Tue.Jan 07, 2025

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CFPB sues Experian over ‘sham’ consumer dispute investigations

Housing Wire

Experian has become the latest focus of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) as the agency intensifies its regulatory and enforcement activity ahead of the impending White House transition. On Tuesday, the CFPB filed a lawsuit against Experian in a U.S. district court in California, accusing the credit reporting giant of violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).

Finance 416
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Expert Forecasts for the 2025 Housing Market

Keeping Current Matters

Wondering what’s in store for the housing market this year?

Marketing 275
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Which cities have the largest portion of homes affordable to the average wage earner?

Housing Wire

Housing affordability is a constant issue faced by working-class renters and homebuyers in recent years. Despite rising home prices and mortgage rates , online lender NetCredit highlighted two major cities with a glimmer of hope for average earners seeking affordable housing in 2025. NetCredit’s released an analysis this week of the 100 most populous cities in the U.S.

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DOJ files amended complaint against RealPage

Real Estate News

Just a month after the company announced an investigation into its rental pricing practices had ended, the DOJ is back with an updated, expanded lawsuit.

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The 2025 Real Estate Roadmap to Success

Don’t just react to changes, plan for them, so you can approach the new year with confidence, direction, and a competitive edge for your business. Having a well-defined business plan helps you chart a clear course, navigate challenges, and set a foundation for growth. This workbook gives you the key steps to outline what matters and will ensure you’re moving ahead.

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Consumer sentiment on mortgage rates better than last year

Housing Wire

Fannie Mae ‘s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) decreased 1.9 points in December to 73.1 a figure substantially higher than year-ago levels due to ongoing mortgage rate optimism. The index reported that consumers continue to expect mortgage rates to decline over the next 12 months. In December 2024, the share of consumers that expected mortgage rate shrinkage held steady at 42%, lower than November’s 45%.

Mortgages 397
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Housing optimism up 'substantially' compared to a year ago

Real Estate News

Consumer sentiment was relatively high in December, largely driven by expectations of declining mortgage rates in 2025.

Mortgages 215

More Trending

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DOJ adds major landlords to antitrust lawsuit against RealPage

Inman

Greystar Real Estate Partners, Blackstones LivCor and Cushman & Wakefield are among the institutional landlords accused of fixing rental prices to the detriment of "millions" of renters.

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Mungo Homes appoints Geoff Shiley as CEO

Housing Wire

South Carolina -based homebuilder Mungo Homes announced Monday that Geoff Shiley has assumed the role of CEO. Shiley succeeds longtime CEO Steven Mungo, who will move into the role of executive chairman for the company. Shiley, who has been with Mungo Homes for nearly 20 years, most recently held the titles of president and chief operations officer.

Title 395
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Would-be homebuyers are still looking for conditions to improve

Inman

Americans are more hopeful that the economy is on the right track than they were a year ago, but only 1 in 5 thought December was a good time to buy a home, Fannie Mae surveys show.

Mortgages 173
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Mortgage rates above 7% are clouding the housing market outlook

Housing Wire

The new year has arrived, but little has changed regarding the direction of mortgage rates and their impact on the U.S. housing market. At HousingWire s Mortgage Rates Center on Tuesday, the 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.09%. That was up 2 basis points (bps) from a week ago. The 15-year fixed rate was slightly higher at 7.11% and was up 11 bps in the past week. “The 10-year yield is currently close to my peak forecast of 4.70%.

Mortgages 412
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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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Take your mark, get ready, fence! to generate business in 2025

Inman

Broker Annette DeCicco offers lessons learned from her father, a hall-of-fame fencing coach, that can be your roadmap to generating more leads in 2025 and beyond.

Agents 167
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Housing pros forecast stable housing market conditions

Housing Wire

Across the board, mortgage and real estate respondents to the HousingWire Pulse Q1 2025 survey say the housing market will be flat for the first three months of 2025. The majority chose “flat” when asked the direction of home sales and home prices. The good news? HousingWire experts are forecasting a more positive outlook for this year’s housing market in their recent 2025 Housing Market Forecast: The Path to Recovery.

Marketing 370
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'Unfiltered': Real estate must stop moving ‘at the speed of paper’

Real Estate News

Watch the conversation as the CEO of Matterport shares his pitch to skeptical agents and his push to create the forward-looking ecosystem homebuyers expect.

Agents 166
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How reverse mortgage pros will seek to connect with clients in 2025

Housing Wire

The reverse mortgage industry has long sought to streamline and maximize its ongoing efforts to connect with prospective borrowers. After a challenging year for the mortgage industry broadly and the reverse mortgage business specifically, companies are aiming to assess the best ways to accomplish these ongoing goals. Several reverse mortgage industry professionals who spoke with RMD in the closing days of 2024 described how some of these efforts could manifest themselves in 2025.

Mortgages 370
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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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Oren Alexander misses hearing, mistakenly sent by Feds to NY

Inman

In a bizarre mixup, Oren was accidentally flown to New York City by the U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday, even though he was due to appear in court in Miami for a bail hearing. He has been ordered to return to Miami for a rescheduled hearing on Wednesday.

Agents 165
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HUD announces $12B in long-term disaster assistance across 24 states

Housing Wire

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Tuesday announced the allocation of nearly $12 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for communities across 24 U.S. states and territories. This money is designed to go toward long-term recovery efforts for communities impacted by recent natural disasters.

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Jimmy Carter’s blueprint: Build with purpose, lead with heart

Inman

Darryl Davis offers lessons from the life of the late President Jimmy Carter, a tireless advocate for peace, progress and the transformational power of "home.

Agents 164
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HousingWire partners with Columbus Realtors to deliver essential industry news and insights to members

Housing Wire

HousingWire, the leading source for housing market news and information, announced its partnership with Columbus Realtors, the largest city-based Realtor association in Ohio. This collaboration will provide access to HousingWires cutting-edge news and information to 8,500 members of Columbus Realtors, empowering brokers and agents with critical resources to stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate industry.

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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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Bluesky or Threads? Go where your vibe thrives

Inman

Social media is shifting, Jessi Healey breaks down the differences between Threads and Bluesky to help you find the platform that fits your style and goals.

Marketing 157
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The ‘silver tsunami’ wealth transfer will mostly stay in the family

Housing Wire

The nations demographics continue to tr e nd older while home prices experienced a run-up during the pandemic. That means most members of the baby boomer generation are sitting on as much as $17 trillion in home equity as of the second quarter of 2024, and they are largely planning to keep that wealth within their own families. This is according to a December report issued by government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Freddie Mac.

Equity 361
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New agent guide to leveraging non-contingent offers in a hot market

Inman

Investor Zain Jaffer offers tips for conducting due diligence and presenting a competitive offer that's unencumbered by contingencies.

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It’s all smiles for the 2025 luxury housing market

Housing Wire

While the U.S. housing market was relatively slow in 2024, experts say the luxury sector was an outlier and they are anticipating even stronger conditions in 2025. According to The Trend Report released Monday by Coldwell Banker s Global Luxury program, the brands luxury property specialists expect more luxury buyers to reenter the market in 2025. Overall, the agents surveyed have a positive outlook for the year, driven by renewed confidence in the market, a larger selection of desirable propert

Marketing 305
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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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5 snack-sized 2025 predictions from a luxury real estate expert

Inman

Wondering what this year will hold for the real estate market? Luxury real estate expert Beau Blankenship shares predictions for real estate investors and the luxury landscape in 2025.

Investor 145
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Higher Inventory—and Lower Prices—Being Driven by Smaller-Sized Unit Listings

RIS Media

In December 2024, the median home price in the U.S. declinedbut median price per square foot increased by 1.3%. This data comes courtesy of the latest monthly real estate market report from Realtor.com. The report suggests that current price figures are due to more smaller/affordable listings entering the market, bringing down median price overall but… The post Higher Inventoryand Lower PricesBeing Driven by Smaller-Sized Unit Listings appeared first on RISMedia.

Marketing 116
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Tracy Tutor and her team leave Douglas Elliman for Compass

Inman

The Tracy Tutor Team expanded operations into Texas in 2022 and now hold a portfolio of nearly $550 million in listings. Tutor said the move will help solidify her hold in California and Texas while presenting an opportunity to grow into other markets.

Marketing 137
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Housing Secretary commits to leasehold reform this year 

Estate Agent Today

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has committed to leasehold reform this year, despite the latest delays.

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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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34% of homeowners say they’ll never sell their home: Redfin

Inman

Rising home prices and elevated mortgage rates are keeping would-be homesellers out of the market, according to Redfin's latest consumer insights. Redfin partnered with Ipsos to survey 1,802 U.S. adults about their housing choices.

Mortgages 122
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Buyers Agent Commissions Explained for First-Time Shoppers

HomeLight

Buying a new house is a huge financial commitment. There is the cost of the home itself but then there are also the closing costs , HOA fees , property taxes , homeowners insurance, and paying for necessary repairs. So where do the buyers agent fees fit into this? And how much are they, again? Find An Agent To Help You Buy Your First Home Purchasing your first home?

Agents 98
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Former Realtor president sues NAR over 3-way agreement

Inman

Agent Preston Moore decried his suspension following an ethics investigation he alleges was discriminatory and said he was "forced" to belong to NAR for MLS access.

MLS 167
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New property sales listings up 12% already – claim

Estate Agent Today

Almost 26,000 new property listings have hit the market so far in 2025, with Bristol seeing the biggest boost to for sale stock levels.

Sales 114
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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.