The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased for the fifth consecutive week, rising to 6.46% as the ongoing war in Iran continues to roil financial markets, economists said. The average mortgage rate ticked up 8 basis points to 6.46% this week, according to the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), released by Freddie Mac Thursday,…
Signs of a spring bloom in the housing market are finally at hand, but the potential for that growth could be curtailed by looming geopolitical headwinds, according to the latest data. Realtor.com®’s March 2026 Monthly Housing Trends Report found that both active and new listings grew month-over-month and year-over-year, despite rises in mortgage rates and…
Real estate people love to extol the limitless potential of a career in the business. Michele Harrington’s story makes the hype a reality. While Harrington’s path from U.S. Marine to CEO of Southern California’s iconic FirstTeam Real Estate was anything but predictable, there was one constant that fueled her momentum every step of the way:…
With mortgage rates climbing to their highest point since August recently, the role of steadily increasing home purchase application and refinance activity has reversed, with both indexes by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) showing sharp decreases this week. According to the latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure of mortgage loan…
Compass continues to make headlines this week as Compass International Holdings has announced the appointment of Rory Golod—previous co-leader of Compass’s brokerage business and chief of staff for CEO Robert Reffkin—to the new role of president of Growth. As the company moves forward, restructuring and setting a new path after its massive merger with Anywhere…
A federal judge in the Northern District of Georgia has granted final approval to a series of commission-related antitrust settlements involving several real estate brokerages, bringing an end to the cases after a prolonged fight between two groups of plaintiffs and accusations that the companies negotiated “sweetheart” deals. The dispute stems from a broader clash…
“Standing on business” is a very Gen-Z internet term, but it has an age-old meaning. To stand on business is to stand by your morals, not cave your opinions to the whims of others and the trends. It’s a respectable trait, and one Bess Freedman—CEO of Brown Harris Stevens—emulates. As an icon of the industry,…
Following commission-focused class-action lawsuits, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) agreed to rule changes in 2024, one of those being the mandatory use of written buyer agreements before any property showing so as to ensure transparency. But at the state level, laws have been passed contradicting this mandate. In 2025, Alabama passed a law which…
Home prices remain elevated overall, but once again continued to see depreciation, marking a significantly weak start to 2026, according to the latest data. The January S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index saw only a 0.9% gain to kick off 2026, down from a revised 1.1% gain in December (originally 1.3%). Month-over-month, the index saw…
Despite ongoing economic impacts surrounding the U.S. and Iran war, monthly consumer confidence as surveyed by the nonprofit Conference Board ticked up in March 2026. The survey, with results collected between March 1-24 (entirely during the Iran war), found that consumer confidence ticked up to 91.8 in March, up from the revised February findings of…
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