Real estate negotiation: 8 effective strategies from a KW mega broker

Negotiation is not just a skill — it’s an art. In real estate, knowing the keys to a successful negotiation is essential. Skillful negotiations can not only help you build a more sustainable career — they can also help you earn higher compensation, get more listings, and achieve more satisfying outc
Read MoreBay Area brokerage buys back independence to ‘make meaning, not money’

The moment felt surreal and inspiring for Chris Trapani and Ryan Iwanaga, co-founders of the Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno brokerage, as they repurchased their independence from @properties. After inking the deal, the leaders say they have one mission in mind for Sereno’s future — make
Read MoreTrump administration initiates federal hiring freeze, return-to-office mandate

As he has promised for months, President Donald Trump spent his first day back in the Oval Office signing a flurry of executive orders. These are designed to roll back Biden administration orders and policies, and to change the federal government’s stance on several overarching issues that reflect t
Read MoreTrump’s path to lower housing costs has to navigate local concerns

President Trump has made it clear that he wants to address housing challenges, including the lack of housing supply and rising prices. In an executive order signed Monday night, Trump ordered the heads of all executive departments and agencies “to deliver emergency price relief, consistent with appl
Read MoreHome sales are stalled with 7% mortgages
New contracts for home purchases are coming in very low this month. We counted 10% fewer home sales for the week than the same week a year ago. In the fourth quarter of 2024, sales were coming in at 5% to 10% more than the year prior. Those sales gains have evaporated and even reversed. Buyer activi
Read MoreTrump issues executive order: Emergency price relief on housing

Latest update: Jan. 20 at 9:15 pm central time: added specific information about emergency price relief for housing.What are President Trump’s priorities for housing in his second term? That’s the burning question for professionals in real estate, mortgage, title, appraisal and homebuilding — and th
Read MoreTreasury outlines rising cost of homeowners insurance

A comprehensive report on homeowners insurance released by the Treasury Department this week outlined the cost of climate challenges on homeowners. Notably, the report found that homeowners in areas with the highest risk of perils paid 82% more for homeowners insurance than those in ZIP codes with t
Read MoreRisks and opportunities for real estate in Trump’s second term

Voters delivered a Republican trifecta in Washington, D.C., but a razor-thin House majority and the Senate filibuster will put some limits on what is legislatively possible for President Donald Trump and the GOP Congress. The President and financial regulators will have a greater ability to deregula
Read MoreHow gen AI is making real estate cybercrime easier than ever

Cybercrime losses rose to a record high of $12.8 billion in 2023, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, and 2024 saw more of the same. Consider these stats: FundingShield reported that 45.5% of loans processed in Q4 2024 had issues that lead to wire fraud risks. NDP Analytics reported that
Read MoreLower CEO Dan Snyder explores acquisitions, technology and growth plans

In this week’s episode of the PowerHouse podcast, HousingWire President Diego Sanchez talks with Lower CEO Dan Snyder about the digital lender’s recent acquisition of Neat Labs, its in-house tech development efforts and coaching programs for top producers.This conversation has been edited for length
Read MoreMoment of truth: 2025 RealTrends Verified rankings are open for submission

The time has come to highlight game-changing real estate professionals who adhered to the gold standard of brilliance in 2024. RealTrends Verified has opened the submissions period for its 2025 rankings, alongside a series of big-time enhancements. This year’s rankings mark a new chapter in the jour
Read MoreCapitulation: Why buyers and sellers are ready to move

Inaction is easy. It’s quiet; unwritten; immune from critique. It sits undone; confidently static.But if buyers and sellers were compelled to transcribe their inaction, it would read like a sociopath’s diary entry:“We could have watched you grow up, but your grandpa and me weren’t willing to give up
Read MoreAll the ways the wildfires could make LA housing more expensive

The sight of beautiful houses in Los Angeles transports you to an idyllic version of the city found in classic Hollywood movies. But the harsh realities of its pricy housing market more resemble the city’s dark underbelly reflected in a David Lynch LA noir film. And the wildfires ripping through Los
Read MoreMortgage rates fell last week. Can they go lower?
Mortgage rates fell last week after a brutal few months of rising rates. The question now is whether rates can keep going lower, or if last week was just a pause in the mortgage rate storm before the spring home-buying season gets into full swing.10-year yield and mortgage ratesMy 2025 forecast incl
Read MoreLawmakers, housing groups react to Scott Turner’s HUD confirmation hearing

As the dust settles from the confirmation hearing of Scott Turner to serve as the new secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are logging their reactions in official statements and social media posts ahead of an expected Senate vo
Read MoreReverse mortgage servicing safeguard might help LA borrowers

A notice implemented into the reverse mortgage servicing process that is designed to flag potential foreclosures if they are in a federally declared disaster area could prove to be beneficial for any borrowers currently impacted by the Los Angeles-area wildfires, according to a servicing industry ex
Read MoreMortgage applications for new homes are 9% higher than a year ago

Purchase mortgage applications for new homes rose 8.9% year over year in December 2024, according to a report released Friday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Application volume decreased by 3% compared to November.MBA’s Builder Application Survey for December monitors application volumes
Read MoreChicago-area contractor sentenced to 17 years in prison over reverse mortgage scam

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this week that Mark Steven Diamond, who was accused of “bilking elderly homeowners in a reverse mortgage and home repair scheme,” was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.Diamond was cr
Read MoreCompass attracts top Connecticut team

Compass is strengthening its presence in the Nutmeg State. On Friday, the largest brokerage in the country by sales volume announced that The Jennifer Leahy Team will be leaving Douglas Elliman to join the Robert Reffkin-helmed firm.Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, the team is led by Jennifer Leahy
Read MoreRising mortgage rates zap builder confidence
Today’s housing starts data exceeded estimates; however, a closer examination of the report with the builder confidence reveals that the recent rise in mortgage rates, approaching 7.25%, has negatively affected builder sentiment. Since late 2022, our analysis indicates that mortgage rates in the 6%-
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