Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Rocket Companies will soon shut down Rocket Pro Originate , a mortgage origination platform for real estate agents, insurance agents, tax professionals and other financial professionals who are also licensed to originate mortgages. According to a copy of an email sent to affected originators this week and reviewed by HousingWire, the Rocket Pro Originate platform — part of the company’s third-party origination channel — is to be sunset by the end of June.

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Agents Loans Mortgages Closing 516

Real Estate News

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

A new Realtor.com report found that the housing supply gap has grown considerably over the past decade as household formation has outpaced home construction.

Construction 276

Construction Marketing 276

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

California is home to roughly 39 million people, making it by far the nation’s most populous state. In 2022, however, only 55.3% of its occupied homes were owner-occupied, the third lowest percentage in the U.S. after New York (53.9%) and Washington, D.C. (42.3%), according to the Census Bureau. Landing a California home is hard and expensive – especially in San Diego.

Marketing 455

Marketing VA loan Days on market Loans 455

Real Estate News

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The Consumer Federation of America analyzed 43 agreements and concluded that they generally served to protect agents but offered few benefits to buyers.

Agents 235

Agents 235

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.

Industrial

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

If you’re struggling to market your business on social media, or worse, haven’t even started yet, you might be in for a rude awakening in 2024. While you were pulling your hair out trying to come up with the perfect post idea, other agents in your farm area just…did it. Sure, they made mistakes, but today their social media accounts are helping them build their personal brands and generate leads — even while they sleep.

Marketing 465

Marketing Branding Agents Brokerage 465

Keeping Current Matters

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

No matter how you slice it, buying or selling a home is a big decision.

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Real Estate News

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Mark Willis challenged KW Family Reunion attendees to own their full potential and get back on a growth trajectory after a tough year.

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Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Top 10 mortgage lender and servicer Newrez is partnering with Newzip , a tech-enabled real estate platform, to roll out a program aimed to save buyers and sellers on credit costs. Dubbed Newrez Home Rewards, buyers will be matched with a real estate agent who works with Newzip and provided booking services. They will also be offered closing cost credits of up to 0.5% of the sales price when buying a home and up to 1% when selling.

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Closing costs Loan Officer Closing Loans 437

Real Estate News

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Zillow’s Listing Showcase product will be available only to Hanna agents in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh metros.

Agents 254

Agents 254

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The Marin County Board of Supervisors in Northern California on Tuesday approved reduced fees to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in unincorporated parts of the county, according to an announcement by county officials. Marin County is situated across the Golden Gate Bridge, north of San Francisco. It is a notoriously expensive housing market and maintains an estimated population of more than 260,000 people, according to data from the 2020 U.S.

Construction 431

Construction Equity Mortgages Finance 431

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Brokerage

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The Consumer Federation of America, a watchdog group, examined 43 contracts from 37 states, most from state or local Realtor associations, and found practices it believes worthy of scrutiny.

Brokerage 194

Brokerage Agents 194

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The National Association of Realtors is facing yet another copycat commission lawsuit. The trade group’s legal woes have brought it back to California, where is already facing other commission lawsuits. Filed on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the Freedlund suit, named after its lead — and currently only — plaintiff, Andrea Freedlund, the suit alleges that NAR, along with the California Association of Realtors and Redfin , conspired to artificially inflate agent commissions.

MLS 431

MLS Residential Brokerage Agents 431

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The US housing market is short 7.2 million homes, according to Realtor.com's latest housing market analysis. Nearly 18 million households have been formed over the past decade; however, only 10 million single-family homes were constructed during the same time period.

Marketing 186

Marketing Construction 186

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

EasyKnock completed a $28 million Series D funding round, the company announced on Wednesday. Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures , the venture capital arm of financial services company Northwestern Mutual , joined as an investor in this round. With its newest influx of capital, EasyKnock aims to advance the development of its platform by honing its suite of products.

Closing 426

Closing Equity Investor Development 426

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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.

Agents

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Despite slowing sales, the value of the U.S. housing market experienced record-breaking growth in 2023, according to Redfin's latest housing report. The total value of 90 million U.S. homes rose from $45.1 trillion in December 2022 to $47.5 trillion in December 2023 — a 5.3 percent annual difference.

Marketing 180

Marketing Sales 180

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Ellington Financial , parent company of top 10 reverse mortgage lender Longbridge Financial , reported a lower economic return for the fourth quarter of 2023, which was partially driven by net losses from Longbridge “and other positions,” according to CEO Laurence Penn. Penn added, however, that Longbridge is in the process of regaining profitability, and some of the lagging performance attributed to the reverse division is tied to seasonal realities and the ongoing interest rate environment.

Mortgages 417

Mortgages Investor Equity Branding 417

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

With mortgage rates hovering above 7 percent, requests for purchase loans were down by a seasonally adjusted 5 percent week over week and 2 percent lower than a year ago.

Mortgages 172

Mortgages Loans Sales Marketing 172

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

As brokerages across the country have begun implementing buyer agency contracts into their business practices in the wake of the Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit verdict, the Consumer Federation of America is warning consumers that they may be filled with “unfair provisions” that primarily protect agents and brokers. The watchdog group reached this conclusion in a report released Tuesday, in which the group examined 43 different contracts from 37 states, with most of the sample contracts comi

Purchase and sale agreement 416

Purchase and sale agreement Agents Brokerage Industrial 416

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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.

Agents

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The property, sold by developer Adnan Sen, first hit the market for $39.9 million in 2020. It includes a nine-bedroom main house, one-bedroom guesthouse, a pool and a 10-car gallery garage.

Sales 169

Sales Development Marketing 169

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Tom Davis, chief sales officer, Deephaven Mortgage Today’s market means that more borrowers have higher debt-to-income ratios, limited access to credit and are looking for alternative ways to get qualified for a mortgage. Tom Davis, chief sales officer at Deephaven Mortgage , offers information about products that can get borrowers qualified and goes into some of the trends he’s seeing in the market today in this executive conversation.

Debt-to-income ratio 415

Debt-to-income ratio Mortgages Banks Investor 415

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Cloze, a provider of artificial intelligence driven solutions for business development and growth, has formed an agreement with marketing technology company MAXA Designs.

Design 167

Design Marketing Technology Development 167

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Independent brokerage Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has partnered with Zillow ’s ShowingTime+ to allow agents in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh areas to leverage the Listing Showcase tool. Launched in June 2023, Listing Showcase is an AI-powered listing tool available exclusively on Zillow. It enables agents to differentiate themselves through original presentations of their brand and properties using features such as high-resolution hero images and interactive floor plans.

Agents 410

Agents Branding Brokerage As-is 410

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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.

Sales

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Defendant MLS PIN and plaintiffs Jennifer Nosalek, Randy Hirschorn and Tracey Hirschorn asked a district court judge for permission to respond to a statement of interest the DOJ filed in the case.

MLS 153

MLS Brokerage Agents 153

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Higher interest rates in recent weeks have made a dent in housing activity, bringing down mortgage demand. Mortgage applications decreased by 5.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis during the week ending Feb. 23, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association ’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey. “Higher rates in recent weeks have stalled activity, and last week it dropped more for those seeking FHA and VA refinances,” Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s senior vice president and chief economist, said in

Mortgages 407

Mortgages Fixed-rate mortgage Loans Residential 407

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The nation's biggest mortgage lender posts its first annual loss since going public in 2020, largely driven by $854.1 million in write-downs of mortgage servicing rights.

Loans 154

Loans Mortgages 154

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced this week that they have filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit , supporting plaintiffs that allege unlawful fees imposed by Ocwen Loan Servicing , a division of Ocwen Financial Corp. The case involves plaintiffs Sheryl Glover and Cathy Booze, who allege in their complaint that Ocwen charged them certain “convenience fees” on multiple occasions for transactions co

Loans 404

Loans Mortgages 404

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Brokerage

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Nearly 70 percent of brokerage leaders who responded to the latest Inman Intel Index earlier this month expect to invest in technology in 2024, with many now saying artificial intelligence is top of mind.

Brokerage 146

Brokerage Technology Marketing 146

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Top 10 U.S. mortgage lender Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. sustained a cyber attack in early December due to vulnerabilities in a vendor system, the company told the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. On Dec. 4, the company’s information security team “received notification that an unauthorized user had successfully accessed a third-party system utilized by Fairway,” Bryan Ramsey, vice president of information security incident response at Fairway, wrote in a l

Mortgages 401

Mortgages Banks Development Industrial 401

Inman

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

These nine pivotal phrases, when articulated daily, can significantly enhance your leadership impact, consultant Chris Pollinger writes.

Development 165

Development Brokerage Agents 165

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Blackstone ’s Jonathan Pollack is joining private investment firm Starwood Capital Group , the company announced on Monday. Starting in January 2025, Pollack will serve as the company’s new president. Jeffrey Dishner will remain in his role as Starwood’s president until Pollack takes over. Dishner will then assume the role of vice chairman and head of strategy and business development, the company explained.

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Commercial Banks Development Industrial 371

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.

Agents