Appraisal Buzz

JANUARY 9, 2025

Fortunately, there are ways to detect deed fraud attempts early, but mortgage professionals need to be well-informed to protect themselves and their clients. In some cases, AI and other digital tools have also been used to create convincing forgeries of documents or to automate the process of generating fake deeds and other legal documents.

Legal 397

Legal Insurance Tools Real Estate 397

Housing Wire

MARCH 26, 2025

Under what NAR is calling its MLS Listing Options for Sellers policy , sellers will have the option to delay marketing their listing publicly as long as they sign the required disclosure. To allow the MLSs to talk to their broker communities and figure out how to make things work best for them and their clients in smart.

Sellers 366

Sellers Real Estate Agents Brokerage 366

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 29, 2024

And it is a little bit early, but some of the preliminary data I have looked at show that sellers are continuing to pay buyer agent compensation.” I think ultimately, though, sellers should be looking at their net (profit). The way you approach a change is really about your mindset.

Marketing 448

Marketing Real Estate Sellers Buyers 448

Housing Wire

AUGUST 21, 2024

For Linda O’Koniewski , the broker-owner of Leading Edge Real Estate , one of the largest hiccups so far was when one of her agents brought a buyer offer that included concessions to a seller. The seller basically told them to drop dead,” O’Koniewski said. “So, This allows them to keep their net but lower the price.

Sellers 482

Sellers Agents Real Estate Buyers 482

Housing Wire

JANUARY 27, 2025

Professionals should also leverage technology to give clients the best experience for the biggest decision of their lives. Based on a historical commission lawsuit enacted in 2019, the real estate commission landscape is undergoing significant change, reshaping how agents engage with their clients. Isn’t that promising?

Real Estate 397

Real Estate Clients Technology Agents 397

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 6, 2024

Real estate agents often make the mistake of believing their clients will remember them forever but they dont. Its up to us as agents to stay engaged and stay in contact with our clients. So, where do you start? In this article, weve compiled 49 compelling real estate newsletter ideas and subject lines.

Real Estate 397

Real Estate Clients Tools Sellers 397

Housing Wire

JANUARY 14, 2025

The on-again-off-again legal battle between Top Agent Network (TAN) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) is now off. While the dismissal of the suit marks the end of this chapter in the legal battle between TAN and NAR, since the suit was dismissed without prejudice, TAN could refile the suit if they so choose.

Agents 370

Agents Legal Real Estate Agent Realtors 370

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Is the seller subject to a probationary review? Key issues include financial penalties for early termination, restrictions on the assignment of the contract upon a change in ownership of the seller, and incompatibility for the transfer of data to another system. Also, have any employees been promised future equity in the seller?

Mortgage 418

Mortgage Contracts Sellers Insurance 418

Housing Wire

MARCH 19, 2025

At the time of issuing its second CID, the DOJ stated that it believed that the policy restricts home-seller choices and precludes competition from new listing services. He added that anyone who is involved in upholding CCP will be subject to legal exposure. If theyre doing it for the wrong reasons, theyre going to be held accountable.

Realtors 220

Realtors Legal Sellers Law 220

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

In metros across the country, decade after decade, pre-internet and post-internet, buyer agents almost always get 2-3% of the sale price, paid by the seller, the researchers note. and relied on salaried agents rather than commission-paid agents, who typically cost sellers 5-6%. One of the researchers, Will Fried, had a hunch.

Clients 459

Clients Agents Buyers Sellers 459

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 16, 2024

The family-run brokerage firm recorded some legal w ins and losses , developed new tools for agents and clients , and navigated one of the slowest years for home sales in nearly three decades. This is especially true in markets on the fringes of its footprint, or in areas where brokerage clients are moving to or from.

Real Estate 370

Real Estate Brokerage Agents Buyers 370

Housing Wire

AUGUST 13, 2024

As more brokerages and agents contemplate moving away from a cooperative compensation model , many are grappling with some tough questions, the most vexing probably being: What do I do if a seller is only willing to contribute part of the buyer broker’s fees, or none at all? In some cases, the buyer will be like, ‘I know I promised you 2.5%

Clients 482

Clients Agents Buyers Sellers 482

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 27, 2024

However, most teams are built with the same objectives playing to each individuals strengths to provide top-tier service to their clients. This can sometimes take the focus off client service, though it doesnt have to. This enables the team to handle more clients and close more deals than any individual agent could do alone.

Real Estate 418

Real Estate Tools Agents Real Estate Agent 418

Housing Wire

AUGUST 5, 2024

eXp Realty recently released forms that make it clear it is firmly up to the seller to decide whether or not they will offer buyer broker compensation. In the spirit of this arrangement, Real President Sharran Srivatsaa said the firm is leaving it up to sellers as to how and if they advertise offers of buyer broker compensation. “It

Sellers 468

Sellers Buyers Agents Advertising 468

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 15, 2024

“Frustration happens when one agent who is doing things the legacy way calls up the listing broker and asks what they are doing for cooperative compensation, and the listing broker tells them they aren’t, but their seller is willing to consider all offers, so ask for the compensation in the offer,” Srivatsaa said. Approaching the Aug.

Real Estate 448

Real Estate Brokerage Sellers Agents 448

Housing Wire

AUGUST 1, 2024

But it will be their sellers who make the decision on an offer of compensation to a buyer broker. In the agreement, sellers have the option to choose to pay their listing broker an exact dollar amount, a percentage of the gross purchase price of the property or an undefined “Other.”

Sellers 448

Sellers Buyers Agents Law 448

Housing Wire

AUGUST 9, 2024

Co-hosts James Dwiggins and Keith Robinson urge agents to stop sharing commissions and discuss ways that listing agents can put their seller’s needs first while avoiding legal trouble and creating an excellent experience for their clients in an uncertain market.

Real Estate 448

Real Estate Advertising Legal Agents 448

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 31, 2024

The business practice changes outlined in NAR’s settlement have been a massive positive for agents, according to Kelly, as it has become more important for them to talk with buyer clients at the start of the transaction process.

Real Estate 448

Real Estate Brokerage Agents Training 448

Housing Wire

APRIL 15, 2024

When asked about the language they use to discuss how buyer and seller agent commissions are paid, some of the most common responses included stressing that commissions are and always have been negotiable, and that if the National Association of Realtors’ settlement is approved, some practices may change, but many things are currently unknown.

Inventory 448

Inventory Agents Real Estate Sellers 448

Housing Wire

AUGUST 30, 2024

Sitzer’s legal action not only resulted in financial settlements, but also business practice changes that went into effect earlier this month , the most notable of which are the removal of buyer broker compensation from the MLS and mandatory buyer broker agreements. The company claims it saves consumers an average of $15,000 per transaction.

Real Estate 459

Real Estate Legal Real Estate Agent Brokerage 459

Housing Wire

MARCH 8, 2024

It was mid-February when clients, family and friends began asking Jason Posnick about strange postcards appearing in their mailboxes. The mailers are titled “Notice of Proposed Settlements” and they began hitting the mailboxes of home sellers in mid-February. Lisa is super on the pulse. What do the postcards say?

Agents 459

Agents Legal Realtors Clients 459

Housing Wire

JULY 19, 2023

Over the past year or so, we have seen an uptick in questions relating to commission disputes between brokers and their clients. A typical commission dispute arises when, after signing a listing agreement or buyer-broker agreement: A seller-client “cancels” a valid purchase contract. A seller-client cancels a listing.

Real Estate 370

Real Estate Legal Clients Brokerage 370

Housing Wire

AUGUST 22, 2024

In a lawsuit filed Thursday, real estate startup Homie Technologies claims that home seller consumers were not the only ones harmed by the real estate industry’s allegedly anticompetitive practices. Buyers using Homie would receive some or all of any BAC offered by the seller,” the complaint states.

Realtors 482

Realtors Buyers Real Estate Brokerage 482

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

According to Kasper, while the plaintiffs are portraying this outcome as a win for consumers, getting rid of cooperative compensation will only harm homebuyers and sellers. As she has stated previously, NAR plans to appeal the verdict and that Sitzer/Burnett saga is far from over.

Agents 459

Agents Legal Sellers Clients 459

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

According to the CFA, provisions in these contract that allow buyers agents to continue to contact listing agents and ask for additional compensation from the seller beyond what the agent negotiated with their buyer client would result in commission rates staying at their current level.

Buyers 480

Buyers Contracts Agents Realtors 480

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

You have to follow the law, but if it’s legal, you can do it,” Pfaff said. “We While no legal statute presently outlaws these practices, the MLSs might be engaging in a game of chicken with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the law firms that have won or settled commission lawsuits against NAR and several major brokerages.

Legal 482

Legal Realtors Agents Brokerage 482

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 6, 2023

“We believe this is the right course of action to remove future uncertainty and ongoing legal expense, serving the best interests of the company, our affiliated agents and franchisees, and shareholders, and enabling Anywhere to focus on moving real estate to what’s next.”

Buyers 459

Buyers Brokerage Agents Sellers 459

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Simultaneously, I have heard this common refrain from eager homebuyers: “I qualify for an FHA (or VA ) home loan, but I’m having a hard time getting my offer accepted by a home seller. Have you ever heard that before or some variation? If so, then you probably know the answer can be summed up in four words: “Source of income” discrimination.

Legal 435

Legal Sellers Real Estate Inspection 435

Housing Wire

JANUARY 9, 2025

In this article, well cover the definition of a pocket listing, the pros and cons for both agents and sellers, and how to transact off-market legally and ethically. While Im sure there are instances where this is unfortunately the case, there are legitimate reasons why selling off-market is in the sellers best interest.

Sellers 397

Sellers Real Estate Agents Real Estate Agent 397

Housing Wire

MARCH 14, 2024

Legal experts told HousingWire that it is rare to see the Fed offer an opinion about an ongoing legal debate, as it typically does not want viewed as an influence on court decisions. This model requires that sellers and buyers each pay their agents directly to mitigate the threat of steering by buyer agents,” the paper states.

Agents 459

Agents Legal Real Estate Agent Buyers 459

Housing Wire

JUNE 11, 2024

NAR argues that by requiring agents to have signed buyer representation agreements with clients prior to taking them on a virtual or in person home tour, agents will not be able to steer buyers to certain listings that have higher offers of compensation. A Realtor must never put broker compensation before their client’s interests.”

Realtors 448

Realtors Sellers Agents Buyers 448

Housing Wire

JULY 30, 2024

Many times, the home the agent is listing is not the perfect fit for the buyer, so the listing agent can offer their expertise in the market to the buyer as a buyer’s agent and find a better house for the client and earn another commission. Homes.com has presented agent names to potential buyers and sellers 40 billion times so far this year.

Agents 468

Agents Real Estate Agent Real Estate Buyers 468

Housing Wire

AUGUST 12, 2024

Despite the firm’s name Voss says the brokerage works with both buyers and sellers, but on the sell-side he and his agents only charge clients for their services. “We I really struggled with that dynamic of why would I, as a seller, want to offer money to somebody who is going to actively try and get me to gain less?”

Brokerage 448

Brokerage Agents Sellers Buyers 448

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

eXp purposely designed the document in a way that uses as little legal jargon as possible, so as to not confuse buyers and sellers. He believes that sellers will benefit from having more exposure for a specific property via MLS-syndicated data. As such, forming relationships with prospective clients is the way to go.

Agents 435

Agents Brokerage Real Estate Tenants 435

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

The heightened consumer protection focus from government agencies, combined with the Department of Justice’s ongoing legal feud with the National Association of Realtors and its recent involvement in the Nosalek commission lawsuit , has many in the industry expecting that the DOJ will get involved in the Sitzer/Burnett suit, and potentially others.

Legal 459

Legal Real Estate Real Estate Agent Law 459

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

The settlement’s other major change was to require agents to have a signed buyer representation agreement prior to taking a client on a home tour. In contrast to removing offers of compensation from the MLS, 57% of the agents surveyed like having buyer agency agreements signed early on in their relationships with clients.

Real Estate Agent 488

Real Estate Agent Real Estate Agents Buyers 488

Housing Wire

MARCH 25, 2024

Cooperative compensation The vast majority of questions addressed on the call dealt with whether or not buyer’s representation was going away, and how agents will get paid for the services they provide to clients. Cooperative compensation is still legal,” Papasan stressed.

Agents 468

Agents Advertising Real Estate Sellers 468