eXp’s new framework signals a shift: Transparency isn’t optional anymore

The nation’s top brokerage by transaction side count, eXp Realty, first entered the forms business during the summer of 2024, as the real estate industry prepared for the business practice changes mandated by the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement agreement. Nearly
Read MoreKriss Law/Atlantic Closing & Escrow expands New England footprint with merger

Kriss Law/Atlantic Closing & Escrow (KL/ACE) has merged with DaMore Law and its Vermont division, Green Mountain Lawyers — expanding the attorney-driven settlement firm’s reach across New England and strengthening its presence in Vermont. Merging brings DaMore Law’s 25-year regional presence — with
Read MoreMBA lays out proposed changes for federal reverse mortgage programs

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s proposals to reform federal reverse mortgage programs include seven key recommendations — ranging from the creation of a new securitization option to charging insurance premiums based on the actual amount drawn. In October, the U.S. Department of Housing and
Read MoreCMG promotes John-Robert Martinez to lead reverse business in the East

CMG Financial‘s reverse mortgage division has welcomed John-Robert Martinez as regional manager of reverse for the eastern U.S., effective Monday. The news was confirmed on LinkedIn by Sean Kirksey, CMG’s vice president of reverse mortgage. “Anyone who has worked with John knows how much this is ear
Read MoreFathom Holdings sells LiveBy assets to Move Concierge for $3M

Fathom Holdings has sold its LiveBy assets to Move Concierge for $3 million — with an additional $300,000 in expected annual contingent payments tied to data-sharing agreements. Fathom will retain access to the LiveBy platform for five years while Move Concierge extends its services to all Fathom ag
Read MoreRising credit report costs may push mortgage industry toward upfront fees

Kevin Bell, a mortgage broker at Oakmont Lending, had to adjust to a different approach to handling credit report costs when he joined the company from a retail lender earlier this year. Oakmont charges borrowers upfront, while Stockton Mortgage Corp., where Bell worked for about three years as a br
Read MoreWhat 2025 taught real estate agents, strategies for 2026 goal planning

As the year winds down, most real estate agents feel the pull to jump straight into 2026 real estate goal-setting mode. New targets, fresh marketing campaigns, ambitious listing goals—it’s all very energizing. Not so fast. Here’s what I’ve learned in nearly 30 years in this business: the most succes
Read MoreCourt merges lawsuits over Zillow, Redfin’s multifamily listing deal

The two antitrust lawsuits involving Zillow and Redfin’s $100 million multifamily rental syndication deal have been consolidated. The plaintiffs in the lawsuits include the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and attorneys general in Virginia, Arizona, New York, Connecticut and Washington. The five stat
Read MoreeXp launches global property search platform

Meet LYVVE, eXp Realty’s new international property search platform. The brokerage announced the launch of its new platform on Monday. According to eXp, LYVVE will “redefine how the world experiences real estate.” After navigating a successful beta testing phase, the platform will be entering full
Read MoreDecember housing data provides early signals for 2026 market
The month of December typically has the lowest weekly seasonal demand for housing, but it’s a big key to how the spring of 2026 will perform — if you know what housing data lines to focus on. Traditionally, I wouldn’t care so much about December housing data; however, post-COVID, the forward-looking
Read MoreThe originator’s playbook: Competing and growing in a shifting market

As interest rates continue to ease and borrower confidence rebuilds, originators are operating in a market that demands both adaptability and creativity. To better understand how mortgage professionals are approaching today’s environment, I asked four experienced originators to share how they’re gui
Read MoreBayview closes acquisition of Guild, taking lender private

Bayview Asset Management has closed its acquisition of Guild Holdings Company, the parent of Guild Mortgage, in a deal that takes the lender private and removes it from the New York Stock Exchange. The transaction was finalized on November 28, according to a new 8-K filing. Under the agreement, shar
Read MoreMaking the 7-day refi reality: Modernizing mortgage appraisals

For many borrowers, the appraisal is the most stressful step in a refinance: part mystery, part high-stakes hurdle. Will the home appraise high enough? Will it delay closing? What actually determines the final value? Lenders can help ease these concerns by adopting the right combination of technolog
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For the past decade, rate marketing has been the dominant gravitational force in mortgage acquisition. Whoever shouted the lowest 30-year fixed rate the loudest won the most attention. But attention has never been the same as intent, and intent has never been the same as a closed loan. What’s happen
Read More What real estate can learn from LEGO’s reinvention

Just in time for the holidays, Troy Palmquist looks at how this legacy manufacturer bounced back from a market downturn and how agents can, too A few weeks ago, on a podcast, I was asked which brands I admire most. Without hesitation, I said LEGO. The toy company has an incredible comeback story, fr
Read MoreLubbock inventory climbs to 8.1 months, marking Texas’s deepest buyer market

The Lubbock metro housing market has emerged as Texas’s deepest buyer’s market, with inventory levels reaching 8.1 months of supply as of Nov. 22, 2025. This marks a stark departure from the state’s overall 3.6 months of inventory, positioning the West Texas metro as an outlier in an otherwise balan
Read MoreToledo housing inventory jumps 46% as Midwest markets recalibrate

Toledo’s single-family home inventory surged to 1,150 active listings for the week ending Nov. 22, 2025, marking a 46% increase from 787 homes a year earlier. The dramatic inventory expansion coincides with widespread price adjustments, as 38.3% of active listings reduced their asking prices during
Read MoreAre mortgage buydowns a lifeline or a risk for new homebuyers?

The debate over the large builders’ elevated use of mortgage buydowns — and the potential risks to buyers — isn’t new. Reigniting the argument, a recent report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) asserts that mortgage buydowns among the large builders are artificially inflating new home pri
Read MorePine Bluff’s low prices are not speeding up home sales

Pine Bluff’s housing market reveals a stark disconnect between affordability and buyer interest, with 34.4% of active listings taking price cuts while homes sit on the market for a median 91 days. The metro’s $139,950 median list price represents less than half Arkansas’s $315,000 statewide figure,
Read MoreConnecticut governor signs bill to tackle affordable housing shortage

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) on Wednesday signed a housing bill aimed at addressing the state’s shortage of affordable housing. H.B. 5002, a “much-debated” bill, according to CT Insider, passed during a special session in early November. The bill is a compromise from the version that Lamont had v
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