Fed Minutes Show Board Divided Over December Rate Cut
Consumer NewsAt a recent public appearance at Oxford University, Federal Reserve Board Governor Christopher Waller confirmed that he plans to vote for a 25-basis-point cut at the next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in December. However, during a subsequent Q&A, Waller foretold that observers may find there is currently less “groupthink” at the Fed. The… …more
Joining United Yields MORE® for Oregon Brokerage
Consumer NewsAbove, Denise and Paul Knighton Paul and Denise Knighton Founders MORE® Realty Portland, Oregon https://www.MORErealty.com Region served: Oregon, Washington, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho Years in real estate (combined): 33 Number of offices: 12 Number of agents: 900 Since founding MORE® Realty 10 years ago, you’ve grown to 900 agents and are now the largest Oregon-based… …more
Mortgage Applications Take a Break as Rates Hit 4-Week High
Consumer NewsAfter a period of relatively steady activity, home purchase applications fell back this week as mortgage rates reached recent multi-week highs. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports that the market composite index—the measure of mortgage loan activity volume—decreased 5.2% from one week earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Nov. 14, following… …more
Report: Housing Affordability and Rising Costs Are Biggest Challenges for Real Estate Firms
Consumer NewsReal estate firms are reporting housing affordability and rising as the biggest challenges they face, and expect to continue facing, according to a new report from the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR’s 2025 Profile of Real Estate Firms found that 56% of firms reported housing affordability as a major challenge they expect to continue facing… …more
Real Estate’s AI Hype: What It Gets Right (and Wrong) as Brokerages, Agents Adapt
Consumer NewsAI has entered the real estate chat—and it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. While some say the AI bubble may burst in the next year or two, that’s not the feeling you get perusing real estate tradeshow exhibit halls where vendors pitch AI solutions for just about everything. Whether it’s the promise… …more
Zillow Partners With Esusu, Launching CreditClimb to Help Renters Build Credit
Consumer NewsZillow® is announcing a new way for renters to turn their monthly payments into real financial progress with CreditClimb, a credit-building tool powered by fintech firm Esusu. Renters nationwide can enroll directly through Zillow to have their on-time rent payments automatically reported to all three major credit bureaus for $20 a year. CreditClimb also claims… …more
LeadingRE Welcomes Renowned to Solution Group Program
Consumer NewsLeading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) announced that Renowned will join its Solutions Group program of preferred business resources for its global network of 550 real estate firms. “Renowned’s marketing platform helps brokerages and agents build visibility and trust, which is essential to success in our industry,” said Jim Psyhogios, LeadingRE’s vice president… …more
Samuelson Takes the Stand at Hearing, Addresses Using New Listing Rules as ‘Deterrence’
Consumer NewsNEW YORK CITY–As the afternoon session of the Compass-Zillow preliminary injunction hearing got underway in courtroom 14C at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in downtown Manhattan on Nov. 18, with Judge Jeannette Vargas presiding, the intensity from the morning session continued with Compass CEO Robert Reffkin on the stand. Throughout the day, attorney Bonnie… …more
Reffkin Takes the Stand as Zillow and Compass Debate ‘Contagion’ of Private Listings
Consumer NewsNEW YORK CITY—Facing off in what seems more and more like a battle for the future of real estate, Zillow and Compass kicked off a four-day evidentiary trial in the Southern District of New York this morning in their high-stakes dispute over restrictions around private listings, with Compass CEO Robert Reffkin taking the stand to… …more
Thanks for Checking in, but Manhattan’s Doing Just Fine
Consumer NewsThe past few weeks, I’ve heard from more than a few friends and colleagues and even relatives outside of New York: “Are people really leaving? How bad is it? Are you moving?” It’s an understandable sentiment given the flood of national headlines suggesting that New Yorkers are once again packing up for Connecticut or Florida,… …more
Weichert, Realtors Promotes David Murawinski to Regional President of North Jersey, New York
Consumer NewsWeichert, Realtors announced that David Murawinski has been named regional president of North Jersey/New York. In this role, Murawinski will be responsible for the management and growth of 11 Weichert offices located throughout Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties in New Jersey; New York City; and Rockland, Orange, Dutchess and Westchester counties in New York.?Murawinski was… …more
BeachesMLS Partners With Roomvo AI Platform to Bring Listings to Life
Consumer NewsBeachesMLS, operated by Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, has announced a new partnership with Roomvo aimed to provide Realtors® and consumers with a new way to envision property potential in listings. “At BeachesMLS, our goal is to empower Realtors® with tools that elevate their business and the experience they deliver to consumers everyday,”… …more
West and South See Widespread Losses in Home Value, Signaling Market Normalization
Consumer NewsDespite home prices remaining historically high, new research from Zillow shows that more and more homes are losing value in the U.S. in 2025, signaling some normalization coming to the housing market. Zillow’s new report—based on Zestimate® data—found that 53% of all U.S. homes have lost value since 2024. This is the highest share of… …more
Luxury Report: October Was a Market Defined by Balance and Maturity
Consumer NewsAccording to the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing’s October’s 2025 Luxury Market Report the luxury real estate market is one of balance, maturity and steadily rising confidence. A market holding steady—by design October’s performance underscored that the luxury sector is neither overheating nor cooling. Instead, it is functioning with a level of equilibrium that suggests… …more
Builder Sentiment Struggles Following Government Shutdown
Consumer NewsThe recent government shutdown—coupled with economic uncertainty due to tariffs and rising construction costs—has kept builder sentiment down this month, according to data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) found that builder sentiment rose only one point to 38 in November, remaining in the negative… …more
JBGoodwin Secures Fifth Consecutive First-Place Top Workplace Awards in Austin and San Antonio
Consumer NewsJBGoodwin REALTORS® has announced that both its Austin and San Antonio Divisions have earned first place in their respective 2025 Top Workplaces regional awards, marking the fifth consecutive year each market has achieved this top ranking. These latest distinctions also represent the 15th overall Top Workplaces recognition in Austin and the 14th overall recognition in… …more
Fed Governor Chris Waller Endorses Rate Cut at Next Fed Meeting
Consumer NewsAt the next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting Dec. 9-10, the final one of 2025, the voting committee will decide whether to adjust interest rates—with one voting member, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller, already making his voting intentions clear. In a Monday, Nov. 17 appearance at the Society of Professional Economists held at Oxford… …more
PropStream to Host Free ‘Year-End Power Plays’ Webinar
Consumer NewsPropSteam will be hosting a free webinar next month for real estate professionals, a three-day webinar series designed to help turn data and conversations into closings. The webinar, “Connect to Close: Year-End Power Plays,” will feature live demos, real-time outbound calls using the newly introduced BatchDialer, playbooks and insider insights from top experts, according to… …more
Taking 2026 By Storm: Seizing the Opportunities in Today’s Market
Consumer NewsAfter another tough year for real estate, brokerage leaders are ready to turn the corner and hit the ground running in 2026 to take advantage of a gradually improving market. Brokers and agents can learn what’s on the minds of the nation’s top industry executives by tuning into RISMedia’s 6th Annual Real Estate’s Rocking in… …more
PropStream Launches New BatchDialer Quick Access
Consumer NewsPropStream has announced a new enhancement, The BatchDialer Quick Access button, designed to help users move faster and work more efficiently, according to a release. This update is part of an ongoing effort to enhance cross-product compatibility, providing real estate professionals with a more seamless experience when using PropStream for lead generation and BatchDialer for… …more