CMLS warns pre marketing could fragment the housing market

The Council of MLS (CMLS), the trade organization for multiple listing services, is pushing back against the rhetoric currently circulating the housing industry that “sellers benefit when their listings are not broadly exposed, that listing brokerages have a fiduciary duty to withhold facts from oth

Century 21 CEO: Adding Latino agents is key to serving ‘70% of net new homebuyers’

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that 70% of net new homebuyers between now and 2050 will be Latino — a statistic that Century 21 CEO Mike Miedler said should guide recruiting efforts across the industry. “If we’re going to serve those communities, we also have to get more Hispanic real estate profes

Insurance is having a growing impact on condo affordability

On Wednesday, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac adopted extensive changes to their requirements for approvals of condominium projects that are eligible for their loan purchase.  The changes created more flexibility and affordability with respect to replacement cost and deductible requirements for condo ins

Regional markets back demand resilience as rate pressure builds

Regional market data is reinforcing the same story playing out nationally: Housing demand is holding up across major metros, even as mortgage rates move closer to levels that have historically pressured activity. That national backdrop remains surprisingly firm. Weekly pending sales rose to 71,230,

Antitrust lawsuit against NAR faces dismissal

A magistrate judge in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Florida, is recommending that the court dismiss the Zea antitrust lawsuit filed against the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and several local Realtor associations and MLSs.  Filed in August, the lawsuit claims that the defendants e

Former Fannie Mae CEO Hugh Frater joins Better board

Better Home & Finance Holding Co. announced Wednesday that it has appointed Hugh Frater, a founding partner of BlackRock and former CEO of Fannie Mae, to its board of directors as the company leans further into its Tinman AI mortgage platform. Frater, whose role became effective March 23, brings exp

TransUnion launches tool to bolster Realtor safety, fight fraud

As real estate professionals face growing threats from title fraud and in-person safety risks, TransUnion is introducing a mobile solution that consolidates tools for verifying identities and checking criminal backgrounds. TruLookup for Real Estate allows agents to validate property ownership, condu

States push back on buyer agreements as new laws challenge NAR rules

Mississippi has joined Alabama in creating a law that states that buyers agents and brokers are not required to obtain a signed buyer agency agreement prior to touring a property with a prospective buyer.  Earlier this month, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed Senate Bill 2713 into law. Under t

US Mortgage hit with class-action suit over May 2025 data breach

A former US Mortgage Corp. employee has filed a class-action complaint against the company following a data breach that occurred in May 2025, claiming that the incident could have been avoided if not for the company’s negligence. Richard Bernich, who brought the suit individually and on behalf of a

KB Home pivots to its build-to-order strengths, but not without risk

KB Home’s fiscal Q1 2026 results showed weaker revenue and margin performance alongside a strategic shift that management asserts will improve predictability and profitability later this year. Quarterly revenue was $1.08 billion, down nearly 23% year over year. The average selling price fell 3% sequ

One group drove U.S. homeownership gains in 2025 — and it wasn’t who you think

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) released its annual State of Hispanic Homeownership Report, revealing that Hispanic households added a net gain of 441,000 owner-households in 2025, the largest single-year increase since the U.S. Census Bureau began collecting

11 tips for pricing homes in a low-turnover market

Pricing a home is always a unique challenge for real estate agents, but it can be especially daunting in a low-turnover market. The current real estate turnover rate, or the rate at which homes change hands, is at its lowest rate in 30 years, according to a Redfin analysis. One of the main reasons i

How mentorship, not recruiting alone, builds strong loan officers 

Most mortgage companies have gotten very good at recruiting.  You can measure recruiting. You can count heads. You can show momentum on a spreadsheet and call it growth. Development is harder to quantify. It takes time, structure, and discipline, especially when the market is moving and everyone is

California MBA urges guardrails for bill targeting wildfire-related forbearance

The California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA) testified on March 20 before the California Assembly Banking & Finance Committee during an oversight hearing on California Assembly Bill 238, which focuses on the effectiveness of mortgage forbearance and the broader challenges facing homeowners aff

Howard Hanna settles homebuyer commission case as courtroom tensions escalate

Hanna Holdings, the parent company of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, has settled the homebuyer commission lawsuits.  In a filing in the Davis homebuyer commission lawsuit on Monday, attorneys for Hanna Holdings indicated that the company had reached a settlement agreement in the Tuccori home buy

Why modular construction fits high-cost custom markets

Modular and panelized construction – often positioned as a tool to expand the supply of affordable housing – is also gaining traction in the luxury, custom homebuilding market. At The SHIFT, a placemaking conference hosted by Tavistock Development Company earlier this month in Orlando, Florida, Plan

HUD launches probe into Washington state down payment assistance program

Washington state’s Covenant Homeownership Program is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over potential violations of the Fair Housing Act. HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) notified the Washington State Housing Finance Commission

Ownli expands to 43 states with commission-free home listing platform

Ownli has launched its real estate platform nationwide across 43 states, positioning its commission-free model as an alternative to current compensation fees, the company announced Tuesday. The Denver-based company said that as of March 1, 2026, its platform features more than 500,000 active propert

Missouri senator opens investigation into FICO’s mortgage credit score pricing

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has opened an investigation into Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO)’s pricing practices in the mortgage industry and is urging Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson to do the same. FICO dominates the credit scoring market for mortgage lenders, largely due to deca

The power of leading with influence in real estate sales

One truth stands clear: real estate sales are built on trust, not persuasion. Yet, many agents still wrestle with outdated sales tactics, focusing on pushing products rather than understanding client needs. The most successful agents, however, don’t sell at all. Instead, they lead with influence and