Wed.Aug 28, 2024

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Down payment amounts are exploding in these metros

Housing Wire

The typical down payment for U.S. homebuyers soared to a record high of $67,500 in June, up nearly 15% from $58,788 a year earlier, according to a new report from Redfin. The increase in down payments came despite a slowdown in home price growth (4%). Redfin economists attributed it to the quirks of the current market, where higher-priced, turnkey homes in desirable neighborhoods are more likely to sell.

VA loan 491
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The new agent playbook should include ‘leading with grace’

Real Estate News

Major brokerage leaders are telling agents to be patient with other real estate professionals (and consumers) as the industry adjusts to new practices.

Agents 292
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Are AI real estate agents the future for homebuyers? These firms think so

Housing Wire

While some in the real estate industry are expecting to see a decline in the number of buyer’s agents as a result of the National Association of Realtors ‘ (NAR) nationwide commission lawsuit settlement agreement , others have taken it a step further and are betting their companies on it. Meet the AI real estate agent. Unlike human agents, these AI agents really are available 24/7 and will quickly answer every little question you have about the homebuying process.

Agents 468
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2025 Housing Market Forecasts: What To Expect

Keeping Current Matters

Looking ahead to 2025, it's important to know what experts are projecting for the housing market.

Marketing 322
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Avoiding Lease Accounting Pitfalls in 2025: Lessons Learned from Spreadsheet Errors

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

Join this insightful webinar with industry expert Abdi Ali, who will discuss the challenges that can arise from managing lease accounting with spreadsheets! He will share real-world examples of errors, compliance issues, and risks that may be present within your spreadsheets. Learn how these tools, while useful, can sometimes lead to inefficiencies that affect your time, resources, and peace of mind.

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Tom Ferry Summit fuels optimism for agents wrestling with new NAR rules

Housing Wire

April Noessel was in dire straits. Raising five children on her husband’s salary, she began flipping houses to make ends meet. Her family fell into debt when one of their flips went sour. The bad deal was particularly galling because of the indignities it took to get the home ready to sell. “I was wearing one of my kids in a backpack, scraping magnets off the floor with a knife,” Noessel said.

Agents 459
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Housing Market Decoded: Why 'rent vs buy' misses the big picture

Real Estate News

Lists and calculators can be a starting point for prospective buyers weighing their options, but the decision to purchase a home is based on more than data.

Marketing 251

More Trending

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In 8 states, inventory is now above pre-pandemic levels

Real Estate News

Oklahoma and Texas lead the way, with supply up nearly 20% compared to the same week in 2019.

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Westcor launches identity verification tool to help title agents prevent fraud

Housing Wire

Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. is looking to up its game against fraudsters. The title firm has launched val-ID by Westcor, a tool designed to help title agents validate the identities of home buyers and sellers, according to an announcement on Wednesday. The tool is powered by the technology of Intellicheck and is engineered by GridBase. “At Westcor, we are committed to providing our agents with the most innovative tools to support their work,” Scott Chandler , the chief operating

Title 440
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Move seeks injunction while CoStar remains defiant

Real Estate News

Lawyers for Move asked the court to approve a preliminary injunction against CoStar in its trade secrets suit involving a former Realtor.com employee.

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Top Massachusetts small team joins Coldwell Banker Realty

Housing Wire

The Coldwell Banker brand is continuing its summer of growth. On Tuesday, Coldwell Banker Realty announced the affiliation of top-ranked small team The Lara & Chelsea Collaborative. Founded and run by Lara O’Rouke and Chelsea Robinson, the team — which consisted of five agents in 2023 — serves clients in the Wellesley, Massachusetts , area. The team was previously brokered at Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty , another Anywhere brand.

Brokerage 430
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Driving Profit: 4 Pillars for Growing Your Real Estate Brokerage

In the rapidly changing real estate landscape, achieving profitability requires a strategic approach beyond traditional methods. Our guide, "The 4 Pillars to Brokerage Profitability," outlines four essential pillars for scaling your real estate business: a seamless lead-to-close technology ecosystem, tailored integrated solutions for teams and agents, value-added success services and community support, and consumer-centric operations throughout the full homeownership lifecycle.

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US homebuyer down payments reach new record, outpace prices

Inman

According to Redfin, the typical U.S. homebuyer’s down payment hit the highest level in over a decade, at 18.6 percent of the purchase price in June, up from 15 percent the previous year.

Marketing 167
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The times they are changing: Adapting to the NAR settlement agreement

Housing Wire

The NAR settlement agreement, announced earlier this year, has been an extremely hot topic for agents and prospective homebuyers in the real estate world. This new settlement agreement was enacted on August 17th, 2024, and has been designed to increase transparency in real estate transactions and change how compensation is communicated and negotiated between parties.

MLS 448
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Homebuyers still waiting for more listings and lower mortgage rates

Inman

The Fed doesn't have direct control over mortgage rates, but they've been coming down as investors are increasingly convinced that policymakers will be cutting rates at their three remaining meetings this year.

Mortgages 168
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GSEs announce new tenant protection plans for multifamily properties

Housing Wire

The government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Wednesday announced new minimum standards to be included in tenant leases on GSE-backed multifamily properties, following up on a policy announced last month by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The new lease standards will require a five-day grace period for rent payments, a 30-day notice for rent increases and a 30-day notice of a lease expiration, the GSEs explained.

Finance 433
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Tech-Forward Strategies for Scaling Agent Efficiency & Accelerating Growth

As the real estate market evolves, technology has become essential for success. According to NAR, only 26% of agents feel their brokerage provides the necessary tech tools and, as a result, agents seek teams and brokerages who prioritize technology investments! Whether you manage an established team or are forming a new one, this guide outlines key considerations and necessary applications to thrive.

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Digital avatars have arrived: Here’s how real estate pros can use them

Inman

Reimagine sales, marketing and instruction by using digital avatars to bring the human touch to content without the cost, land investment specialist Curtis Williams writes.

Land 168
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Los Angeles to pay $38.2M to settle accessible housing lawsuit

Housing Wire

The City of Los Angeles will pay $38.2 million in a settlement agreement stemming from a 2017 case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on behalf of a disabled resident. The DOJ alleged the city had “fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in housing grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by falsely certifying that the money was being spent in compliance with federal accessibility laws.

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Ex-Move staffer accessed dozens of disputed files at CoStar: Experts

Inman

James Kaminsky, a former Realtor.com editor accused of taking trade secrets with him to CoStar, transferred access to at least 40 documents two days before he left the job, according to legal filings.

Brokerage 166
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Pacaso CEO Austin Allison explores co-ownership mortgages and housing affordability problems

Housing Wire

In the newest episode of the Power House podcast , Pacaso CEO and co-founder Austin Allison visits the show to talk about the pros and cons of the co-ownership mortgage model, affordability issues in real estate , and strategies for understanding and developing a strong monetization strategy based on a company’s total addressable market. Pacaso is a co-ownership marketplace that offers vacation home listings to buyers that don’t wish to own a vacation property year-round.

Mortgages 411
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The Broker Action Plan for the Post-NAR Lawsuit Landscape

Now more than ever, brokers need to provide agents with the right tools, strategies, and training to effectively demonstrate their expertise, negotiate successfully, and foster strong client relationships. So – what should brokers do to ensure this? Invest in the right technology, continuous education, and innovative marketing strategies that empower agents to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

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Official’s co-founder split: Alleged threats and a scramble to rebrand

Inman

As Nicole Oge, Richard Jordan and Andrew Wachtfogel sought to start fresh, Oren and Tal Alexander allegedly threatened legal action if they were to be voted out of the firm, The Real Deal reported. The Alexanders deny the allegation.

Brokerage 165
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ICE Mortgage Technology President Tim Bowler on how ICE is delivering for the mortgage industry

Housing Wire

Tim Bowler, President of ICE Mortgage Technology, has a clear, specific vision for the future of ICE Mortgage Technology and the mortgage industry. In this Executive Conversation, Tim discusses ICE’s investment in product innovation, a company culture based on continuous improvement, and future career opportunities for those looking to make a difference.

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Mortgage a tough nut to crack for technology provider nCino

Inman

Shares in the cloud banking solutions developer are down 14% after the company says the mortgage technology business it acquired for nearly $1 billion in 2022 has been a drag on growth but is expected to pick up.

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Snapdocs adopts new billing and revenue management solution

Housing Wire

Digital closing provider Snapdocs has automated its digital closing revenue management system to help the firm create a faster and more transparent process for clients. In partnering with BillingPlatform, the billing and revenue management solution provides “the automation, scale and flexibility to launch and bill for our core and new products as our business continues to expand,” said Jason Anderson, head of finance at Snapdocs.

Lending 393
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Accelerating Real Estate Sales Pipelines to Streamline Buyer Journeys

Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.

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Keller Williams heads to arbitration in second John Davis lawsuit

Inman

The case is part of a long-running legal battle between Davis, an ex-CEO of Keller Williams, and his former employer. An earlier case Davis filed against KW was also ordered into arbitration.

Brokerage 158
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Affordable Housing Lottery Opens for Gowanus Canal Towers With $784 Studios

Brownstoner

One of the first luxury towers to benefit from the Gowanus rezoning is nearly complete and has launched an affordable housing lottery as well as market-rate rentals. The affordable housing lottery opened today for the towering complex at 420 Carroll Street, right on the banks of the canal, with studio units… Read More > The post Affordable Housing Lottery Opens for Gowanus Canal Towers With $784 Studios appeared first on Brownstoner.

Banks 122
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Corcoran Icon Properties expands into Palo Alto

Inman

The Corcoran Group franchise now has 24 physical offices with the launch of its latest in Palo Alto. The office is led by Managing Broker Benyam Mulugeta and Sales Manager and Partner Susan LaRagione.

Sales 143
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Why is light rail to Lynnwood opening next to I-5 and not on Aurora?

Seattle Times Real Estate

The I-5 corridor was a politically simpler, cheaper choice. But there's a little more to the story of what made Aurora the road not taken by Sound Transit.

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Boldtrail Backoffice - Take The Quiz to See What Package Is Right For You

BoldTrail BackOffice provides a single, streamlined solution to manage agent onboarding and billing and commission tracking and disbursements, along with agent management, reporting, and accounting - so your brokerage can run smoothly & profitably. Our #1-rated back office solutions have exactly what your business needs to deliver a seamless experience for your clients and your team.

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Mortgage brokers warned of warehouse lending scammers

Inman

Victims have been cheated out of hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight, with imposters also gaining access to borrowers' sensitive personal information.

Lending 149
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Transparency in Real Estate Transactions: A Critical Imperative

RIS Media

The recent legal settlements involving the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and several major real estate brokerages have sent ripples through the industry, prompting many real estate professionals to reevaluate their practices. Central to these legal challenges is the issue of transparency, particularly in how commissions and other transaction details are disclosed to buyers and… The post Transparency in Real Estate Transactions: A Critical Imperative appeared first on RISMedia.

Brokerage 119
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SERHANT.’s ‘Owning Manhattan’ renewed for Season 2 on Netflix

Inman

The first season of the hit reality series featuring agents from Ryan Serhant's brokerage dropped on Netflix two months ago. A release date for the second season was not immediately made public.

Brokerage 140
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Single-Family Build Time Continues to Trend Upward for 2023

Eye on Housing

The average completion time of a single-family house in 2023 was approximately 10.1 months, breaking down to 1.5 months for authorization to start construction and another 8.6 months to finish construction. According to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, the permit-to-completion time has been on an upward trend since 2015. Currently, it is almost 3.

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Maximizing Your Online Presence: Tips for Real Estate Agents on Social Media

Speaker: Sarah Santa Ana, Real Estate Coach, Move4Free Realty

Networking is one of the crucial elements in every real estate organization's success. Both agents and real estate companies need to maintain robust networking links. This is why social media is essential for any real estate professional! Social media enables you to stay in touch with your present clients, maintain connections with your past clients, and engage potential customers and investors.