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Integrity in Real Estate
New Report Shows Online Research Shaping How Most Agent Relationships Begin
The way buyers and sellers choose a real estate agent has shifted meaningfully over the past several years, and it’s reshaping what it takes to win business, according to a new report. Zillow’s 2025 Consumer Housing Trends Report for Agents, released Dec. 30, shows 36% of sellers now find their agents through online channels, more…
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Dermot Buffini Steps Down as CEO of Buffini & Company; Brian Buffini to Assume Role
Above, from left, Brian Buffini and Dermot Buffini Buffini & Company has announced a leadership transition as Dermot Buffini steps down from his role as chief executive officer after 13 years, and company founder Brian Buffini assumes the role of chairman and CEO. Dermot Buffini became CEO in 2013, guiding Buffini & Company through a…
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The Top 3 Factors That Will Shape Success This Year
Above, top row from left, Christina Pappas and Todd Sumney; bottom row from left, Michael Valdes and DeAnn Golden. While many ingredients will be added to your 2026 recipe for success, there are a few key components that can make or break your business in the year ahead. In the closing session of RISMedia’s 6th…
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Nation’s Top Homebuilding Metros Rely Heavily on Immigrants, Per Harvard Study
Immigrant labor has become essential to both homebuilding and residential remodeling in top metro areas with the highest levels of building permits, according to new research from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS). The findings underscore the critical role that foreign-born workers play across the entire residential construction space—from new home construction to major…
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Court Report: Anywhere & Compass Merger Sees Stockholder Blow Back; Judge Blocks CFPB Defunding
Editor’s Note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Federal judge rules Trump administration must find funding for CFPB The Trump administration’s latest attempt to block funding and operation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) hit a roadblock on Dec. 30.…
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The Buyer Experience: Looking Back and Looking Forward, Part 1
Editor’s note: In this two-part series, we take a look at how the buyer experience differs today from past years. Today is a look back at how the process evolved to where it is now. On Wednesday we review how tech has impacted everything, and the skills required to serve luxury-market clients. When you think…
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Serving Realtors® First Is the Secret to Real Estate Tech Success
Today’s tech industry is shaped by company valuations, venture capital momentum and shifting expectations of stock-market investors. Yet one of real estate’s most influential technology providers did not emerge from a startup accelerator or public company roadmap. It grew from a most unlikely place: A trade association whose purpose has always been clear–serve Realtors® first.…
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2026 Is the Real Estate Comeback Cycle
Every real estate cycle has a quiet turning point. It happens before the headlines shift and before the crowd shows up. 2026 is that moment. After a necessary pause, housing is back in favor. Not because of speculation or hype, but because the fundamentals are realigning. Interest rates are stabilizing. Certainty is returning. And millions…
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Mortgage Rates Drop to Lowest Level to Close Out 2025
Freddie Mac’s last mortgage report of 2025 released earlier this week on New Year’s Eve saw the average mortgage rate hit its lowest level of the year, a positive sign for home shoppers as the holiday season comes to a close and eyes turn toward 2026’s peak buying season in the months ahead. The latest…
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FHFA Home Price Index Mostly Flat, With Momentum in Some Regions
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) monthly home price index (HPI), which tracks changes in single-family home prices, clocked a modest 0.4% increase in home values for October, with a 1.7% uptick from last year, as the housing market stutters heading into 2026. Largely aligning with expectations, the essentially flat trajectory for home values obscured…
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