A judge dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Zillow and a real estate brokerage, saying that lawyers representing homebuyers who used Zillow’s mortgage services or were referred to agents through the portal’s lead-selling service did not meet the legal standard to move forward. Plaintiffs had alleged that Zillow’s practices were deceptive, violating RESPA, racketeering and consumer…

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Above, from left, Creig Northrop, Eric Elfman, Kymber Lovett-Menkiti, Chip Murphy and Emmett Laffey While most believe the real estate agent exodus is ultimately a good thing for the industry, what does it mean for brokers when it comes to recruiting and retention strategies? In an upcoming session at RISMedia’s CEO & Leadership Exchange, being…

The post CEO Panel: The Shrinking Agent Population and How It’s Changing Recruiting appeared first on RISMedia.

Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Federal lawmakers investigate MRED-Compass partnership A federal congressional committee sent letters to Compass CEO Robert Reffkin and MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen in relation to their partnership, scrutinizing the relationship between the nation’s largest…

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Leading Las Vegas brokerage huntington & ellis (h&e), a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, said the company raised more than $43,000 in June for 10 Southern Nevada nonprofit organizations, the largest amount the company has raised in a single month since its founding. The funds were raised through 10 Days of…

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California independent brokerage FirstTeam® Real Estate has announced a joint partnership with Purlin®, an AI-operating layer for real estate.  According to a release, by deploying PurlinOS, Purlin Close and Purlin Offer & Negotiate across the brokerage, FirstTeam is unifying workflows and software within a single intelligent AI operating foundation that connects agents, teams, clients, contracts…

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In today’s frazzled residential real estate market, with mortgage rates stubbornly high and inventory issues in many parts of the land dovetailing high prices for homebuyers, it is always nice to see some data favorable to buyers. Namely—builders have overestimated the demand for their finished houses and are slashing prices in many cities, according to…

The post Good News for Buyers! Builders Are Cutting Home Prices All Over the U.S. appeared first on RISMedia.

We’ve explored how a strong brand is a driver of growth. But for many teams, the challenge isn’t growth—it’s sustainability. That’s becoming more important as teams move through a market defined by consolidation, rising operational complexity and changing consumer expectations. Navigating these challenges requires the right systems, operational alignment and collaborative support.                        Teams need a…

The post From Growth to Stability: How Real Estate Teams Build for the Long Term appeared first on RISMedia.

With inventory remaining tight and many homeowners reluctant to give up their low mortgage rates, finding new listings isn’t as simple as it once was. This ongoing “lock-in effect” has left many real estate agents competing for a smaller pool of active listings. For continuous business growth, it pays to pair MLS access with other…

The post How to Find and Connect With Off-Market Leads in 2026 appeared first on RISMedia.

Above, from left, Sean Hostert, John Clidy, Gabby Maddox and Andy and Lesley Peters Keller Williams Realty (KW) has announced key leadership appointments aimed at accelerating agent-count growth, franchise productivity and KW Commercial expansion. The appointments include Sean Hostert as head of commercial operations and strategy, John Clidy as head of divisions, Gabby Maddox Davis…

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Editor’s Note: The Mortgage Mix is RISMedia’s biweekly highlight reel of need-to-know mortgage-industry happenings. Watch for it every other Friday afternoon. – During the back half of July, mortgage rates have climbed to their highest levels since August 2025, with the 30 year fixed rate hovering above 6.5%. Despite this rise, attributed to renewed escalation…

The post Mortgage Mix: Rates Hit Their Highest Level in Nearly a Year; Foreclosures Up appeared first on RISMedia.