Engel & Volkers: Next generation of luxury homebuyers ready to make their mark

Engel & Völkers has released a new report examining how high-earning young adults are influencing the luxury housing market in North America. The report, titled “The New HENRYs: How the Next Generation Is Shaping Luxury Real Estate,” analyzes homeownership and purchasing behavior among individuals c

Baird & Warner launches AI social media assistant

Baird & Warner has launched a customized social media marketing assistant for its agents through an exclusive agreement with Rejig.AI in the Chicagoland market. The artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform was rolled out companywide on Tuesday under a one-year exclusive agreement, according to

Here’s what will actually move the needle on housing affordability

Housing affordability continues to dominate the headlines, but most proposed “solutions” rely on assumptions that are either unlikely or insufficient on their own. Falling interest rates, off-site construction, government subsidies and value engineering all play a role. None of them – individually o

Portland tests PadSplit model to ease inventory, affordability crunch

The City of Portland, Oregon, has tapped PadSplit as a Qualified Home Sharing Provider for its new Home Sharing Pilot Program — marking the first time a municipality has formally partnered with the company and attached direct financial incentives to participation. Launched by the Portland Housing Bu

Florida’s Sandra Rathe Team joins The Real Brokerage

The Real Brokerage has brought on RealTrends Verified-ranked The Sandra Rathe Team, adding 20 agents and $135 million in annual sales volume across South Florida. Led by Sandra Rathe and founded in 2009, the team operates in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The group closed 220 sides in

HECM, HMBS activity falls sharply in February

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements fell sharply in February, continuing a broader slowdown in the reverse mortgage industry. The total number of HECMs endorsed during the month dropped 20.7% to 1,821 loans. While February’s shorter calendar often results in fewer endorsements, the s

Mortgage rates jump after Iran strike rattles markets

Late last week, the U.S. housing market appeared to be on solid footing going into March, but a wrench was unexpectedly thrown into the works when the U.S. and Israel launched a military strike against Iran over the weekend. Mortgage News Daily reported Monday that 30-year fixed rates jumped 13 basi

Stellar MLS transitions CEO role from Merri Jo Cowen to Shayne Fairley

After more than 17 years at the helm, MLS industry veteran and 2025 HousingWire Woman of Influence Merri Jo Cowen has officially stepped down from her role as the CEO of Florida’s Stellar MLS, according to an announcement on Tuesday. She is being replaced by Shayne Fairley.  Stellar MLS had previous

Connecticut bill targets private real estate listings

Lawmakers in Connecticut have joined other state legislators in seeking to establish a process to ensure public marketing of certain real estate listings.  Connecticut legislators introduced Senate Bill 340 last week, sponsored by the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, which is a bipartisan commit

Rhode Island housing package targets zoning, parking and SROs

Rhode Island, like other states nationwide, is grappling with a housing affordability crisis.​ State lawmakers are now on their sixth legislative package to strengthen efforts to improve housing affordability. This time, the package includes reviving boarding houses and co-living. Like California, F

Will war with Iran send mortgage rates higher or lower?

Spring is right around the corner and mortgage rates are already under 6%, but now we have a new variable: war with Iran. Now the question is whether the conflict in Iran will send rates lower or higher before the seasonal push in housing comes.  Last week was already interesting as the 10-year yiel

loanDepot executive Alex Madonna departs, starts Trust One Financial

Just months after loanDepot‘s Alex Madonna was named to a new role to focus on emerging technology, artificial intelligence and modern sales structures, it was announced that he’s departing the company. Madonna, who was most recently loanDepot’s executive vice president of direct lending and spent 1

New Jersey reverse mortgage counseling bill would have ‘chilling effect’ on senior home equity use, NRMLA says

The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) this week sent a letter to a New Jersey lawmaker, stating its opposition to a legislative proposal tied to reverse mortgage counseling requirements in the Garden State. The letter is addressed to state Sen. Shirley Turner (D), the sponsor of

Tavant agentic AI portal connects lenders, real estate agents, borrowers

At the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Servicing Solutions Conference & Expo 2026 in Dallas, Tavant unveiled its TOUCHLESS Servicing Portal and embedded artificial intelligence (AI) agent MAYA — expanding its platform beyond loan origination and into post-close servicing. The new portal unifies appli

Millrose outperforms with disciplined growth, strong partnerships

Now one for the books, the 2025 homebuilding market slowed in new construction, resulting in contract cancellations and reduced takedown activity. Millrose Properties, whose epic scale and timing launched a new era in land banking and asset-light homebuilding development in early 2025, bucked that t

Capital One joins BPC housing affordability council

The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) has added Capital One to its Executive Council for Housing Affordability, a group of private-sector leaders focused on expanding access to affordable housing. Gina Metrakas, vice president and head of federal advocacy at Capital One, will represent the company on t

Mortgage rates fall to multiyear lows in time for spring housing market

Mortgage rates are at multiyear lows, whether you quote Mortgage News Daily at 5.99% or Freddie Mac weekly data at 5.98%. The drop has come at a good time, as the spring housing market is about to start, with more Americans looking to sell their homes and buy another. First-time homebuyers are looki

RealTrends Verified brokerage Rogers Healy and Associates merges with Compass

RealTrends Verified Dallas brokerage Rogers Healy and Associates (RHA) has merged with Compass, marking the end of an era for one of North Texas’ best-known independent brokerages and the start of a new chapter under the nation’s largest real estate brand. Founder and CEO Rogers Healy announced the

AD Mortgage launches its largest non-QM securitization yet

AD Mortgage, a provider of non-QM and residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), announced on Friday the successful launch of a $602.7 securitization deal, its largest to date. The transaction, which follows the company’s first deal of the year, a $567.42 million transaction, marks AD’s 30th sec

AD Mortgage research shows minor FICO improvements can ease homebuying costs

Improving a credit score could save homebuyers tens of thousands of dollars in mortgage interest, according to a new nationwide study from AD Mortgage, released on Thursday. The analysis, Credit Score vs. Mortgage Cost: How Long It Takes to Improve and How Much It Can Save, State by State, shows tha