National News

[update] NAR: GOP tax plan passed by House is big win for real estate

Described by members as “very positive” for real estate, the tax plan now includes five provisions that were among NAR’s top priorities. 

HomeSmart upgrades yard signs with SmartSigns and SmartRiders

HomeSmart’s yard signs will now have QR codes and NFC (Near Field Communication) tags allowing home shoppers to access property details.

NAR: Staging a home can increase sale price by up to 10%

Homes that are professionally staged not only attract more attention from potential buyers — they also sell faster and for more money, according to data from the National Association of Realtors’® 2025 Profile of Home Staging.  

Keller Williams hires CFO, makes interim COO’s appointment official

New CFO Tim Dieffenbecher previously served with CEO Chris Czarnecki at Broadstone Net Lease and Broadstone Real Estate. 

Cotality: Pace of home-price growth slows in March on economic concerns

Despite the deceleration, the company, formerly known as CoreLogic, expects prices to rise another 4.9% over the next year.

Breaking into the luxury market starts with crafting a presence

Building a luxury real estate brand starts with a luxurious website, says Malte Kramer, founder and CEO of Luxury Presence.

March’s interest-rate slide prompts jump in pending home sales

The National Association of REALTORS’® Pending Home Sales Index rose 6.9% in March, compared to economists’ expectations of a smaller 1% gain.

Private listings: Harbinger of seller choice or threat to market equality?

Compass and NWMLS have been engaged in a months-long back-and-forth regarding private listings and NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy. The latest development? A federal lawsuit.

Compass sues NWMLS

The brokerage announced its pursuit in a press release on April 25.

New-home sales climb in March in the face of high mortgage rates

The pace of sales rose 7.4% compared to February, topping analyst estimates by a large margin.

Matthew Gardner’s Q1 2025 market insights

Prominent real estate economist Matthew Gardner shares insights on the first quarter of 2025 — including his takes on tariffs, immigration, brokerage acquisitions, mortgage rates and more.

MBA: Mortgage applications fall almost 13% on interest rate surge

The average 30-year mortgage saw its contract interest rate jump to 6.90% from 6.81% the week before, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. 

New-home construction drops more than expected in March

The surprisingly large decline in the pace of housing starts comes as builder sentiment remains depressed by tariff worries and high prices. 

eXp Realty challenges other brokerages to adopt new seller advisory form warning of private listings

Parejo added that eXp’s recent decision to adhere to Zillow’s anti-private listing policy is not exclusive to the online portal.

Redfin joins the Clear Cooperation fray; won’t publish listings until they’re on the MLS

In a statement, Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman also asked MLSs to create a “coming-soon” designation that precludes search sites from showing listing history. 

Zillow prohibits privately-marketed listings, eXp commits to sharing within 24 hours

eXp Realty was the first brokerage to publicly join Zillow, announcing its commitment to ensuring eXp listings are available on Zillow within 24 hours of marketing to consumers.

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