The 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…
At 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…
HOUSTON—The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) wrapped up its annual conference Monday with the Board of Directors (BOD) approving sweeping policy changes, many explicitly as part of an “antitrust risk assessment” effort. Most notably, the association, today, announced the approval of 18 comprehensive updates to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Handbook, constituting the most extensive…
Buoyed by the reopening of the government on Thursday, a bit of optimism was in the air at NAR NXT, where Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun predicted a 14% increase in existing-home sales in 2026, along with a 5% increase in new-home sales, a 4% increase in the median home price, and mortgage rates settling…
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The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Zillow and Compass hearing begins Tuesday, Nov. 18 On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Compass and Zillow will meet in court for a scheduled four-day hearing held in New York City, the latest round in the ongoing…
HOUSTON—In a highly anticipated move, today, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has adopted a new 2026-2028 strategic plan that promises to modernize the organization and transform the member experience. Approved unanimously by the NAR Executive Committee, the plan is set for implementation on Jan. 1, 2026. “NAR is rebuilding trust by executing the largest…
As mortgage rates saw little shifts during this past week, President Donald Trump and members of his administration have floated an idea to galvanize new homebuyers: the 50-year mortgage. In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared a photo comparing the proposal to how President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the federally backed 30-year mortgage during…
A judge has ruled in defendants’ favor over the class certification dispute in the largest homebuying commission case: Batton vs. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Judge LaShonda A. Hunt granted a motion by defendants in the case, who include big brokerages along with NAR, ruling that the plaintiffs’ motions for Class Certification “stricken without…
In a legal filing Nov. 12 in New York’s U.S. District Court ahead of a high-stakes hearing starting Nov. 18 to address Compass’s preliminary injunction motion, Zillow defended its new rules around private listings amid its ongoing court battle with Compass. The standards, which took effect in June, prohibit listings on Zillow that are publicly…
Rhode Island-based top agent Kyle Seyboth is facing intense scrutiny over allegations that he called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) on a buyer after a deal turned sour. Seyboth is also under a federal investigation by the Attorney General’s Office for allegedly conducting a foreclosure rescue scheme targeting vulnerable homeowners—also immigrants—based on an incident…
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