National News

Robert Reffkin retains position as most powerful person in real estate

The publication cited acquisitions of Anywhere Real Estate and @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, as well as Compass’ improved profitability in 2025, as evidence of Reffkin’s power in the industry.

2026 opens with a dip in builder confidence, interest rates 

Affordability challenges continue to bedevil homebuyers, despite mortgage rates falling to a three-year low, the National Association of Home Builders reported. 

Report: Immigrants drive housing production in top US homebuilding metros

Research showed a disproportionately high share of foreign-born workers active in the construction trades nationally in 2024.

Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman steps down after Rocket integration

The longtime executive said he was leaving now that the company has completed its integration with Rocket Companies, which acquired it last year. 

Matthew Gardner breaks down top 2026 real estate predictions

Hear Gardner’s takes — and a few predictions of his own — in this exclusive interview.

Compass, Anywhere complete $1.6B merger to form Compass International Holdings

Compass, Inc. and Anywhere Real Estate Inc. have officially completed their all-stock merger and will now operate as Compass International Holdings (CIH), led by chairman and CEO Robert Reffkin. 

Trump’s proposed ban on institutional home ownership raises more questions than answers 

President Trump’s proposal to ban investment firms from buying single-family homes is unlikely to have a major impact on affordability, observers said.

Compass, Anywhere secure stockholder approval for merger

Stockholders of both Compass, Inc. and Anywhere Real Estate Inc. have overwhelmingly approved all proposals tied to the companies’ previously announced merger, signaling strong investor support for the $1.6 billion deal.

Pearl rolls out first-ever individual performance profiles for every house in America

Pearl assigned a Pearl SCORE to every one of the 92 million single-family homes in the U.S., rating them on how well each performs across five factors of home life: safety, comfort, operations, resilience and energy.

The fallacy of price testing a listing

The push toward private or off‑MLS “test” listings delivers little proven pricing premiums, sells a small share privately and often lengthens time to sell despite industry claims, writes Jonathan Miller, co-founder of property appraisal firm Miller Samuel.

NAR: Pending home sales post best performance since February 2023 

Contract signings were up in all four U.S. regions. 

Lifestyle over luxury: How homebuyers shopped in 2025

Evidence points to home shoppers prioritizing the experiences they’ll have in their home over the style or size, Zillow said.

Builder confidence ticks up after December rate cut but remains negative 

The NAHB’s monthly survey found the nation’s homebuilders remain optimistic about home sales next year. 

Buyers will be hunting for homes in these hot spots next year

Midwestern and southern metros may dominate buyer interest in 2026, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Fed cuts rates again, despite growing division among members 

The move was expected, but came amid increasing dissention among Fed officials, who voted for the cut by the sharpest division in six years.

Average buyer’s agent commission jumps in Q3 

The average commission was up from a recent low in third quarter 2024 that followed the NAR settlement. 

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