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The Chicago-based NAR said Thursday that Bob Goldberg would be stepping down after a 30-year career at the trade association. Nykia Wright, former CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times, was tapped to take over on an interim basis, beginning Nov. 20. Real estate agents must be dues-paying members of the NAR in order to advertise themselves as Realtors. Its size and influence in the U.S. real estate industry has not only made the trade association a target in litigation, but also brought it under the scrutiny of the Justice Department. The department filed a complaint in 2020 against the NAR, alleging it established and enforced rules and policies that illegally restrained competition in residential real estate services.

Persons: Bob Goldberg, Nykia Wright, Goldberg, “, Wright, Kenny Parcell, Tracy Kasper Organizations: ANGELES, National Association of Realtors, Chicago Sun, NAR, The New York Times, Realtors, Justice Department, of, U.S ., Times Locations: Chicago, Kansas City , Missouri, Missouri, The, Utah, U.S, Western, of Missouri

☆ A Big Legal Defeat for the Realtors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week’s best and worst from Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn and Dan Henninger. Images: AP/Reuters Composite: Mark KellyThe National Association of Realtors has objected to our editorials challenging its anti-competitive business model, but what do you know. On Tuesday a federal jury found the Realtors liable under U.S. antitrust laws for conspiring to fix prices in the class-action case Burnett v. NAR. Missouri home sellers challenged a Realtor rule requiring seller agents to provide a blanket offer of compensation to a buyer’s broker to list a home on the association’s affiliated multiple-listing service (MLS). These databases of homes for sale are similar to stock exchanges in that they match brokers and sellers.

Persons: Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn, Dan Henninger, Mark Kelly, Burnett Organizations: Reuters, National Association of Realtors, Realtors, NAR Locations: Missouri

☆ The Way You Pay to Buy or Sell a Home Is About to Change
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nicole Friedman | Laura Kusisto | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An open house at a home for sale in Scarsdale, N.Y., early this year. Photo: Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg NewsHome buyers and sellers face the prospect of major changes to how much and in what way they pay their real-estate agents, following Tuesday’s historic verdict against the National Association of Realtors and large residential brokerages. Those changes could range from minor tweaks to the commission system to a more radical restructuring of the residential real-estate industry, such as more people buying homes without using agents or buyers paying their agents by the hour.

Persons: Tiffany Hagler Organizations: Geard, Bloomberg News Home, National Association of Realtors Locations: Scarsdale, N.Y

☆ A new 'wake-up call for real-estate agents' could reshape how we buy and sell homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Hana R. Alberts | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A jury found Tuesday that real-estate agents and brokerages kept their commissions artifically high. The verdict, she added, is "a wake-up call for real-estate agents." The seller might no longer pay out both agents' commissions after the sale closes. Currently, home sellers often list their properties for higher sums because they expect to pay broker fees. AdvertisementAdvertisement"NAR and corporate real-estate companies have had a stranglehold on real-estate commissions for too long," the plaintiffs' lawyer, Michael Ketchmark, said outside the courtroom Tuesday, according to the Journal.

Persons: brokerages, —, Sissy Lappin, James Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Bernstein, Keller Williams, Michael Ketchmark Organizations: Service, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Wall Street, Keller, Keller Williams Realty Locations: Houston , Texas, Midwest

The verdict could upend decades-old practices that have allowed real estate agents to boost commissions by forcing sellers to pay commissions to buyers' real estate brokers. Representatives of Compass and Douglas Elliman declined to comment. BTIG analyst Soham Bhonsle in an investor note said the fact that Douglas Elliman, Redfin, Compass and eXp were being sued by the same lawyers was a negative for their stocks. Zillow (ZG.O) shares initially fell 0.33% after brokerage Jefferies cut its price target, citing the impact of Tuesday's verdict. While Zillow is not a defendant in either lawsuit, Jefferies said Tuesday's verdict "increases the chances of a ban on commission sharing and Zillow having to pivot the business model."

Persons: Douglas, Mike Segar, Douglas Elliman, Berkshire Hathaway's, eXp, Glenn Kelman, Soham Bhonsle, Jefferies, Zillow, HomeServices, Chibuike Oguh, Jonathan Stempel, Michelle Price, Bill Berkrot, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, World Holdings, National Association of Realtors, Compass, NAR, Thomson Locations: Manhattan's, New York City , New York, U.S, Kansas City , Missouri, Berkshire, America, Western Missouri, Missouri , Kansas, Illinois, New York

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A series of court challenges are seeking to upend longstanding real estate industry practices that determine the commissions agents receive on the sale of a home — and who foots the bill. But already the NAR and several real estate brokerages are facing another lawsuit over agent commission rules. As home prices have soared in recent years, pushing the national median sales price to $394,300 as of September, so have agents’ commissions. Traditionally, that works out to a 5% to 6% commission split roughly evenly between the buyer’s and seller’s agents. “The real solution is for buyers to be able to finance the buyer-agent commissions as part of their mortgages.

Persons: “, ” Mantill Williams, Williams, Fresh, ’, ” Williams, ”, Stephen Brobeck, Max, Brobeck, Michelle Chapman Organizations: ANGELES, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Western, of, Redfin Corp, Weichert Realtors, Compass Inc, “, Consumer Federation of America, Inc, MLS, Associated Locations: Missouri, U.S, of Missouri, New York

☆ Major landlords, RealPage sued in DC for alleged rent-fixing scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Laya Neelakandan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The alleged collusion violates the District of Columbia's Antitrust Act, the office said. Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb's office said Tuesday that it's suing RealPage, a property management software company, and 14 of the district's largest landlords for allegedly colluding to raise rents. In a statement to CNBC, a company spokesperson for William C. Smith & Co. said the company does not comment on pending litigation. The software uses proprietary, nonpublic data and statistical models to estimate supply and demand and generate a price to maximize the landlord's revenue. RealPage has previously been sued by renters in the Southern District of California and Tennessee over the past year.

Persons: Igor Golovniov, Brian Schwalb's, it's, RealPage, William C, Smith, didn't, Schwalb, Jennifer Bowcock, Berkshire Hathaway Organizations: Inc, Getty, Columbia's, Washington , D.C, CNBC, Southern District of, D.C, National Association of Realtors, CNBC PRO Locations: Washington ,, Southern District, Southern District of California, Tennessee, Seattle , Texas, Boston, Missouri, Berkshire

Plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit have asked a judge to order changes in how the home-sale industry operates. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo.—A federal jury on Tuesday found the National Association of Realtors and large residential brokerages liable for about $1.8 billion in damages after determining they conspired to keep commissions for home sales artificially high. The verdict could lead to industrywide upheaval by changing decades-old rules that have helped lock in commission rates even as home prices have skyrocketed—which has allowed real-estate agents to collect ever-larger sums. It comes in the first of two antitrust lawsuits arguing that unlawful industry practices have left consumers unable to lower their costs even though internet-era innovations have allowed many buyers to find homes themselves online.

Persons: Rich Pedroncelli, — Organizations: Associated Press KANSAS CITY, National Association of Realtors Locations: Mo

Persons: Rich Pedroncelli, — Organizations: Associated Press KANSAS CITY, National Association of Realtors Locations: Mo

☆ Home Sellers Win $1.8 Billion After Jury Finds Conspiracy Among Realtors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Debra Kamin | More About Debra Kamin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The realtors’ group and brokerages were ordered to pay damages of nearly $1.8 billion. The verdict allows the court to issue treble damages, which means they could swell to more than $5 billion. rule, a home seller is required to pay commissions to the agent representing the buyer, which sellers claimed forced them to pay excessive fees to the agents. The home sellers said the brokerages collaborated with N.A.R. For example, a home seller with a $1 million home can now pay as much as $60,000 in agent commissions — $30,000 to their agent and $30,000 to the buyers’ agent.

Persons: brokerages Organizations: National Association of Realtors, realtors ’ Locations: United States

☆ Here’s how Taylor Swift, consumer spending and this puzzling labor market fit together
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Karen Firestone | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

On several occasions, I would walk into Macy's and buy a tube of lipstick, which was something I found comforting. Considering that every lipstick I own, which is not a small number, is basically the same color, I also found that strange. For instance, rather than purchasing a new $400 dress, they might choose to buy a $35 tube of Lancôme lipstick. Let's look at the top-grossing concert tours in the U.S. this year. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Ed Sheeran have collectively sold $1.48 billion in ticket sales through August 2023, or $2.22 billion on an annualized basis, according to estimates from Forbes .

Persons: Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Jessica Reif Ehrlich, Karen Firestone Organizations: Forbes, Bank of America, U.S . Census, National Association of Realtors, Asset Management Locations: Boston, U.S, Pollster

☆ Jury hits National Association of Realtors, real estate companies with $1.8 bln in damages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Mike Scarcella | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Townhomes line a street in Fairfax, on the morning the National Association of Realtors issues its Pending Home Sales for February report, in Virginia March 27, 2014. The verdict followed a two-week trial in the Kansas City, Missouri, federal court, where the case had drawn widespread attention for challenging widely used real estate industry practices. A spokesperson for the National Association of Realtors, Mantill Williams, also said it would appeal and ask the court to reduce the damages amount. The plaintiffs claimed the association and corporate defendants drove up the commission, upwards of 6%, that home sellers pay to brokers representing buyers. Two other defendants, Re/Max (RMAX.N) and Anywhere Real Estate (HOUS.N), agreed to respective $55 million and $83.5 million settlements before trial, without admitting liability.

Persons: Larry Downing, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Michael Ketchmark, Ketchmark, Keller Williams, HomeServices, Darryl Frost, Frost, Mantill Williams, Sellers, Mike Scarcella, David Bario, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: National Association of Realtors, REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Fairfax, Virginia, U.S, Warren, Kansas City , Missouri, Berkshire, America, Missouri , Kansas, Illinois, Washington, Maryland

☆ Brace for 8% mortgage rates to drag the US housing market into a 1980s-style recession, Wells Fargo warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US housing market looks like it's headed for a recession, Wells Fargo has warned. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Federal Reserve's aggressive interest-rate hikes could be about to trigger a housing-market recession that echoes the slowdown of the 1980s, Wells Fargo has warned. "Although mortgage rates may gradually descend once the Federal Reserve begins to ease monetary policy, financing costs are likely to remain elevated relative to recent norms," they added. Please Lower Interest Rates." AdvertisementAdvertisement"The plea for assistance from housing industry participants, both in the early 1980s and more recently, illustrates the severe impact higher interest rates can have on the residential sector," Dougherty and Barley wrote.

Persons: Wells Fargo, —, Charlie Dougherty, Patrick Barley, Freddie Mac, Jackson, Paul Volcker, National Association of Homebuilders, Jerome Powell, Dougherty, Barley Organizations: Service, Federal, Fed, Wells, National Association of Realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Locations: Redfin

The verdict by a federal jury in Kansas City, Missouri, could upend decades-old practices that have allowed real estate agents to boost commissions as home prices and mortgage rates rise, hurting consumers by making housing transactions more expensive. Plaintiffs in the class action included sellers of more than 260,000 homes in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois between 2015 and 2022, who objected to the commissions they were obligated to pay buyers' brokers. The verdict followed a two-week trial, and the damages award can be tripled under U.S. antitrust law to more than $5.3 billion. Shares of real estate brokerages not involved in the verdict closed lower. Re/Max fell 4.4% and Anywhere fell 2.7%, while online brokers Zillow Group (ZG.O) and Redfin (RDFN.O) declined 6.9% and 5.7%, respectively.

Persons: Larry Downing, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Michael Ketchmark, realty Keller Williams, Mantill Williams, HomeServices, Keller Williams, Darryl Frost, Frost, Sellers, Corcoran, Max, brokerages, Mike Scarcella, Jonathan Stempel, Lance Tupper, David Bario, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: National Association of Realtors, REUTERS, realty, NAR, Coldwell Banker, Zillow, U.S . Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Fairfax, Virginia, U.S, Warren, Kansas City , Missouri, Missouri , Kansas, Illinois, Berkshire, America, Washington, Maryland, New York

☆ US second home sales slide in pandemic-era vacation hot spots
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

And as secondary home activity dwindles, some smaller housing-related businesses in leisure hot spots say they are feeling the pinch as well. “Services for existing rentals has grown, but services for larger ticket remodeling work on new vacation rentals has stopped," said Tim Allen, owner of Kopa Home Services, based in Flagstaff, Arizona. Allen has had to decrease unit prices in his separate vacation rental business, Local Vacation Team, to keep occupancy figures above market. For Flagstaff, that figure is 14%, according to data from AirDNA, a short-term rental data provider. "With the acceleration of the creation of vacation rentals during the pandemic, now if visitors are at 1,000, there are 3,000 rentals available,” he said.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, ”, Chuck Tuttle, they’re, ” Tuttle, Tuttle, Tim Allen, Jessica Lautz, Allen, “, Amina Niasse, Daniel Burns, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, National Association of Realtors, William, Hilton, Lake Havasu, Federal Reserve, Mortgage Bankers Association, realtors, “ Services, Kopa Home Services, NAR, Thomson Locations: Island , South Carolina, U.S, Lake Havasu City , Arizona, William Raveis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Lake, Lake Havasu City, Flagstaff , Arizona, Flagstaff, AirDNA

Rising interest rates have slammed the breaks on America's housing market, with home sales down 15.4% year-over-year in September, according to the National Association of Realtors. By controlling the financing, they can offer yesterday's mortgage rates, saving customers tens of thousands of dollars and moving inventory in the process. Tawn Kelley, president of financial services at homebuilder Taylor Morrison, told Insider that financing is an essential part of the home-selling puzzle. Then, there are forward commitments, another way to prepay interest rates that allows a homebuilder to pay down more of it. There are also float downs, which allow purchasers who lock in a mortgage price to reduce their interest rates if mortgage rates get smaller over the course of their mortgage lock.

Persons: Tawn Kelley, homebuilder Taylor Morrison, Kelley, Taylor Morrison, Devyn Bachman, John Burns, Taylor Morrison's, it's, they've, homebuyers, Kurt Carlton Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Census, Finance Locations: homebuying, homebuilding

☆ Joe Biden wants more people to start living in empty offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Office vacancies are at a 30-year high as WFH continues after the pandemic. But the White House initiative will make more than $35 billion available from existing federal programs in the form of grants and low-interest loans to encourage developers to convert offices into residential. Office vacancies stand at a 30-year high of 18.2%, according to research by CBRE. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe White House hopes the initiative will alleviate both these problems, creating more housing and revitalizing the commercial real estate sector. Conversions are faster than new construction, 20% cheaper, and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, the White House added.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Biden, Silverstein, Lael Brainard Organizations: Biden Administration, Service, Resources, Department, Transportation, CBRE, National Association of Realtors, It's, National Economic Council, ABC News Locations: Manhattan, New York, San Francisco, It's

☆ Don't expect house prices to fall this winter, says Goldman Sachs economist
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

And there's no relief coming for prospective homebuyers this winter, says a Goldman Sachs economist. "Prices are unlikely to decline meaningfully" because of the supply shortage, said David Mericle. AdvertisementAdvertisementProspective homebuyers shouldn't count on prices falling this winter – because there just aren't enough properties being put up for sale, according to a top Goldman Sachs economist. "Prices are unlikely to decline meaningfully, precisely because of the supply shortage," David Mericle, the chief US economist for the bank's global investment research division, told Yahoo Finance . But because of the supply shortage, I think the demand is still there for the market to clear at prices similar to where we are," Mericle said.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, David Mericle, —, Mericle, Freddie Mac – Organizations: Service, Yahoo Finance, Biden Administration, National Association of Realtors

☆ Pending home sales rose in September, despite high mortgage rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington, DC CNN —US pending home sales ticked up in September despite mortgage rates surging over 7%. Pending sales were down 11% from a year ago. Pending sales had seen slight increases in June and July, despite elevated prices and higher mortgage rates. But mortgage rates topping 7% in August snapped that streak, and pending sales dropped 7% from July to August. “Because of home builders’ ability to create more inventory, new-home sales could be higher this year despite increasing mortgage rates,” said Yun.

Persons: “, ”, Lawrence Yun, Yun, They’re Organizations: DC CNN, National Association of Realtors, South, West, “, Midwest, Housing Locations: Washington, Northeast, Midwest

☆ What it will take to make homes affordable again for millions of Americans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

"At the current 8% mortgage rate, mortgage payment[s] are 38% of median income," Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi said. The National Association of Realtors measures affordability through its 34-year old Housing Affordability Index, or HAI. And even if home prices do the decline, that trend won't be sustainable unless America builds millions of more homes. And spreads will likely remain extra-wide until short-term interest rates drop below the rates on longer-term treasuries, Duncan said. "Mortgage rates will not go back to 3% – we'll be lucky if we get back to 5," Yun said.

Persons: —, John Burns, maven Mohamed El, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Mark Zandi, That's, Doug Duncan, Fannie, Duncan, Daryl Fairweather, They've, Fairweather, they've, Freddie Mac, –, Zandi, it's Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, National Association of Realtors, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, NAR, Redfin, Allianz, America, Federal Reserve, realtors, Builders, Fed Locations: Florida, Austin , Texas, Boise , Idaho, Fannie Mae, America, New York, California, Phoenix, Tampa, Louisville, Indianapolis, Chicago

☆ Can you ask someone how much they pay in rent? An ethicist, philosopher and etiquette expert weigh in
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Depending on how well you know them, questions about those personal details can seem forward, if not downright rude. "Asking someone how much they pay for housing is a proxy for asking them how wealthy they are," she says. Asking someone how much they pay for housing is a proxy for asking them how wealthy they are. Anita Allen Professor, University of PennsylvaniaThat's why, Allen says, she would only ask if she "knew them very well." 'We are having a housing crisis nationally'A 'For Rent' sign is posted near a home on February 07, 2022 in Houston, Texas.

Persons: Anita Allen, Allen, Brandon Bell, It's, —, Don Heider, Heider, Daniel Post Senning, Emily Post's Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, Getty, U.S . Bureau, Labor, Santa Clara University, National Association of Realtors Locations: Houston , Texas, Philadelphia, New York City, York City, Oxford , Mississippi, Roseville , Michigan

☆ The race to create the 'Amazon of real estate' could change home buying forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

But after years of trying, the basic structure of buying and selling a home remains pretty much the same. Even if you accept a bit of intricacy, real estate remains a stodgy industry — and regulation is at the core of that resistance to change. Despite the best efforts of would-be disruptors to cut out this middleman, 88% of buyers this year enlisted a real-estate agent, a Zillow survey found. Short of a tech-enabled homebuying nirvana, there are some other changes that could make the process easier for consumers. Saul Klein, an early internet evangelist in the real-estate industry, told me he sees an approaching "paradigm shift."

Persons: that's, you'll, they're, it's, Mike DelPrete, Rob Hahn, DelPrete, aren't, they'd, pocketing, —, ClosingCorp, we're, John Berkowitz, hasn't, Berkowitz, They're, Bobby Bryant, Bryant, Rich Barton, Wendy Gilch, Gilch, Saul Klein, Klein, James Rodriguez Organizations: Companies, University of Colorado Boulder, National Association of Realtors, Ojo, Group Inc, Universal Locations: Washington, California, Georgia

☆ US new home sales surged in September
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —New home sales in the United States surged higher in September from the month before, even as mortgage rates remained over 7%, making financing a home costlier and pushing people out of the market. This represents the fastest pace of sales since February 2022 and easily exceeds analysts’ expectations of a sales pace of 680,000. Sales of existing homes have been trending down since February and are down 20% year to date in September from a year ago. While new home sales are a much smaller share of the overall sales market than existing home sales, the inventory picture is rosier for new construction homes. This represents a supply of 6.9 months at the current sales pace.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Kelly Mangold, Mangold Organizations: DC CNN, United States, US Department of Housing, Urban Development, Census, Federal Reserve, Real Estate Consulting, National Association of Realtors Locations: Washington, United, “

Rates just keep climbing, with 30-year mortgage rates hovering near 8%. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-year Fixed Mortgage RatesLast week, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.63%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.92% last week, a 3-point increase compared to the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, you'll, Freddie Mac Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Federal, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

☆ Home Sellers Take On the Realtors Cartel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Allysia Finley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week's best and worst from Dan Henninger, Mary O’Grady and Kim Strassel. Images: Reuters/AFP/Getty Images/Bloomberg News Composite: Mark KellyThe 1.5 million-member National Association of Realtors spent $81.7 million on political lobbying in 2022, more than any other business group. Consider Burnett v. NAR, a federal class-action suit that Missouri home sellers have brought against the association. The case, which went to trial last week, presents an existential threat to the cartel. If the plaintiffs prevail, home buyers and sellers could save $120 billion in fees each year.

Persons: Dan Henninger, Mary O’Grady, Kim Strassel, Mark Kelly, Burnett Organizations: AFP, Getty, Bloomberg, National Association of Realtors, NAR Locations: Missouri

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