and an earlier depletion date for the retirement trust fund. The 2026 Trustees Report estimates Social Security‘s 75-

When will home sales finally return to normal?

The real estate industry is still reeling from four years of desperately slow home sales. The transaction is the unit upon which everyone gets paid. Whether sale commission, mortgage origination, insurance, movers, appliances or furniture — everything happens when the house is bought. Four years aft

Project NexusRE adds governance layer for MLS data and AI use

NorthstarMLS and REcore Solutions, along with the WAV Group’s Fluente AI team have unveiled Project NexusRE, a patent-pending infrastructure layer intended to give multiple listing services (MLS) and brokers more visibility and control over how listing data is accessed, used and monetized by artific

The financing gap that keeps starter homes out of reach

I launched a condo conversion community recently. Units priced between $90,000 and $140,000. Sold six in the first week. Five of the six were seller-financed. Not because the buyers preferred it. Because conventional lenders couldn’t touch them. FHA couldn’t touch them. These were people with real i

What mortgage professionals need to know about reverse mortgages

As America’s population ages, a growing number of homeowners are entering retirement with substantial housing wealth and new questions about how to use it. For mortgage professionals, that shift is creating opportunities to have broader conversations about housing wealth, cash flow and long-term fin

Fresh off seed round, BrokerBot eyes next phase of brokerage automation

For many real estate brokers, the daily barrage of agent questions — “Where’s the W-9?,” or, “What’s our commission split again?” — adds up to dozens of hours each month, often interrupting nights and weekends. BrokerBot, the artificial intelligence (AI) teammate platform built by Ribera AI, Inc. an

Why more private homebuilders face a succession test now

A succession challenge homebuilding can no longer ignore A second U.S. President in a row to serve past the age of 80 is in the Oval Office. Whether spoken or not, succession, or rather a sound strategic, operational and organizational cultural plan for it, is on the minds of many.  It’s the same in

Zillow investor sues over Redfin rental syndication deal

Zillow is facing yet another lawsuit related to its multifamily rental syndication deal with Redfin, first announced in February 2025. The listing portal giant is already facing a legal challenge from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and attorneys general in five states, who are claiming that the

Saluda Grade brushes off macro concerns to bet on home equity resilience

Alternative investment firm Saluda Grade doesn’t see the interest rate environment or the current signals of consumer financial stress taking the shine off home equity assets anytime soon. “What we’re focused on is 75% of homeowners today with a mortgage have a rate that is still out of the money —

Why hazard insurance is becoming a housing market constraint

The U.S. needs a new strategy to address the significant recovery costs following large-scale disasters  Disasters such as fires, floods and tornadoes are striking a widening geographic area across our country, and their frequency appears to be rising. The cobbled-together framework of consumers’ ha

HECM for Purchase has been grounded. Reverse mortgage pros are trying to give it wings

Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) have long been the gold standard product set for reverse mortgage originators, but they became a minority share of the market earlier this year as proprietary loan volume exceeded HECM volume in the first quarter of 2026. While private-label reverse mortgages

Jessica Edgerton’s plan for CMLS amid MLS uncertainty

Jessica Edgerton is taking the reins of the Council of MLSs (CMLS) at a time when the industry is grappling with countless questions regarding its purpose, identity and future utility. And while this may cause some to high tail it in the opposite direction, Edgerton said this is exactly why she deci

Tepid spring selling, strong headwinds buffet builder confidence

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index released on Monday found that homebuilder confidence remained low, falling two points to 35 in June. This marked the 14th straight month that confidence was below 40, the longest streak NAHB has recorded since 2011 to

Tribal knowledge built this business. It can’t carry it.

Most people working in the mortgage industry today couldn’t pass a basic exam on the industry they work in. I was guilty of that myself, for my first several years originating loans. For me, it wasn’t because I didn’t have the aptitude or didn’t care. I cared, but about the things I knew would benef

The timing tax: How America’s rent calendar punishes the workers it should protect

Every month, tens of millions of American renters face a structural problem disguised as a personal one: rent is due on the first. But most workers are not paid on the first – and many don’t know how much they’ll be paid until the check arrives. In surveys of renters using payment flexibility tools,

Why your best agents leave (and the conversations you should be having now)

Top producers rarely leave for the reason they put in the resignation email. “Better splits” is the polite exit line. The real reasons are quieter, gradual and, frustratingly, often completely avoidable. Here’s what’s actually driving your best agents out the door and the real estate agent retention

How much will mortgage rates fall with the Iran deal and Fed week?

What a crazy weekend: we had the NBA finals, a possible legit deal with Iran and we are all getting ready for Fed week with Kevin Warsh as the new Fed Chair. But the main question is: will mortgage rates get better now? On Sunday, President Trump announced that a deal had been agreed to and that it

Why housing demand is up and inventory is down in 2026

One year ago, I talked about how we were about to see a positive shift in the housing market, and with our weekly Housing Market Tracker articles and podcast, I’ve made sure to explain what has really been going on in the housing market since then and what hasn’t. As we sit here on a glorious weeken

HUD would permit multi-story manufactured homes without a permanent chassis

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a document with a proposed rule aimed at spurring more multi-story manufactured housing supply.  The rule would expand the definition of a manufactured home and support multi-story manufactured housing construction. It w