Wed.May 22, 2024

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Expect the growth rate of existing home prices to cool down this year

Housing Wire

I anticipated solid year-over-year home-price growth in today’s existing home sales report, so I’ve tried my best on social media to inform people that we have a low bar in home-price comps for this report and the next one. This is the context for why the home-price growth data was strong, which took some people by surprise. As you can see below, even though home prices rose in 2023, the median sales price showed negative year-over-year growth in April, May and June of last year.

Sales 509
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VA will allow homebuyers to pay agents — at least for now

Real Estate News

Comments made by a Department of Veterans Affairs official Tuesday “ensures veterans have the same opportunity as others to compete in a tight housing market.

Agents 272
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As agent and client demand rises, Real launches dedicated luxury division

Housing Wire

Fast-growing firm The Real Brokerage is launching a luxury division , according to an announcement on Wednesday. Real Luxury , as the division will be known, will focus on helping luxury agents and teams, as well as their exclusive clients. The firm said that the launch of Real Luxury is in response to the growing number of luxury real estate agents and teams joining Real.

Agents 467
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Brokerage Beat: News from Real, United, RE/MAX, The Agency, ERA

Real Estate News

Real launches luxury division; Alabama merger ups United's market share; RE/MAX affiliate adds 3 firms; The Agency opens in Niagara; ERA Carroll expands in WY.

Brokerage 227
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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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Older Americans are ‘splurging’ on home modifications to support aging in place

Housing Wire

The data is clear: Older adults, when contemplating future living arrangements, would prefer to remain in their homes as long as feasibly possible. But for those who own homes with features or layouts that may not be conducive to aging in place, some are taking proactive measures — and spending a lot of money — to make their home suitable. This is according to a story published this month by the The Associated Press , which examines steps that some older homeowners are taking to ensure they can

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Veterans Affairs will suspend rule blocking vets from paying agents

Inman

Deputy Director of Policy Michelle Corridon said Tuesday the agency would lift rules preventing vets from using low-cost VA loans to pay agents until it engages in a formal rule-making process.

VA loan 195

More Trending

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How Many Homes Are Investors Actually Buying?

Keeping Current Matters

Are big investors really buying up all the homes today?

Investor 291
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Top cost-effective retail lenders produce loans at half the industry average: Freddie Mac

Housing Wire

The average cost for a retail mortgage lender to originate a loan reached $11,600 in the third quarter of 2023, up 35% — or nearly $3,000 per loan — when compared to fourth-quarter 2020, a period of low interest rates and high sales volume, according to a study published Tuesday by Freddie Mac. But the study also shows that top cost-effective retail lenders can produce loans at nearly half the cost of the industry average.

Loans 446
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Existing home sales lose more momentum in April

Real Estate News

Despite the sluggish pace, inventory is up, which is “nudging the market in a more buyer-friendly direction.

Sales 210
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Mortgage fraud risk remained low at the end of 2023: CoreLogic

Housing Wire

Mortgage fraud risk saw a modest uptick toward the end of 2023, according to CoreLogic ’s latest Mortgage Application Fraud Risk Index , although it remained largely stable on a year-over-year basis. The index reached 127 in Q4 2023, marking a 2.7% increase from the previous quarter, but compared to Q4 2022, the index decreased by 1%. Despite these fluctuations, overall risk levels have remained relatively flat.

Mortgages 451
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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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DOJ sends signal to industry in first commission comment since March

Inman

Statements made by a DOJ attorney during a May 21 status hearing in the Nosalek commission case offer new insights into the Justice Department's impression of the proposed NAR settlement.

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Are reverse mortgages for purchase a ‘sleeping giant?’ Pros are split

Housing Wire

According to the most recent annual report to Congress by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for Purchase (H4P) program saw its share of total HECM endorsements in 2023 rise to its highest level since 2019. That’s not saying all that much. H4P endorsements accounted for roughly 6% of the 32,963 HECMs endorsed for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insurance that fiscal year.

Mortgages 436
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With growing demand, Real launches luxury division

Inman

Several months after Kofi Nartey announced his team's move to Real, the brokerage has launched a new luxury division with Nartey serving as executive director.

Brokerage 194
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Florida Realtors CEO: Providing value to your clients

Housing Wire

Open the door to the most powerful room in housing. Join us at The Gathering 2025 in Denver, CO, June 8-11. Go here to lock in special pricing with your registration. Florida Realtors is known for the valuable services they offer members, including a Tech Helpline that is nationwide. Margy Grant will discuss building relationships through trust and transparency, the importance of tailored customer service, determining the needs of the people you serve and delivering top-notch tools to help build

431
431
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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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As disruption mounts, top agents will be dominant: Jimmy Burgess

Inman

The CEO for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties of Florida argued at Inman Connect Miami on Wednesday that real estate is like a race — and this moment is similar to a curve.

Agents 181
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LOs and agents: Creating collaboration instead of chaos in the homebuyer journey

Housing Wire

Open the door to the most powerful room in housing. Join us at The Gathering 2025 in Denver, CO, June 8-11. Go here to lock in special pricing with your registration. Join Abby Lee and Kelly Gill for a candid conversation on the dynamic relationship between LOs and real estate agents, with a focus on how marketing strategies can bolster their collaboration.

Agents 425
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8 fair housing terms every agent should know

Inman

Keller Williams' Julia Lashay Israel offers a glossary to help you navigate the complex landscape of fair housing regulations and provide fair and equal service to all clients.

Agents 177
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Certainty Home Lending adds national business development leader 

Housing Wire

Dallas -based Certainty Home Lending , an affiliate of Guaranteed Rate , named Shadi Kamran as its new national business development executive. Kamran is based in Los Angeles and will support Certainty’s strategy and sales performance. “Our comprehensive product suite offers solutions for virtually every mortgage and home financing need,” Kamran said in a statement.

Lending 422
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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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How Mauricio Umansky turned an irate Kelsey Grammer into a client

Inman

"Mauricio, you are a scum bag," Umansky recalled the Frasier actor shouting in a voice message. The Agency CEO shared how he converted Grammer during Inman Connect Miami on Wednesday.

Brokerage 176
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Trade groups want these reforms to reduce property tax foreclosures

Housing Wire

Unpaid property tax debts are leading to preventable foreclosures , with the greatest impacts on Black and Latino households and older homeowners living on fixed incomes. But if states take proactive measures to reform policies and disclosures around tax foreclosures, this could go a long way to prevent unnecessary home displacements. This is according to a jointly issued brief published this week by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and AARP.

Staging 418
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Tarek El Moussa talks cancer, tells agents to push through hardship

Inman

The star of "Flip or Flop" talked Tuesday at Inman Connect Miami about how professional hardships, cancer diagnoses and personal hardships paved his road to success.

Agents 179
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Mortgageball: Making a profit on $10,500 a loan

Housing Wire

Open the door to the most powerful room in housing. Join us at The Gathering 2025 in Denver, CO, June 8-11. Go here to lock in special pricing with your registration. The promises of the 2018 housing industry aren’t the promises of today. That hot tech thing or product that you had to have in 2018? Nobody’s talking about that anymore. And more importantly, if you haven’t moved on or committed to contracts that are too rooted in the past, chances are your P&L statement isn’t looking so great.

Loans 421
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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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 7 tips for using AI to find (and keep) real estate clients

Inman

In real estate, where every detail counts, AI can be the tool that sets you apart, Chris Pollinger writes. ChatGPT's new update allows you to do more than ever before.

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Majority homeownership: The future of housing is now

Housing Wire

Open the door to the most powerful room in housing. Join us at The Gathering 2025 in Denver, CO, June 8-11. Go here to lock in special pricing with your registration. If you’re still saying minority homeownership, you’re already losing. It’s time to take a hard look at the data. Any player who will be worth their weight in the future understands that the MAJORITY of their business will come from Hispanic and Black home shoppers.

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Existing-home sales dip in April — but rising inventory lifts high-end

Inman

Homes at the higher end of the market — priced at $1 million or more — enjoyed the spoils with inventory and sales rising by double digits from a year ago, according data released Wednesday by NAR.

Sales 171
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Nothing is off limits for buyers looking to get into the tight Rhode Island market

Housing Wire

From waiving inspections and financing contingencies, to free leasebacks and uncapped escalation clauses, real estate agents say that buyers in Rhode Island are willing to do almost anything to get into a house right now. “It is really frenetic,” said Rachael Dotson , a Rhode Island-based agent for Residential Properties Ltd. “People who really need to get into even a starter home are willing to extend themselves with offers in order to be successful.

Marketing 347
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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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Zillow launches AI tool to stop fair housing discrimination

Inman

The Fair Housing Classifier is an open-source tool aimed at helping real estate, technology and civil rights organizations create smarter, fair-housing compliant chatbot and search functions for their websites. The code is available on GitHub.

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Investors Are Putting Their Money in Build-to-Rent Homes at a Record Rate—What’s Causing the Frenzy?

Bigger Pockets

Investors are building single-family rental properties at an unprecedented rate, catering to a growing segment of renters seeking more space without the commitment of buying a home or the budget […]

Investor 130
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How will buyers pay for your services post-settlement? Pulse

Inman

With plenty of ideas in the air and very little certainty, we want to know what you think. How will buyers pay for their agents in the future?

Agents 181
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VA Will Suspend, Work On Changing Rule That Bans Buyer Commission

RIS Media

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to issue a circular before June 12 in the wake of the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) historic settlement, with hopes to “bridge the gap” on the buyer commission prohibition between buyers agents and veterans. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Director for Policy Michelle C. Corridon announced… The post VA Will Suspend, Work On Changing Rule That Bans Buyer Commission appeared first on RISMedia.

Agents 124
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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.