When Thomas Jefferson noted that all men (and women) are created equal, he didn’t mean real estate agents. Since you’ve gone to the trouble of reading this, you’re clearly serious about your craft. Not so for many others. They are the ones who will find that clients today are much savvier than they used to…

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HomeSmart has announced a new strategic partnership with Rockstar Connect, a networking event platform. The group, founded and led by Steven David Elliot, will focus on growth efforts across the brokerage’s nationwide foothold.  Rockstar Connect focuses on relationship-driven, in-person network strengthening events, the company stated. Boasting more than 100,000 attendees at its events over the…

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Mixed signals continue coming from the U.S. housing market, as the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported this week that home-purchase applications decreased for a second week while refinances increased, even as rates hit their highest point since August of last year. The latest Market Composite Index from the MBA—its measure of mortgage loan activity volume…

The post Home-Purchase Applications Pulled Back, Refis Up Despite Rate Hike appeared first on RISMedia.

While 2026 has been thrown some curveballs almost no one could predict, the market this year has remained resilient as most housing indicators point to slight improvements. However, many markets are outpacing broader trends, largely due to limited inventory and high competition.  As we pass through the halfway point for the year, how have the…

The post Report: How the Hottest Markets Are Shifting—or Not—Halfway Through 2026 appeared first on RISMedia.

Todd Luong knows all the usual gripes regarding the current state of residential real estate, and is quick to shrug his shoulders. Elevated mortgage rates? No big deal. Limited inventory? Whatever. High home prices? Get serious. As with so many other industry professionals, those factors can affect sales for the longtime agent with REMAX DFW…

The post Shrinking Soil, Hailstorms, Lightning Strikes and Tornadoes: A Texas Real Estate Tale appeared first on RISMedia.

In yet another major escalation in its effort to re-shape the foundations of real estate, Compass filed a cascade of state-level ethics complaints Tuesday through 30 Realtor associations, at least 50 MLSs and real estate regulators across 26 states, targeting Zillow and focusing on allegedly misleading property designations on listings. A source with direct knowledge…

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When it comes to homeownership carrying costs, property taxes and homeowners insurance are among the most expensive and unavoidable. In recent years, insurance premiums in particular have risen across the U.S. largely due to climate change-driven natural disasters; increased claims tend to result in upped premiums for every market an insurer covers, rather than only…

The post Homeowners Paying More for Insurance Than Property Taxes in Almost One Third of U.S. States appeared first on RISMedia.

At a time when residential real estate is confronting existential threats from ongoing litigation, massive industry consolidation, changing consumer needs and the rapid advancement of AI, strengthening the industry’s leadership pipeline has never been more important. To that end, the Women’s Council of Realtors® announced it has brought on Tripti Kasal as CEO, a respected…

The post Women’s Council of Realtors® Brings on Executive Leadership Expert to Expand Membership Amid ‘Profound Change’ appeared first on RISMedia.

According to a regulatory filing yesterday, Real’s bid to purchase REMAX for $880 million is moving forward—as far as the Department of Justice (DOJ) is concerned—with a waiting period created to allow antitrust review of big corporate mergers passing today. In the statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Real said that the…

The post Real-REMAX Deal Clears DOJ and FTC Scrutiny appeared first on RISMedia.

The last time Google dipped a toe into real estate search, it walked away. Now, it’s going all in.  The search giant announced it was expanding its real estate listings pilot to all 50 states this summer, powered by a partnership with data firm HouseCanary. As more brokerages and MLSs sign on to the initiative…

The post Google Enters Portal Wars Fray. Here’s What It Means for Listings, Leads and the Future of Home Search appeared first on RISMedia.