News / Features

Real Estate in Brief: Broker alliances, rebranding and more

RE/MAX to partner with Redfin through referrals RE/MAX announced in a March 18 press release that it had entered into a “strategic alliance” with Redfin to boost sales at both nationwide brokers through referral incentives. In about 5,000 ZIP

New insight from Fed meeting could keep mortgage rates low

In a positive sign for homebuyers planning on taking out new mortgages, the Federal Reserve sent its clearest signals yet that it will hold off on interest rate increases for the foreseeable future and perhaps the rest of 2019.

Home design trends in demand in 2019

This year is one of continued change in home design as consumers get revved up about more livable spaces and a surge in new home-centered technology. Trends are constantly changing, and this year, homeowners want design that will create

Congress still trying to pass long-term flood insurance solution

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has been a subject of debate for years in Congress, gaining temporary funding multiple times without any permanent solutions. Recently, representatives across political lines have shown interest in finally reaching a long-term resolution,

Remote workers more likely to own than rent

For most Americans, the average commute is less than 90 minutes. However, extreme commuters exist on either end of this spectrum, with telecommuters (who work from home) experiencing no travel time and so-called “super commuters” traveling over 90 minutes

Real Estate in Brief: Lender sentiment, housing starts and more

Lender optimism jumps as rates drift lower The latest survey of mortgage industry sentiment from Fannie Mae found lenders markedly more optimistic about their business prospects at the start of 2019. While still negative overall, the results of Fannie

Statewide pending sales up again in February

Pending home and condo sales grew again last month throughout Massachusetts as buyers moved to capitalize on lower interest rates and an increase in listings to choose from. The number of single-family homes under agreement by the end of

This Week in Boston Real Estate: Investor destinations, casino plans and more

Boston named a top city for global growth, investment Boston’s high real estate prices are the source of concern for many residents, politicians and business leaders alike. To ultra-wealthy investors, though, Boston may look like a steal in the

Why technology (probably) can’t replace agents

Will technology one day replace the role of the real estate agent? In an era of rapidly evolving customer relationship management software, iBuyers and the constant specter of brokerage mergers and acquisitions—always, it seems, with tech bandied about as

The real estate industry’s glass ceiling problem

Real estate is a field that traditionally counts more women among its ranks than men; the 2018 National Association of Realtors Member Profile found that 63 percent of all NAR members were female last year. Yet when it comes

Real Estate in Brief: Insurance bills, photo fraud and more

Experts warn of misleading listing photos Has photo retouching gone too far? Some brokers and buyers think so, according to a feature in The Wall Street Journal this week discussing the growing popularity of dead-simple photo editing tools used

How Freddie Mac is leading the way for women in real estate

Although most Americans alive today have never known a world where women are absent from the workforce, most are still well aware of the discrimination and injustice that continues to plague working women. Though gender norms continue to be

Chase chief economist on managing client uncertainty

American homeowners have a vested interest in the U.S. economy, and by association, so do real estate agents. The size and scope of the housing market, itself just one piece of the world’s largest economy, makes this a difficult

New 2019 housing forecasts reflect brighter outlook

Only three months ago, the consensus among economists studying the U.S. housing market was that 2019 would be, at best, unimpressive. Given prevailing trends at the time, it looked as though rising interest rates would continue driving up the

Big data solutions for housing’s most pressing problems

The U.S. Census Bureau is renewing its push to stimulate innovative technological developments through the use of its own data. The Opportunity Project (TOP), a collaborative effort between government agencies and private tech firms, continues to build upon initiatives

This Week in Boston Real Estate: Affordable homes, zoning rules and more

Mayor moves to add 515 affordable housing units Mayor Marty Walsh’s administration took some of its first concrete steps last week toward the city’s plan to add 69,000 new housing units — 16,000 of which would be affordable to