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

Housing needs a fifth place. It’s how builders design belonging

Let me say something that might make a few developers roll their eyes so hard they pull a muscle. Housing needs a fifth place. Not another splash pad. Not another pickleball court. Not another “resort-style amenity center” with furniture nobody uses. A fifth place. Here’s a quick tutorial on Ray Old

Hail risk to homes is on par on with major hurricane threats

More than 43.5 million U.S. properties are at moderate or greater risk from hail damage, representing about $17.84 trillion in reconstruction cost value, according to Cotality’s 2026 Severe Convective Storm Risk Report released Tuesday. The report finds that hailstorms are emerging as one of the mos

The mortgage industry built a sales infrastructure. It now needs a navigation infrastructure

Incentives have always driven mortgage lending. Loan officers originate loans. Lenders compete for production. Borrowers search for the lowest available rate. Regulators work to ensure fairness across the process. Over time, these competing forces produced a complex economic architecture designed to

Trump’s AI policy framework calls for single federal standard

The Trump administration on Friday issued a “comprehensive national legislative framework” regarding artificial intelligence (AI) policy, aimed at boosting U.S. innovation while protecting consumers, children and national security. The proposal outlines six broad priorities aimed at positioning the

Rekindling urgency: A Spring Selling 2026 homebuilders elegy

Show of hands. Who among us has purchased a home to live in – any home, in any place, at any price – without feeling at some point like we were on an emotional roller coaster? Anybody? Buying a home is one of those acts few would call entirely rational. For most of us, it is a leap. A stretch. It’s

National Land Realty rolls out tiered commission model aimed at boosting agent earnings

National Land Realty has introduced a new commission structure that lets land brokers and agents choose from three different plans, including an option that allows top producers to scale up to a 100% commission split, the company announced March 31. The Greenville, South Carolina-based land brokerag

Stockton Mortgage denies accessing former employees’ email accounts

Kentucky-based Stockton Mortgage fired back against two former employees’ claims that the company accessed their personal email accounts multiple times in 2025 and used the messages in separate litigation. Two former loan officers, Christopher Hoehn and Ashley Hoehn, filed a complaint last week in t

Rocket offers voluntary employee buyouts after Mr. Cooper, Redfin acquisitions

Detroit-based Rocket Companies is offering voluntary separation packages to some employees as part of its consolidation following last year’s acquisitions of Mr. Cooper Group and Redfin.“Rocket, Mr. Cooper and Redfin share a vision of a stronger, more connected homeownership platform built for long-

Real estate agents: The pricing conversation has changed — have you?

Here’s a truth that’s going to sting a little: if you’re still walking into listing appointments armed with the same pricing presentation you used in 2021, you’re bringing a butter knife to a sword fight. The market has fundamentally shifted, and the agents who haven’t shifted with it are watching l

Groundworks aims to train 5,000 trade frontliners to meet repair crisis

Groundworks, a large foundation repair and water management contractor, plans to create 5,000 skilled trades jobs over the next five years as demand for structural and moisture remediation grows across the aging U.S. housing stock, the company said. The Virginia Beach, Virginia-based firm, which ope

Rep. Swalwell drops privacy lawsuit against FHFA’s Pulte

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has dropped a lawsuit that accused Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte of violating federal privacy laws. The parties agreed to the “dismissal of this action without prejudice, with each side bearing its own fees and costs,” according to court

Fidelity’s 2026 retirement study shows shift to gig work, delayed retirement amid inflation

Rising costs of living and debt are pushing many Americans to rethink retirement as a flexible, phased transition, with 72% now expecting to retire on their own terms, according to Fidelity Investments’ 2026 State of Retirement Planning Study. The study, released last week and conducted annually sin