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15 commission lawsuit settlements are up for final approval next week

Commission Lawsuit, HWmember, Legal, NAR Lawsuit Settlement, National Association of Realtors, NextHome, Real Estate, Side Real Estate, Sitzer/Burnett /

Commission lawsuit settlement agreements from 15 real estate industry players, including major names like Keyes Co./Illustrated Properties, Side, JPAR, NextHome and Baird & Warner will be up for final approval on Tuesday, June 24. The fifteen settling defendants, which come from the Gibson and Keel suits, filed a joint motion for final approval of the […]

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‘Feelings-based recession’: More Americans fearful of finances

Affordability, Consumer confidence, Federal Reserve, Housing Market, HWmember, Inflation, Interest rates, Mortgage Rates, Tariffs, TransUnion /

A rising tide of financial pessimism is washing over U.S. consumers, driven by concerns about inflation, global instability and a lack of economic clarity. At the same time, a solid majority of Americans remain optimistic about their financial future, according to TransUnion’s Consumer Pulse Study for the second quarter of 2025. The result is a

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Hoby Hanna talks M&A strategy, market share goals

Artificial Intelligence, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, HWmember, Mergers and Acquisitions, Podcast, Podcasts, Real Estate /

Hoby Hanna, the CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and Hanna Holdings, joined the RealTrending podcast this week to discuss his company’s approach to growth, technology and consumer offerings. In an interview with host Tracey Velt, Hanna breaks down a selective approach to mergers and acquisitions while emphasizing cultural compatibility over rapid expansion. He

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Class Valuation unveils appraisal review tool

Appraisals, Appraisals and Valuations, Artificial Intelligence, Automated Valuation Model, Class Valuation, Home Prices, HWmember, Real Estate, Technology /

Class Valuation has launched a new appraisal review product designed to bring greater clarity and oversight to residential valuations. The new tool, Class Valuation Analysis (CVA), offers licensed appraiser-led reviews of existing appraisal reports by incorporating automated valuation model (AVM) technology. “In today’s market, uncertainty is expensive, and lenders can’t afford to second-guess their valuation

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A financial planner shares her journey to understanding reverse mortgages

HECM, HWmember, Reverse /

Rachel Gustafson serves as a certified financial planner with the Financial Investment Team, a firm based in Portland, Oregon. Over the course of a 12-year career in the field, she has a specialty for helping her clients figure out the best and most efficient ways to retire. When reverse mortgages first showed up on her

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Are settlement rules pushing down agent commissions? New survey says the opposite

Agent, Commission Lawsuit, HWmember, National Association of Realtors, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, Sitzer/Burnett /

Few events in recent real estate history have rattled the industry more than the antitrust lawsuits filed against major brokerages and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), accusing them of artificially inflating agent commission rates. NAR settled the Sitzer-Burnett case for $418 million and agreed to rules that the plaintiffs believed would help bring down

Are settlement rules pushing down agent commissions? New survey says the opposite Read More »

Global equity release market projected to top $56B by 2035

Europe, European Pensions and Property Asset Release Group, HECM, Home Equity, HWmember, NRMLA, Reverse /

Equity release — a class of financial products that involve unlocking home equity and converting it into cash flow — currently has global annual volume of roughly $17 billion. This class includes reverse mortgage products in the U.S., the United Kingdom and elsewhere, but a European equity release authority projects that volume will more than

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Lone Wolf, Follow Up Boss integrate platforms

Brokerage, HWmember, Lone Wolf Technologies, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, Technology, Zillow /

Real estate software provider Lone Wolf Technologies is launching an integration with Zillow-owned customer relationship management system Follow Up Boss as it aims to connect transaction, marketing and accounting tools in one system. Follow Up Boss will be linked with Lone Wolf’s Foundation platform, which includes products such as Boost for digital advertising, Cloud CMA

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Fed holds rates steady amid inflation concerns, resilient job market

Employment, Federal Reserve, HWmember, Inflation, Jerome Powell, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Regulatory /

The Federal Reserve held benchmark rates steady in the range of 4.25% to 4.5% following its two-day meeting on Wednesday, a decision with implications for the mortgage industry.  The move, expected by virtually all monetary policy watchers, underscores the challenge facing the Federal Reserve — deciding when it’s appropriate to cut rates. It’s a delicate

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Homebuilders have no motivation to grow permits with 7% rates

Homebuilders, Housing Market, HWmember, Mortgage Rates, New Home Sales /

Even though new home sales showed growth last month, the homebuilders — both big and small — have no desire to grow housing permits or starts with 7% mortgage rates. Housing starts and permits peaked in 2022 and have been fluctuating at levels similar to the early stages of the COVID-19 recession for some time

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