Does eXp’s NextHome deal signal a new brokerage trend?

The warmer weather and longer days are finally here and that means everyone is thinking about the hottest looks for summer. For real estate brokerage companies, it seems like the new must-have accessory for summer 2026 is a franchise operation.  On Thursday, a little over a week after The Real Broke

Real estate investor Jackie Coffey launches app targeting after-repair values

Real estate investor and educator Jackie Coffey has launched the Jackie The Happy Investor App, a web-based platform designed to help novice investors evaluate residential real estate deals without relying on access to a multiple listing service (MLS). Coffey posts investor content to an audience of

Innovation through mortgage advocacy: Why our industry needs to stop treating policy like background noise

The mortgage industry is very good at watching signals. We watch rates like hawks. We track consumer sentiment all day long. We buy tools to tell us when to lock, when to float, when to sell, when to hedge and when to blink.  We invest in technology to improve speed, accuracy and workflow. We spend

For solutions to the housing affordability crisis, we need to use every tool available

Across the country, roughly 65% of households are priced out of the median-priced new home. Incomes have not kept pace with elevated home prices and higher mortgage rates, putting homeownership further out of reach for millions of Americans. For those who can afford a new home, many don’t want to sp

Mortgage’s AI crisis is coming. The industry isn’t ready to talk about it.  

A borrower in forbearance gets the wrong information about their reinstatement options. It came from an automated servicing communication, routed through a system nobody fully owns and nobody fully monitors. By the time someone catches it, hundreds of borrowers have received the same message. Some a

Mario Alvarez Jr. brings $1B+ track record to eXp Commercial

eXp Commercial announced that Mario Alvarez Jr. has joined the firm. Alvarez brings more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate and more than $1 billion in career gross transaction volume, according to the company. He is based in southern California and is active across the Inland Emp

Rocket beats earnings guidance with strongest quarterly profit in four years

Rocket Companies reported its most profitable quarter in four years as artificial intelligence initiatives, a larger servicing portfolio and recent acquisitions helped the Detroit-based firm grow market share despite a choppy mortgage backdrop. The Detroit-based company reported net revenue of $2.94

Thomas James Homes’ new CEO details the firm’s go-forward plan

California-based Thomas James Homes (TJH) announced last week that Steve Schlageter has stepped up as the company’s new CEO, after joining the firm as COO in 2024.  The builder, known as the largest single-lot, infill homebuilder in the nation, was founded in 2006 in Southern California. Since then,

Homebuyer aid broadens to middle class amid price pressures

As mortgage rates and home prices continue to strain homebuyers, states are rapidly expanding programs aimed at making homeownership more affordable. Housing affordability pressures remain severe nationwide. As of May 1, the median price for a U.S. single-family home sat at $449,038, according to Ho

Sparks flare over Florida law to target idle golf courses for housing 

A bill overriding local zoning authority to allow housing on idle Southeast Florida golf courses drew little public attention during Florida’s legislative session. When the Infill Redevelopment Act passed, warnings over problems it could cause bubbled up, but only in limited circles. It passed in Ma

How Captions turned busy real estate agents into AI video creators

For many real estate agents, creating polished video content once required expensive equipment, editing expertise or hiring outside production teams. But Mirage, an AI-driven, on-demand video production company, is helping to make these hurdles a relic of the past. CEO and co-founder Gaurav Misra sa

OneTrust reverse mortgage leader Gabe Bodner on personal branding tactics

At this week’s Reverse Mastermind Summit in Tennessee, Gabe Bodner of OneTrust Home Loans gave a detailed presentation on how reverse mortgage originators can achieve better marketing results. A key takeaway is that loan officers need to build a support system for these tasks rather than trying to g

April 2026 Austin Single-Family Housing Market Update

  Intro Austin’s April 2026 single-family housing market showed signs of balance, with steady closed sales, higher available inventory, and more room for negotiation than buyers saw during the most competitive years. Closed sales remained solid at 807, but with 2,979 active listings and about 3.7 mo

Women take the leadership reins at Reverse Mastermind Summit

Three women with prominent roles in the reverse mortgage industry took the stage Tuesday at the Reverse Mastermind Summit in Knoxville, Tennessee, sharing personal stories while converging on sales advice around the power of narrative, the importance of relationships with financial planners and the

HomeServices names Jason Waugh as next HSF Affiliates CEO

HomeServices of America has named industry veteran Jason Waugh as successor to HSF Affiliates CEO Vince Leisey, with a leadership transition expected to begin in 2027, the company announced Wednesday. HSF Affiliates is the franchisor of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices real estate network, which

State zoning preemption tested as Colorado lot bills fail

After years of pushing housing affordability reforms, Colorado legislators hit a wall — crashing up against the limits of how much zoning control they could strip from local governments. This year, they sought to require most cities to allow single-family homes on lots as small as 2,000 square feet,

NAR says policies already align with new HUD stance on sharing school, crime data

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says its existing policies already align with new federal guidance allowing agents to discuss neighborhood crime rates and school quality without violating the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition on racial steering. The Department of Housing and Urban Developmen

Millrose Properties one-year report card, Q1 2026 earnings

A year ago, when Lennar completed the spin-off of Millrose Properties into a standalone, publicly traded REIT, the sheer size, root motivation and the complex nature of the pivot ushered in an era of land-banking unlike any before. Global capital asset managers followed suit. Land-banking and asset-

Zillow bets on pre-marketing to unlock new growth

Zillow Group started off 2026 with a strong financial performance in the first quarter of the year, recording an 18% annual increase in revenue to $708 million and a net income of $46 million, up from $8 million in Q1 2025.  Chief financial officer Jeremy Hofmann attributes this strong performance t

Compass International Holdings names president of integrated services

Compass International Holdings has appointed a longtime executive to lead its integrated services division. Cory Perkins will oversee the unit, which focuses on combining services such as title, escrow and other transaction support into a more unified platform. The appointment follows the planned re