Titl raises $2.5M to expand title automation technology

Titl, a technology company focused on automating title verification, has raised $2.5 million in seed funding to expand beyond Florida and increase operations nationwide. The round was led by Cofounders Capital and FIT Ventures — with funds supporting expansion into Georgia, Maryland and Connecticut

Real estate public speaking help offered in new platform founded by real estate team leader

A new professional development program aimed at preparing experienced real estate professionals for public speaking roles has begun a soft launch. The Industry Speaks Academy was created to help real estate professionals develop skills needed to participate effectively on conference stages, panel di

Top New Jersey team launches boutique firm at Side

A top-producing New Jersey team is making the move to Side. The Long Beach Island-based Freeman Group announced Wednesday that it was leaving REMAX at Barnegat Bay to launch a boutique firm, Freeman & Company, at Side.  The six-person team is led by owner and managing partner Edward Freeman. In laun

Lower mortgage rates support steady new home sales

After a long delay caused by the government shutdown, we finally have a new home sales report for October! The report shows that lower mortgage rates, which are now moving toward 6%, are helping to keep new home sales steady, similar to what we see in the existing home sales market. New home sales a

Cost of retirement comfort soars, leaving most far short

Retirement is widely portrayed as the reward for decades of work, but many Americans who have already stopped working say that promise is slipping out of reach. Rising costs and inadequate savings are reshaping expectations — and fueling fears — about life after work, according to findings from a re

Builders greet 2026 squeezed by policy flux and margin erosion

By the time the homebuilding industry reaches Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8, the stakes will be unmistakable. That date marks more than the unofficial kickoff to Spring Selling Season, for U.S. homebuilders large and small. It signals the point at which months of price capitulation, incentive laye

NAMB urges FHA to end lifetime mortgage insurance rule

The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) is urging the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to end its “life of loan” mortgage insurance rule and let borrowers cancel premiums once they’ve paid down their loan to 78% of their home’s value. NAMB believes the policy is outdated and unfair.

Luxury Presence raises $37M to push CRM platform development

Luxury Presence has raised $22 million in a Series C equity financing round, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, and secured an additional $15 million in debt financing from J.P. Morgan. New funding will support development of Luxury Presence’s new artificial intelligence (AI)–driven customer relation

Top Houston agent leaves Compass for Douglas Elliman

Douglas Elliman has gained a top producing agent in Houston. On Tuesday, Dana Johnson announced that she was leaving Compass after six years to join Douglas Elliman. Johnson’s announcement comes less than a week after Compass announced it had closed its acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate.  “At this

Max Stokes splits from Fox & Stokes to launch N.J. Compass team

As Compass finalizes its $1.6 billion merger with Anywhere, one of North Jersey’s most closely watched luxury real estate teams is undergoing a major transition. Max Stokes — a founding principal of Compass’ Ridgewood, N.J., office and a top-producing agent in Bergen County — is splitting from the F

Engel & Völkers gains top California team from Sotheby’s

One of Sotheby’s International Realty’s top luxury teams is making the move over to Engel & Völkers. On Tuesday, Truszkowski Freedman & Associates announced its departure from Sotheby’s, an Anywhere brand that is now owned by Compass.  The team, which is based on California’s Monterey Peninsula, is

Lawmakers move to restrict private listings in Washington

Lawmakers in Washington state are weighing in on the real estate industry’s private listing debate. On Monday, state legislators introduced a bill that seeks to amend an existing state statute related to real estate licensing laws by restricting the use of private listing networks in the state. The

House bill seeks higher VA loan fees to fund veterans’ benefits

Mortgage trade groups are closely monitoring a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would raise fees on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mortgages to help fund other veterans’ benefits.The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025 (H.R. 6047) — introduced

U.S. housing inventory growth slows to 10% as demand reshapes the 2026 market

Housing inventory growth has slowed from 33% year over year in mid-2025 to 10.0% today. The cooling marks the clearest end to the supply-shortage era and the beginning of a market where pricing power will be determined more by demand strength, rates and buyer behavior than scarcity alone. As Housing

Skyrocketing health care costs threaten early retirement

Skyrocketing health care costs are threatening early retirement dreams for millions of Americans. Enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies expired at the end of 2025 — leaving 24 million people facing a sharp rise in health insurance costs unless Congress acts. Middle-income Americans ages 50 to

QXO announces additional $1.8 billion raise for deal war chest

QXO today announced an additional funding round to support its next acquisition(s), as the firm aims to disrupt and consolidate the highly fragmented $800 billion building products industry.  The company’s $1.2 billion investment made public last week now totals $3 billion, with an additional $1.8 b

Merger forms largest Arizona REMAX brokerage

REMAX Fine Properties and REMAX Professionals have merged to form the largest REMAX brokerage in Arizona. Combined operations will work under the REMAX Fine Properties name and maintain nine offices across the state. The brokerage now includes roughly 350 affiliated real estate professionals, accord

Justin Demola joins Equifax as SVP of mortgage and housing

Justin Demola announced via social media on Monday that he’s joining consumer credit reporting agency Equifax as its senior vice president of mortgage and housing. Demola, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s resident Certified Mortgage Banker instructor, shared the career move on LinkedIn. He also se

Midwest housing markets coming in hot for 2026

As the housing market moves into 2026, competition remains intense in many parts of the country — especially in smaller metros where inventory is critically low. New findings from HW Data based on supply, pricing and buyer activity show that demand for single-family homes continues to far outpace av

Mamdani notches a loss in opening gambit to take on NYC landlords

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani suffered defeat in his first skirmish with multifamily property owners as part of a strategic war to remake the city’s rent-stabilized housing.​ On Friday, Summit Properties USA became the winning bidder for more than 5,000 rent-regulated units owned by bankrupt Pi