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Helping heroes home: how real estate pros can better serve veterans

Agent, Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Loan, Veterans, Veterans United Home Loans /

Veterans Day serves as a meaningful opportunity to honor the sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform who have served our country. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the challenges veterans face as they transition back to civilian life, including navigating the homebuying process. For real estate professionals, it’s important to recognize […]

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Why communication failures can cost real estate agents

Agent, Contributors, Cooperative Compensation, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Real Estate Listings, Real Estate Marketing /

At the core of real estate lies one constant: our duty to communicate clearly, act with integrity, and put our clients first. When those principles slip—even unintentionally—the results can be costly. Not long ago, a situation discussed during one of our coaching calls served as a powerful reminder of how quickly professionalism can unravel when

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Stop marketing like it’s 2008: You’re invisible

Contributors, HWmember, Marketing, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination, Real Estate Marketing /

Mortgage marketing is stuck in 2008. Not because the tactics are old. We have webinars instead of lunch-and-learns, sponsored posts instead of postcards. The problem isn’t outdated tools. It’s the mindset, the fact that most of us never really learned how to market in the first place. That’s not an indictment of the people doing

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The Optimal Blue lawsuit: Data transparency or market manipulation?

Contributors, Data & Visuals, Housing Market Data, HWmember, Legal, Mortgage, Opinion /

Mortgage-pricing data has gone digital. But when does transparency turn into coordination? In early October 2025, mortgage-technology provider Optimal Blue and three major lenders were sued in a proposed class-action alleging price-fixing and market manipulation in U.S. mortgage rates. At the center of the case is a question that goes well beyond one software firm:

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Why is homeownership harder to sustain in 2025?

Agent, Contributors, Down Payment Assistance, Homeowners insurance, Homeownership, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate /

For generations, the American Dream has been defined by homeownership. But in 2025, that dream is harder to hold onto. Rising mortgage rates, high home prices and the day-to-day cost of living have left many families stretched thin. Even as interest rates show signs of easing, affordability pressures remain, forcing buyers to ask not only,

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The four-step real estate listing framework for more signed agreements

Agent, Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Real Estate Listings, Real Estate Marketing, Residential Real Estate /

We all know that the listing appointment is the Super Bowl for every agent. It’s where all your prospecting, marketing and preparation come together in a single conversation that determines whether you’ll earn the trust of a homeowner or walk out empty-handed. That’s why I created the R.E.A.L. framework — a four-step structure for conducting a powerful listing conversation that leads

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The AI advantage: How real estate industry leaders can get ahead in a digital market

Agent, Artificial Intelligence, Brokerage, Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Technology /

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future promise in real estate. It’s here, measurable, and rapidly transforming how professionals work. From agents juggling client demands to lenders navigating compliance and efficiency pressures, AI is already proving itself both a pressure valve and a performance accelerator.The stakes are clear: those who embrace AI are gaining

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There’s no such thing as a Realtor tax: Here’s what they’re missing

Agent, Brokerage, Contributors, Housing Market, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Tax /

Benjamin Franklin famously said that nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. When I saw a recent article by Robert Bork Jr. claiming that the affordability crisis is due to some sort of “Realtor® tax,” I stopped in my tracks. The only Realtor® tax I’m aware of is the 15% self-employment tax I’m

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It’s time for a federal housing policy reset

Contributors, Housing Policy, HUD, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Regulatory /

I’ve been involved in federal housing policy for more than 50 years, beginning my career at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the 1970s and later serving on the staff of the U.S. House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs — now the Financial Services Committee — from 1983 to

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The Texas law threatening to break the affordable housing equation

Contributors, Housing Market, Opinion, Real Estate, Texas /

A quiet change in Texas law this past spring could ignite a crisis in affordable housing – and send a chilling signal to investors nationwide. House Bill 21 (HB 21), passed in May, drastically rewrites the rules for how affordable housing partnerships in Texas qualify for property tax abatements. For years, those abatements have been

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