As the year closes out, we’re looking back at some of the trends that have defined success for real estate professionals across the board in 2025—chief among them the growing embrace of AI. In an ever-evolving market that sees consistent innovation in hardware, software and strategy, staying ahead begins with paying attention to those shifts…

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Universal Consulting Opportunities (UCO), a subsidiary of Stellar MLS, has continued its international engagement in 2025, supporting multiple markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. The organization provides consulting, strategy development and educational resources to help real estate professionals and organizations adopt MLS frameworks and modernize practices. In the past year,…

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Above: Pearson Smith Realty Staff and Leadership at D.C. metro regional meeting. Eric Pearson CEO Chris Boris Principal Broker Pearson Smith Realty Ashburn, Virginia www.PearsonSmithRealty.com  Region served: Metro D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia Years in real estate: 10 Number of offices: 5 Number of agents: 1,112 Key to continued growth and success: Agent productivity,…

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When a homeowner owes more on their mortgage than the property is worth, they’re considered “upside down” or in a negative-equity position. And these situations are more common than many agents realize. As of Q3 2025, 2.8% of all mortgaged residential properties in the U.S. were considered seriously underwater, meaning the combined loan balances were…

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As we head into 2026, mortgage rates are expected to remain in line with today’s rates, which, while not the sharp decline some buyers may have been hoping for, are enough to see modest home price growth in the new year, economists predict.  The latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), released by Freddie Mac Thursday,…

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The lock-in effect—the gap between existing mortgage payments and the cost of financing a home today—continues to widely affect housing supply and is “trapping” homeowners into staying where they are, according to new data from Realtor.com®.   The new Realtor.com report details how a homeowner wishing to move but locked-in at a lower mortgage rate…

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Homeownership remains a priority for many Americans despite housing market fluctuations this year. A recent consumer survey conducted by REMAX highlights how market conditions and lifestyle preferences are shaping homebuyers’ plans. While affordability remains a key concern, buyers are also prioritizing neighborhood safety, social connection and access to lifestyle-enhancing amenities. These preferences underscore that buyers…

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BBB National Programs’ Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP) has worked with Zillow Group to bring several of its digital platforms—Zillow, Trulia, HotPads and StreetEasy—into alignment with the Digital Advertising Alliance’s (DAA) Self-Regulatory Principles for interest-based advertising (IBA), according to a release issued Dec. 10. DAAP’s routine monitoring identifies third-party data collection for IBA on Zillow.com…

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Above, Fed Chair Jerome Powell The Federal Reserve has announced its third interest rate cut of the year—its third in a row—closing out its final Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting of 2025. The FOMC announced at its December meeting today that it has cut interest rates by a quarter-percentage point. This follows a 25-basis-point…

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The Real Brokerage, the fast-growing tech-focused brokerage that has made waves in recent years, announced on Dec. 10 that Southern California real estate leader Freeman Wang and his 50-agent team have joined Real through Harvest Realty, which operates under Real’s Private Label program. Wang’s team closed 430 homes totaling $425 million in sales volume in…

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