From the growth in iBuyers, to innovative new partnerships, to not one, but two Power Brokers rising to the top, 2019 brought changes in the industry, and surprises. Below, the most popular real estate stories of the year:
2020 Housing Market: What the Experts Think
Balance. Everyone felt it at the start of the year—conditions leveling, the market yin and yanging. About half of Power Brokers sensed it, too—that the current cycle’s ending, and a different dynamic’s emerging. Now, the consensus is similar…MORE
iBuyer Lies Are Hurting Your Business
For more than 25 years, I’ve coached agents to get to their next level by helping them stay ahead of the game in terms of their knowledge and skillsets. In today’s world of 24/7 information (and often misinformation), the time to be diligent about…MORE
NAR Slams Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, Defends REALTOR® Value
According to an op-ed published on March 3 in the Wall Street Journal, “When You Buy or Sell a Home, Realty Bites,” featuring commentary from Jack Ryan, co-founder and CEO, and Jonathan Friedland, head of Brand, Communications…MORE
Relationships First: How HomeServices Became the Nation’s Largest Residential Real Estate Company
On the heels of commemorating its 20th anniversary in 2018, HomeServices of America has a new milestone to celebrate this year: taking the No. 1 spot in U.S. residential transactions. While you could attribute several factors to the firm’s…MORE
A New Home and Free Smart Tech? Amazon Embarks on Massive Home-Buying Program With Realogy
Alexa might not answer (yet), but Amazon will. Finding a real estate agent and settling into a new home has now been streamlined into one process with Amazon’s new TurnKey program, which partners with Realogy Holdings Corp.—the largest…MORE
Coldwell Banker Announces ‘Project North Star’ Rebrand—Its First in 40 Years
Coldwell Banker Real Estate is embarking on a major rebrand, entitled “Project North Star,” and enlisting its network to shape the transformation. “We wanted every single one of our agents to be on this journey with us, so we decided to take…MORE
RE/MAX and Redfin Exclusive Partnership Terminated
RE/MAX withdrew from its corporate partnership with Redfin, a deal only just announced in March. The partnership, in which Redfin was to provide referrals to RE/MAX agents in Canada and roughly 5,000 zip codes in the U.S., was originally reported…MORE
The Evolution of Agent Teams
While the growth of agent teams has been prolific in the last decade, and the effectiveness of the team model has been proven many times over, the art of forming, operating and succeeding with an agent team is complex, and requires…MORE
Facebook Ad Changes: How Will They Affect Real Estate Agents?
Federal housing laws prohibit the discrimination of people based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability and family status, but for years, civil rights advocates have been warning that Facebook’s ad targeting can be used to…MORE
Instagram Is Removing Likes: What You Need to Know
Since its creation in 2010, Instagram has become one of the top social media platforms. According to recent stats, 1 billion people use Instagram every month. Even with its booming popularity, Instagram is releasing a major change to the U.S. app..MORE
Long-Awaited Win for FHA Condo Approvals
Condominiums are often the most affordable homeownership option for first-time buyers, small families, single people, urban residents and older Americans looking to downsize. Beginning Oct. 15, 2019, buying a condo with an FHA-insured loan…MORE
Fed Announces Cut: What Will Happen to Mortgage Rates?
In an anticipated move, the Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate in July, decreased to the 2 percent to 2.25 percent range—a bid to preempt a possible recession. Why? At the conclusion of the Fed’s June meeting, the agency had…MORE
What RISMedia stories interested you the most this year? Leave a comment below!
