The mid-September Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting came with a unanimous vote to hike interest rates, after many economists predicted that outcome. Minutes from the meeting released today, however, reveal some of the thinking behind that decision. The minutes offer a closer look at the reasoning behind the Fed’s rate hike. Based on…

The post Notes From Fed Meeting Cite AI, Tariffs and Geopolitical Conflicts for Rate Hike appeared first on RISMedia.

New Zillow research found that where a six-figure earner lives can be the difference between renting a four-bedroom house with a yard and a 650-square-foot apartment. A $100,000 salary is a meaningful advantage in today’s rental market, translating directly into more space, more options and more financial breathing room. But earning six figures doesn’t offer…

The post $100K Rents a House in Memphis, a One-Bedroom in San Jose appeared first on RISMedia.

Borrowers looking to purchase or refinance their homes continue to sit on the sidelines, hesitant to make a move as mortgage rates sailed past the seven-percent mark and arrived at their highest level in almost three years–at one point hitting 7.49% last week. The latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure…

The post Buyers Continue Holding Back; Refinance Applications Hit Lowest Point Since 2025 appeared first on RISMedia.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Housing has been on a rollercoaster ride in the last two years, and 2027 is shaping up to be more of the same. Even though real estate has certainly seen its down cycles, this time is different, a leading economist told real estate executives last Friday at RISMedia’s 38th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange.…

The post As Housing Picture Dims, Agents Should Use Local Data to Tell the Right Story: Bright MLS Economist appeared first on RISMedia.

Higher mortgage rates are reshaping the fall housing market, pushing more sellers to reduce prices while fewer buyers move forward with a purchase, according to the recently released Realtor.com® September 2026 Monthly Housing Trends Report. The share of active listings with a price reduction rose to 20.8% in September, up 0.9 percentage points from a…

The post Price Cuts Reach September Record as Inventory Nears Pre-Pandemic Levels appeared first on RISMedia.

One day after Compass’s deadline for MLSs to change rules or get sued, another listing service is defying the mega-brokerage, with Texas-based Unlock MLS alleging Compass mischaracterizes its rules—and has also privately praised those same policies before threatening litigation. In a letter from Ellen Sessions, a lawyer representing Unlock, addressed to Compass and dated Oct.…

The post Another MLS Defies Compass, Says Brokerage Privately Endorsed Rules appeared first on RISMedia.

As mortgage rates surpass the 7% threshold and revisions to the latest jobs report reveals a lackluster employment trend, buyers have continued to traverse a chaotic market with rising inflation against them. Yet, a recent study by nationwide mortgage lender and loan servicer Newrez reveals that despite financial struggles, homeowners are still confident in their…

The post Report: Homeowners Confident in Making Mortgage Payments, Even as Credit Card Debt Grows appeared first on RISMedia.

Lofty—the CRM and marketing platform for the real estate industry—announced a significant legal and legislative victory following California Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature of Senate Bill 690 (SB 690) into law, eliminating the private right of action for pen register claims under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).  According to a release, SB 690 effectively…

The post Lofty Helps Pass Senate Bill 690 Into Law, Eliminating Private CIPA Claims Against California Businesses appeared first on RISMedia.

United® Real Estate has announced the company has been named to the Franchise Times Top 400 for the 10th consecutive year, earning a decade of recognition among the nation’s largest franchise organizations in systemwide sales. According to a release, United’s continued growth points to a shift underway among successful independent brokerages: Operating a real estate…

The post United Real Estate Recognized Among Largest U.S. Franchisors for 10th Consecutive Year appeared first on RISMedia.

Realtor.com has announced the launch of RealAssist AI in Realtor.com+, an AI-powered layer designed to set busy real estate professionals up for success by helping them work faster, stay ahead of client activity and take action with more confidence, without losing time to manual busywork, according to a release. Realtor.com noted that since its January…

The post Realtor.com+ Unveils RealAssist AI for Agents to Power a More Intelligent Workspace appeared first on RISMedia.