New anti-money laundering rule for cash purchases is now in effect

Under the new rule, when a legal entity or trust purchases a piece of residential real estate without the use of financing, closing or settlement agents must report details of the transaction. Continue reading

James Dwiggins: The point of the MLS is so ‘we don’t go back to the way it was 40 years ago’ (VIDEO)

Dwiggins appeared on stage with Realtor.com CEO Damian Eales and Canopy MLS CEO Anne Marie DeCatseye to debate private listings, consolidation and more. Continue reading

Prosecutors intend to drop 2 charges against Alexanders as defense readies arguments

The two counts are related to alleged victims who had planned to appear in court, but never did. This week, the defense is expected to begin its case. Continue reading

The stage is set for a better spring, agents say: Client Pipeline Tracker

Agents are sticking to their guns in recent Intel Index surveys, arguing that their existing pipelines look better than a few months ago — and that their hopes are higher for the year ahead. Their cautious optimism is about to be put to the test. Continue reading

Being found in the age of AI: The collapse of the ‘I’m the best’ era

Attention is now rented, and authority is infrastructure, Molly McKinley and Lauren Henss write. That means instead of the attention economy, we are now operating in the trust economy. Continue reading

Watchdog: Beef up referral fee disclosure or prepare for lawsuits

A report released on Tuesday by the Consumer Policy Center suggested lawsuits will follow if brokerages, real estate portals and regulators don’t step in and add transparency first. Continue reading

Housing market splinters as inflation outpaces price growth

S&P Global, the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Redfin all released housing reports on Tuesday, revealing fracturing pricing trends and the market’s struggle to settle into a new normal. Continue reading

Mortgage rates have dipped below 6%. Here’s where it may unlock more transactions

The drop to 5.99 percent on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the wake of shifting tariff policies could unlock transactions in select markets in the Midwest and South, according to an analysis from Realtor.com. Continue reading

CoStar lays off staff amid drastic Homes.com cost-cutting campaign

The company has vowed to slash over 35 percent of its spending on Homes.com after years of attempting to build a fourth major real estate listings search portal. Continue reading

Affordability is better, but buyers are still bailing out of contracts

Pending home sales slid on a monthly and annual basis in January, despite improving market factors. However, several economists urged agents to stay calm, saying a sales boost will likely come this spring. Continue reading