Creating Opportunities for Future Leaders

Above: Jillian Young VITALS: Premiere Plus Realty Years in business: 22 Size: 6 offices, 1,427 agents Regions served: Southwest Florida, Naples, Marco Island, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Bonita Springs 2024 Transactions: 4,439 2024 Sales Volume: $3,013,756,282 https://www.premiereplusrealty.com  Early in her career, Jillian Young saw small business owners, nonprofits and real estate agents struggling to… …more

National Hispanic Construction Alliance Announces Inaugural Board of Directors

The National Hispanic Construction Alliance (NHCA), a trade association powered by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP®) and dedicated to empowering the Hispanic Community in the construction industry, today announces the installation of its inaugural National Board of Directors.  Hispanic workers have been a key driver of progress in U.S. construction, contributing… …more

Why You Should Be Pursuing Failed and Expired Listings—and How to Find Them

Agents are constantly looking for new ways to gain an edge, generate leads and close more deals. One of the most powerful lead sources? Failed and expired listings. These are properties that were once listed on the market but didn’t sell.  Let’s explore why failed and expired listings are among the best lead sources and… …more

Weichert Names New Regional President of the Capital Region

Weichert, Realtors has announced that Kara Koonce has been named regional president of the Capital Region. In this role, Koonce will be responsible for the management and growth of 12 Weichert offices located in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. “I am thrilled to welcome Kara to the leadership team at Weichert,” said Joe McDonald, president… …more

California and New Jersey Counties Face Greatest Housing Market Risk: Study

California and New Jersey counties dominated the list of the nation’s most vulnerable housing markets in this year’s first quarter, accounting for nearly half of the 50 most at-risk markets, according to ATTOM’s latest Special Housing Risk Report. Basing risk on affordability, foreclosures, unemployment rates and proportion of seriously underwater mortgages—where the combined balance of… …more

Meet the Mortgage Maven, a 40-Year Industry Icon Still Rockin’

Above, Melissa Cohn. Photo by Jill Lotenberg Melissa Cohn knew early on in life that she had the drive and desire to do something exceptional with her life. She just didn’t know what it would be yet. “I’ve always been very entrepreneurial,” she says. “I started my first business when I was nine years old,… …more

Broker Who Sued NAR Restarts Case With Legal Representation

Like a lot of real estate professionals, California broker John Diaz is used to doing things on his own. When he decided to sue the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and local REALTOR® associations last year, he represented himself in a short-lived case accusing the defendants of violating antitrust laws through multi-level membership fees and… …more

Affordability, Inventory and Fear: Realtor.com Chief Economist Breaks Down the Numbers

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Despite geopolitical tensions and recession concerns, the housing market shows resilience with growing interest from international buyers and rising inventory levels.  During the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Legislative Meetings last week, Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale provided an analysis of the market, diving into buyer activity, housing supply, regional data and obstacles preventing… …more

Red Alert! 4 Paint Choices That Can Impact a Home’s Value

It’s an owner’s choice to display whatever colors they like inside and outside their home. But that may need to change when they decide to sell. Then they should be trying to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. The avoidance of trendy or overly bold colors can lead to a more versatile and… …more

Florida Century 21 Brokerage Announces Merger

CENTURY 21 Myers Realty, a regional brokerage with six offices serving Central Florida, has announced a merger with the local PAL Realty—a firm specializing in 55+ active adult communities. The formerly independent firm, founded in 2006 and based in Leesburg, Florida, will now do business as CENTURY 21 Myers Realty and leverage its new brand… …more

Staying Ahead of the Curve With Secure Digital Payments

Above: Kim Luckow and David Mussari. Real estate transactions are moving faster than ever before, and for anyone moving money in the real estate business, streamlining the process of collecting earnest money deposits, sending and requesting commission payments, issuing refunds and requesting rental deposits is critical.     Searching for a way to simplify payment processes, thanks… …more

Investors Selling Homes Fast—and Getting Picky About Where They Buy New Ones

In a new report from Realtor.com®, real estate investors were found to have sold homes at a record pace in 2024, while choosing carefully which states they valued when deciding to buy new ones. Looking at the raw sales numbers, investors offloaded about 509,000 properties last year, which was fewer than in 2021 and 2022,… …more

Consumer Housing Sentiment Bounces Back in May: Fannie Mae Survey

Consumer confidence in the housing market climbed to its highest level this year as Americans relay feeling more hopeful about real estate and the direction of mortgage rates, according to Fannie Mae’s latest National Housing Survey released Monday. Five of six factors included in Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) improved in May; only… …more

Consumer Price Index—Including Housing Costs—Inches Up

The ongoing back-and-forth over tariffs has caused concerns about costs of imported goods, passed onto U.S. consumers, spiking inflation. The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of the key measures of inflation, looks at inflation data as of May 2025 and was seen by some economists—including Bright MLS… …more

How Trump’s Slimmed-Down CFPB Might Impact Fair Housing, Consumer Protections

The Trump administration has made sweeping changes at all levels of the federal government, slashing spending, cutting staffing and revamping policies to fit its agenda. There’s no place where this is more evident than at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).  This week, multiple media outlets reported that a CFPB Enforcement Director Cara Petersen resigned,… …more

Mortgage Applications Surge This Week

While the state of the economy may still be experiencing some uncertainty, it appears that increasing inventory in some areas is having an overall positive impact on loan application volume, which economists report this week was 20% ahead of last year at this time. According to the latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey from the Mortgage… …more

Over 2.5 Million Homeowners File for Their Piece of the Gibson and Burnett Settlements

Over 2.5 million homeowner claims have been submitted—both digitally and via paper—for the settlements in the Burnett and Gibson cases, according to a recent filing in the district court of the Western District of Missouri. The filing comes from JND Legal Administration—the law firm overseeing the administrative tasks of the 29 settlements in the Burnett… …more

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Announces California Affiliation

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has announced that The Platinum Realty Group, based in Tehachapi, California, has affiliated with the company, which will now do business as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Platinum Realty Group. The brokerage is led by broker/owner Christy Rabe, who founded Platinum in 2018 after previously serving as an… …more

Century 21 Expands in Mendocino County, California With Ukiah Brokerage Affiliation

Century 21 Real Estate LLC has announced it is increasing its brand’s presence in Mendocino County, California, with the affiliation of Kobetz Realty, Inc. in Ukiah.  The full-service brokerage was founded in 2020 by current broker/owner Benjamin Kobetz, the company stated. In the five years since Kobetz established his firm, he stated he has built… …more

Former Real Brokerage CFO Sues for Discrimination, Alleges Financial Impropriety

Former Real Brokerage chief financial officer Michelle Ressler, who was terminated in April based on what the company described as violations of policy, is suing her former employer in federal court, claiming that the company pushed her out due to her becoming a mother. Accusing Real of gender and pregnancy discrimination, defamation and retaliation, in… …more