NAR chief economist: Don’t expect big changes in mortgage rates

Speaking at NAR’s Real Estate Forecast Summit on Wednesday, Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said “inventory is turning” and the housing market is heading back toward a pre-COVID normal. Continue reading

Commission study paid for by HomeServices comes under fire

The study argues that decoupling commissions would harm first-time, low-income, and minority buyers, but critics like the Consumer Federation of America say it’s based on a faulty premise. Continue reading

Pending home sales take nosedive in June, signaling a bleak August

Pending home sales dropped 8.6 percent in June, suggesting a drop in home closings just around the corner, according to figures released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. Continue reading

After discrimination reveal, LIBOR to tackle fair housing on Long Island

The Realtor organization’s new campaign comes after a sweeping investigation in which journalists found endemic discrimination among Long Island’s real estate community. Continue reading

Anti-LGBTQ Missoula pastor takes fight from court to state senate

Pastor and Realtor Brandon Huber lost his religious discrimination suit against the National Association of Realtors and the Montana Organization of Realtors. Now he’s teamed up with several Montana legislators to dismantle NAR’s hate speech provision … Continue reading

Home sales fall for 5th month as median prices hit record high

Sales of existing homes ticked down 5.4 percent between May and June, falling 14.2 percent from a year ago, as median prices rose to $416,000, according to the National Association of Realtors. Continue reading

Why super long mortgages won’t be a thing, and why that’s good news

Longer loans, including a 50-year concept recently floated in the U.K., are sometimes framed as a way to improve housing affordability. But the experts aren’t convinced. Continue reading

New MLS company will sell data, pay brokers for their listings

REdistribute, formed by California Regional MLS and Bright MLS, is a joint venture that plans to deliver aggregated MLS data to financial institutions starting in 2023. Continue reading

Does a jump in demand fully explain the pandemic housing market?

A new report from the Fed suggests it was spiking demand, not a lack of homes for sale, that sent prices skyrocketing over the past two years. Continue reading

Everything you need to know about the bombshell commission lawsuits

A slew of lawsuits may radically change how agents get paid and real estate generally. Here’s Inman’s deep dive into what’s going on and what it all means. Continue reading