Economics professor Teresa Ghilarducci of The New School in New York recently painted a dire picture of the retirement situation in the U.S., calling on policymakers to enact what she calls a “Gray New Deal,” recalling the economic relief and stimulus efforts of President Franklin D. Roosevelt imple

Mortgage rates continued to trend up this week and dampen homebuyer momentum.The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.94% as of Feb. 29, an increase from last week’s figure of 6.90%, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey released on Thursday. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed rate a

Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Dan Stewart, founder and CEO of Happy Grasshopper, to talk about the company’s tech strategy in creating content that resonates with consumers. Storytelling is key to the company’s success and Stewart’s own story explains how he stays cool in any market cy

Shortly after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the White House announced plans to extend the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) risk-sharing program, two prominent housing associations shared their differing perspectives on the move.In a series of policy announcements designe

If you’re struggling to market your business on social media, or worse, haven’t even started yet, you might be in for a rude awakening in 2024. While you were pulling your hair out trying to come up with the perfect post idea, other agents in your farm area just…did it. Sure, they made mistakes, but

Independent brokerage Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has partnered with Zillow’s ShowingTime+ to allow agents in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh areas to leverage the Listing Showcase tool.Launched in June 2023, Listing Showcase is an AI-powered listing tool available exclusively on Zillow. It enabl

Top 10 U.S. mortgage lender Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. sustained a cyber attack in early December due to vulnerabilities in a vendor system, the company told the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.On Dec. 4, the company’s information security team “received noti

Ellington Financial, parent company of top 10 reverse mortgage lender Longbridge Financial, reported a lower economic return for the fourth quarter of 2023, which was partially driven by net losses from Longbridge “and other positions,” according to CEO Laurence Penn.Penn added, however, that Longbr

EasyKnock completed a $28 million Series D funding round, the company announced on Wednesday.Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, the venture capital arm of financial services company Northwestern Mutual, joined as an investor in this round. With its newest  influx of capital, EasyKnock aims to adva

As brokerages across the country have begun implementing buyer agency contracts into their business practices in the wake of the Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit verdict, the Consumer Federation of America is warning consumers that they may be filled with “unfair provisions” that primarily protect

The Marin County Board of Supervisors in Northern California on Tuesday approved reduced fees to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in unincorporated parts of the county, according to an announcement by county officials.Marin County is situated across the Golden Gate Bridge, north of San Francisc

Tom Davis, chief sales officer, Deephaven MortgageToday’s market means that more borrowers have higher debt-to-income ratios, limited access to credit and are looking for alternative ways to get qualified for a mortgage. Tom Davis, chief sales officer at Deephaven Mortgage, offers information about

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced this week that they have filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, supporting plaintiffs that allege unlawful fees imposed by Ocwen Loan Servicing, a division of Ocwen

Rocket Companies will soon shut down Rocket Pro Originate, a mortgage origination platform for real estate agents, insurance agents, tax professionals and other financial professionals who are also licensed to originate mortgages. According to a copy of an email sent to affected originators and revi

It’s no secret that homeowners search online to find a listing agent who can sell their home quickly and for top dollar. But what if you could find them first? What if you could target the right prospects, at the right moment using data? If you’re an agent, team or brokerage looking to keep a pipeli

Real estate brokerage Redfin revealed signs of progress in its fourth-quarter 2023 earnings report, signaling a potential turnaround after facing challenges earlier in the year.Fourth-quarter 2023 revenues at Redfin fell 2% year over year to $218.1 million, down from $222 million in Q4 2022. The com

Although Compass failed to achieve its much publicized goal of being free cash-flow positive in 2023, brokerage executives were still positive about the company’s performance over the past year.“Even at these new op-ex [operating expense] levels, we continue to invest in agent growth, increasing mar