Thu.Aug 29, 2024

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Eight states now have more unsold inventory than in 2019. Here’s why.

Housing Wire

Unsold inventory of homes on the market has been climbing in the U.S. for two years, right along with rising mortgage rates. In general, inventory rises with rates because more expensive money slows demand. When demand slows, inventory grows. According to Altos Research , there are 40% more homes on the market at the end of August 2024 than there were last year at this time.

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Nick Bailey returns to real estate leadership in new capacity

Real Estate News

The former CEO of RE/MAX and Century 21 says he will apply his experience helping franchise owners to his new role in real estate consulting.

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Report: New England leads the country in older workers

Housing Wire

As the U.S. workforce continues to age commensurately with the population at large, a new report by U.S. Money Reserve illustrates that the highest concentration of older workers — those at or over the age of 65 — are concentrated in the New England region of the country. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau ’s 2022 American Community Survey released last year, Vermont was found to have the highest share of its over-65 population active in the workforce. 24.8% of the retirement-age populati

Closing 464
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Key player in Sitzer/Burnett launches real estate startup

Real Estate News

“Our hard-won settlement paved the way for a new era,” said Josh Sitzer, whose company offers flat-fee home tour and offer preparation services for buyers.

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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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Pending home sales tank in July, but the slump is likely short lived

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates are finally dropping, but pending home sales fell even further into the toilet in July. That’s according to the July pending home sales index from the National Association of Realtors. On an annual basis, the index fell by 8.5% to the second lowest seasonally adjusted rate in the data’s history, topping only April of 2020 when the market was frozen by the pandemic.

Sales 456
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Are We Heading into a Balanced Market?

Keeping Current Matters

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the housing market over the past couple of years, you know sellers have had the upper hand.

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NAR to appeal DOJ case to the Supreme Court

Real Estate News

The association will ask the highest court to weigh in on the case after a lower court ruled that the DOJ could continue its investigation into NAR policies.

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Report finds buyer agency agreements are “incomprehensible,” look to avoid NAR settlement terms

Housing Wire

Many state Realtor associations’ new forms —such as buyer representation agreements—are largely incomprehensible to the average homebuyer or seller and have language that seeks to avoid the terms of the National Association of Realtors ‘ (NAR) nationwide commission lawsuit settlement agreement , according to a report released earlier this month.

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Mortgage rates plunge to lowest level in 15 months

Real Estate News

Rates are edging closer to 6%, but the downward trend still hasn’t translated into sales as potential homebuyers play the waiting game.

Mortgages 297
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FHLBanks to Treasury: Pumping more money into affordable housing will not address crisis

Housing Wire

Presidents and board chairs of the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks), under pressure to pump more money into affordable housing, sent letters to the U.S. Department of Treasury on Thursday saying that simply raising their contribution threshold will not address the complexities of the current housing crisis. Instead, the FHLBanks—11 U.S. government-sponsored banks that provide liquidity to financial institutions to support housing finance and community investment—brought recommendations on h

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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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Accelerate results with 8 one-on-one secrets (and a bonus secret)

Inman

Take a new, unconventional approach to one-on-ones that emphasizes the needs, preferences and goals of your agents, luxury consultant Chris Pollinger writes.

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AI Demo Day: Rocktop’s Intelligent Data Integration Suite (IDIS)

Housing Wire

Intelligent Data Integration Suite (IDIS) VIU by HUB is a digitally-enabled personal lines brokerage platform that seamlessly integrates into the home-buying experience. Clients can quickly shop, purchase, and manage their insurance in a complex market, thus a timely value-add for customers. For partners, VIU provides new ancillary revenue to off-set rising interest rates and inflation.

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7 procedural components to make eminent domain seizures more fair

Inman

Procedural fairness pertains to the just treatment of the processes and methods used to make eminent domain decisions and resolve disputes, real estate educator Lee Davenport writes.

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AI Demo Day: Optimal Blue’s CompassEdgeAI Demo Day:

Housing Wire

CompassEdge Optimal Blue’s CompassEdge hedging and loan trading platform helps lenders maximize profitability with unmatched pipeline risk management tools, and dynamic loan sale and MSR valuation functionality. Attendees will experience new AI-powered assistants in CompassEdge that help lenders reduce manual processes associated with profitability attribution, projecting future pipeline changes, and optimizing trade selection.

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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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Industry vet Nick Bailey joins T3 Sixty as chief real estate officer

Inman

The announcement comes about six months after Bailey was replaced as RE/MAX president by Amy Lessinger. At T3 Sixty, he will focus on business development, consulting and representing the firm at industry events.

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AI Demo Day: Lofty

Housing Wire

Lofty Lofty provides an AI-powered platform that helps real estate professionals increase their productivity and accelerate business growth. Featuring award-winning technology, the Lofty platform is designed to optimize every step of the real estate journey, from search to settlement. By leveraging one unified hub, customers can automate marketing programs, streamline the sales process, and maximize collaboration between agents empowering them to spend more time building relationships and their

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Prices and politics drag pending home sales down to new low in July

Inman

Homebuyer anxiety around prices and the election precipitated the fall as the National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index declined 5.5 percent, to 70.2, the lowest index reading in 23 years.

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AI Demo Day: ChatUWM

Housing Wire

ChatUWM ChatUWM is an AI-powered smart search designed to support independent mortgage brokers by providing instant responses on a range of topics including guidelines, matrices, summaries of UWM’s tools and technology and more.

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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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First window-washing robot debuts in Manhattan, with more on the way

Inman

The Skyline Robotics robot will be tasked with maintaining the windows of a Durst Organization-owned 45-story Class A office tower on Sixth Avenue in New York City, it was announced this week.

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Bringing reverse mortgages to a symposium celebrating women in finance

Housing Wire

Richelle Hopkins of Mutual of Omaha Mortgage has been a reverse mortgage professional for 20 years, moving to Arizona in 2006. In 2020, a colleague approached her about establishing a Phoenix-based chapter of Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS), an association of financial services professionals who aim to “attract, develop and advance women in an underrepresented profession,” according to the WIFS National website.

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Reputation manager Real Grader lands Anywhere enterprise deal

Inman

Real Grader, a 2023 member of NAR REACH, offers a solution that measures the social reach of agents, as well as their impact on business research sites like Google My Business and LinkedIn.

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CFPB orders NewDay USA to pay $2.25M for providing misleading costs on 3,000 V.A. cash-out refis

Housing Wire

Florida-based V.A.-focused mortgage lender NewDay USA has reached an agreement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) over allegations that it provided misleading and incomplete cost comparisons to borrowers seeking cash-out refinance loans , the parties announced on Thursday. The deal, which includes a $2.25 million civil penalty, was reached without the company admitting or denying any of the findings, according to the consent order.

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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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DC-area title companies settle agent steering scheme with AG

Inman

DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb found that four title companies gave financial and other perks to real estate agents in return for homebuyer referrals. The companies have agreed to pay $3 million.

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AI Demo Day: Dark Matter Technologies AIVA Assist Processing

Housing Wire

AIVA Assist Processing Providing loan officers, processors and underwriters with a better way to calculate income, review assets and look for discrepancies when borrowers provide documents for verification. At Dark Matter Technologies, we’re leading the tech-driven revolution in loan origination. Our commitment to cutting-edge origination and AI technology solutions is reshaping the industry landscape, and illuminating the pathway to seamless experiences.

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Real estate safety abroad: Lessons from the tragic deaths of 2 agents

Inman

On the eve of Realtor Safety Month, safety expert Tracey Hawkins shares strong reminders to keep safety top of mind.

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Opinion: Many mission-based landlords are at a breaking point

Housing Wire

By every metric, the nation’s affordable housing crisis has reached unprecedented heights. A record-high 22.4 million renter households are cost burdened , meaning they spend at least 30% of household income on housing and utilities, and we are short 7.3 million rental homes that are affordable and available to renters with extremely low incomes. Meanwhile, the number of households who qualify for rental assistance continues to rise, even as funding for the crucial subsidy remains relatively fix

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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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Broker Spotlight: Meghan Pachas, MAP Property Solutions

Inman

Find out how this third-generation broker's passion for all things real estate-related informs her work with clients and colleagues.

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Mortgage originations rebounded by 23% in Q2

Housing Wire

The country saw 1.62 million residential mortgage originations in the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 23.2% from the previous quarter, and the first quarterly gain in a year. The increase in overall lending in Q2 came amid the Spring homebuying season and lower mortgage interest rates that dipped downward after months of increases, according to Attom ’s Q2 residential property mortgage origination report. “The mortgage industry got one of its biggest boosts in years during the secon

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BREAKING: NAR Will Appeal DOJ Investigation to Supreme Court

RIS Media

According to a filing in federal court today, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is planning to appeal to the Supreme Court after a panel of judges allowed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to reopen its inquiry into several NAR policies. NAR will file its appeal to the nation’s highest court by Oct. 10, the… The post BREAKING: NAR Will Appeal DOJ Investigation to Supreme Court appeared first on RISMedia.

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AI Demo Day: Polly/™ AI: AI-powered copilot for loan officers

Housing Wire

Polly/ AI: AI-powered copilot for loan officers Fueled by Polly’s proprietary technology and data, Polly/ AI leverages powerful, state-of-the-art AI/ML and natural language processing (NLP) to transform the way loan officers conduct business and provide consumers with superior mortgage products and prices. Product Fast Facts #1 Polly/ AI can comprehend and articulate ineligibility, transforming complex and time-consuming tasks into actionable advice.

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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.