Loft47 launches automation and commission management platform for real estate teams

Loft47 — a back-office automation and commission management platform for real estate brokerages — has introduced a new product aimed specifically at teams. Loft47 for Teams is built to automate commissions, payouts and accounting workflows while giving team leaders real-time visibility into performa

2026 mortgage compliance trends show staffing strains, regulatory risks

Ncontracts, a provider of compliance, risk and vendor management solutions for the financial services industry, released a new survey Tuesday that examines how institutions are managing evolving compliance expectations in 2026. The survey, “The Future of Compliance: Benchmarking the People, Processe

Fed delivers third straight rate cut, but housing market will see limited relief

The Federal Reserve delivered another 25-basis-point cut to its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday, setting the target range at 3.5% to 3.75% amid signs of a softening labor market and inflation that’s still above the central bank’s 2% target.  The move marks the Fed’s third straight rate cut to e

4 best real estate schools in Maryland (MD) for 2026

From Bethesda and Towson to Havre de Grace and Silver Spring, it’s now easier than ever to complete the required 60 hours of real estate prelicensing classes from the comfort of your own home in Maryland. Our guide to the best Maryland real estate schools will help you find the right online program

Walters | Plaxen Group joins Sotheby’s International Realty

Shauna Walters and Nicole Plaxen, the broker duo behind the Walters | Plaxen Group, have joined Sotheby’s International Realty. The affiliation follows a standout year for the five-person team. RealTrends Verified shows Walters | Plaxen Group accounting for $222 million in closed volume across 134 t

HUD extends reverse mortgage feedback deadline

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is reopening the public comment period for a review of federal reverse mortgage programs, the agency announced Wednesday in the Federal Register. HUD previously issued a request for information in October, seeking input on the Home Equity Co

Georgia lawmakers aim to speed housing permits for affordability

A surge in Sun Belt in-migration for well over a decade blessed Georgia with population growth that prompted a spate of apartment and home construction. Despite a heavy dose of added supply in the past few years, there was no catching up. The state still has a housing shortage, particularly in the A

Class Valuation names Daniel Busch as CFO

Real estate appraisal management company Class Valuation announced Wednesday that Daniel A. Busch has joined the company as its chief financial officer. Busch, who brings more than two decades of financial leadership experience to the role, most recently served as CFO of Continental Services, a priv

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate details 2026 homebuyer trends

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BHGRE) released its 2026 Design Trends Moving Real Estate Report — outlining features and design preferences driving homebuyers in the year ahead. The report draws on a national consumer study conducted by thinqinsights, as well as insights from BHGRE-affiliated

Stress appears for consumer credit conditions

The American Financial Services Association (AFSA), the nation’s oldest and largest consumer credit trade group, on Tuesday released its quarterly Consumer Credit Conditions Index. It found that AFSA members’ assessment of current conditions turned slightly negative in the third quarter of 2025. Mor

Coalition presses for stronger federal flood response, eyes ROAD to Housing Act

A new multi-state coalition is warning that worsening floods across Appalachia — and the federal government’s uneven response — are heightening risks for communities, infrastructure and real estate markets across the region. The Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition recently convened for the first

As rural housing costs soar, financing affordable housing remains a hurdle

America’s housing affordability crisis is an equal-opportunity phenomenon. Nowhere is this more painfully clear than in the nation’s rural communities, which quietly confront a deepening affordability gap. Financing challenges unique to rural areas pursuing affordable housing development exacerbate

Mortgage delinquencies steady in September, but there’s ‘signs of stress beneath the surface’

U.S. mortgage delinquencies held steady at 3% in September 2025, unchanged from a year earlier but up slightly from 2.9% at the end of the second quarter, according to Cotality‘s newest Loan Performance Indicators report released on Tuesday. “The national delinquency rate has remained relatively sta

New York raises senior property tax exemption to 65%

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation to expand property tax exemptions for seniors to up to 65% of their home’s assessed value, raising the ceiling for the first time in decades from the previous 50% cap.“No New York senior should lose their home because they can no longer afford their

Zillow updates sites, apps after watchdog flags ad disclosure gaps

BBB National Programs’ Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP) has worked with Zillow Group to bring several of the company’s major brands into compliance with industry rules governing interest-based advertising. DAAP said it initiated a routine review of Zillow.com and detected third-part

CrossCountry challenges court order in Gallo mortgage fraud case

CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) filed a motion last week as it seeks to intervene in the criminal case against former loan officer Christopher Gallo, and to vacate a November court order that blocked the company’s arbitration claim against the former employee. National Mortgage News first reported the l

Blue Owl commits $2.5B in funds to Point’s home equity investment platform

Blue Owl Capital announced Tuesday that it’s making a $2.5 billion commitment in funds it manages to home equity investment (HEI) platform Point. The newss comes just one month after the companies issued the largest securitization ever completed in the HEI space. The new capital will allow Palo Alto

FTC issues warnings to rental software firms on price transparency

A week after settling a lawsuit with rental property management company Greystar, it appears the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) involvement in the rental property management space is not waning.  On Tuesday, the government regulator announced that it had sent letters to 13 property management soft

Summit Sotheby’s International Realty rides high in Utah while giving back

When Thomas Wright entered the real estate world in 1999, he did so without a grand strategy — but with a deep sense of connection to people and place. “I was at a juncture in my life when I could have gone the commercial route or residential, and the residential was just felt like a real calling fo

Optimal Blue announces new CFO and CRO

Optimal Blue announced on Monday that it has promoted Lanny Rogers III to chief financial officer and Jeremy Moreno to chief revenue officer. Rogers, a certified public accountant, will oversee financial planning, forecasting and capital allocation as the company expands. He joined Optimal Blue in 2