eXp’s next act: ‘Maximum optionality’ for agents and brokers says Leo Pareja

“Our first quarter results exceeded our revenue expectations as agent productivity continues to increase,” said Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty. eXp World Holdings reported strong first quarter results as the company continued to emphasize agent productivity and operational efficiency — while moving t

Kim Hoffman on leadership, AI and pushing beyond self-imposed limits

As part of HousingWire’s Editor’s Choice awards spotlight series, we’re spotlighting past Women of Influence honorees whose careers, leadership and insights continue to influence the industry. This series offers a closer look at the experiences and decisions that have shaped their paths. In this fea

Opinion: The CDFI Fund cut is the wrong answer to a real question

The administration has proposed cutting the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI) from $324 million to $119.5 million in fiscal 2027, a 63% reduction from the level Congress enacted for 2026. The justification centers on waste, fraud and abuse, along with a push to redirect capita

The new age of smart security: Top builder technology trends reshaping home safety

When I started in the security technology industry two decades ago, we were selling VCRs with tape-based recording systems that lasted less than a week before you had to swap out the cassette and write on it with a marker. That was only 23 years ago. The transformation from where I started to now is

The next phase of AI in homebuilding starts with connected data

Builders are entering 2026 with growing pressure to improve efficiency while navigating rising costs, affordability challenges and slower margin growth. In today’s competitive environment, the conversation around AI in homebuilding is shifting from broad experimentation to practical operational use

Positive housing demand leads to inventory almost going negative YOY

Housing data once again remained resilient last week even as mortgage rates are closer to yearly highs than lows, with demand hitting multiyear highs in our weekly pending home sales data. Housing isn’t booming by any means, but it’s holding up well considering all the drama we have had in 2026. Als

Realtor.com operator sees revenue rise 10% in News Corp’s Q3 earnings

Strong financial results for Realtor.com operator Move underscored solid earnings for Move parent company News Corp during the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended March 31. During the quarter, News Corp recorded a 9% annual increase in revenue to $2.19 billion, which it attributed to grow

AI agent aims to reshape how builders screen sites, spot deal risk

Warren Buffett, no stranger to the residential real estate business and to the incalculable role of homebuilding and development within it, is quoted as saying, “Valuing a business is part art and part science.” Buffett would appreciate the throughline from his broader mantra to its direct applicabi

Poll: Americans want Congress to act on lowering housing costs

Housing is a top political priority for Americans, and voters overwhelmingly support federal action to address housing affordability, according to a new poll from the Bipartisan Policy Center.  The poll found that 83% of voters believe that Congress should take action to make housing more affordable

Huntington & Ellis rolls out Smart by h&e to support agents in deals

Real estate firm Huntington & Ellis has launched Smart by h&e, a proprietary artificial intelligence platform built in-house to support agents across every stage of a real estate transaction, the company announced on Friday. The tool is trained on the brokerage’s internal standards, Nevada-specific

After pushback, New Hampshire course-corrects pro-housing laws

Last year, New Hampshire lawmakers jumped on the bandwagon of state legislatures targeting a worsening housing shortage by mandating that local governments permit multifamily housing in commercially zoned areas. The effort sought to boost housing supply and improve affordability by stripping away lo

Coldwell Banker names Mary Lee Blaylock president of affiliates

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has named veteran brokerage executive Mary Lee Blaylock president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, where she will oversee strategy, engagement, operations and growth for a network of about 93,000 agents across more than 50 countries and territories, the company announce

Benutech offers predictive analytics suite for agent and loan officer prospecting

Benutech has launched two predictive analytics products aimed at helping real estate agents and mortgage loan officers identify potential home sellers and refinance candidates before they enter the market. The products, SellScore and RefiScore, are available through the company’s TitleToolbox platfo

Roomvu expands AI marketing platform for agents

Roomvu, a platform for residential real estate agents and brokerages, announced an expansion of its Autonomous Visibility System, a tool designed to automate online marketing and content distribution for real estate professionals. The company said the updated system is intended to address challenges

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