Real Issues

Our monthly Real Issues feature is a deep-dive into the biggest issues facing the real estate industry today. Learn more about topics that go beyond the daily news reporting and explore the most important issues of the day.

In-home cameras are changing the way real estate agents do their jobs

More and more, agents are navigating the thorny issues of audio and visual recorders in homes. Nest cameras, security systems, Ring doorbells and nanny cams are changing how real estate agents do their jobs.

How agents are working around the cyberattack that shut down MLS access in parts of 12 states

MLS freeze strikes agents in Florida, Massachusetts, Indiana, New York, California and elsewhere.

Developers are reinventing downtowns by converting vacant offices to residential

As office occupancy rates continue to lag post-pandemic, many cities are exploring the conversion of commercial properties to residential.

Rising sea levels and fluctuating lakes are threatening coastal communities

Climate change is causing the seas to rise and fluctuating lake levels on the Great Lakes to become more pronounced, posing a serious threat to communities by the water.

Understanding HUD and what it means for residential real estate

Any agent who works with a client who has procured Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans is effectively working for a HUD client. It’s essential, then, that agents know how to navigate the paperwork and bureaucracy of a HUD transaction, or know where to get help.

Homes of the future

How architects, builders, designers and developers are designing new homes — and communities — to meet buyers’ changing needs.

How extreme weather is changing real estate nationwide and in Miami

Around the country, architects, cities and organizations are taking action to build more resilient homes and communities in the face of climate change.

The Top 5 Real Issues stories from 2022

Check out our most-read Real Issues features to learn from our expert sources and, overall, to consider 2022 in retrospect.

Bidding wars with Wall Street

Investors helped resuscitate the economy during the Great Recession, but their taste for real estate didn’t stop there.

Brokerages Recalibrate: A Q&A with T3 Sixty President & CEO Jack Miller

We checked in with Jack Miller, president and CEO of real estate consulting and analytics firm T3 Sixty, for his insight into how interest rates are affecting the market.

Navigating new-home construction sales

All bets are off in the world of new-construction home sales, where the relationship between builders and brokers often changes with the strength or weakness of the local market.

How rookie agents make the grade

To earn a real estate license, future agents must attend a state-approved course. If they pass the class test, they must pass a state test. After that, they are a licensee — but becoming a successful agent is not so simple.

Decoupling broker commissions could be coming

Agent commissions of the future could look much different than they do today, as a Department of Justice investigation into the issue of decoupling buyer and broker commissions continues, class-action lawsuits are advancing and associations and MLSs are adjusting their policies.

How does a community increase home values?

A neighborhood has many public assets that combine to determine its desirability to buyers. How do those assets affect home prices — and which ones have the biggest impact?

How to win the succession game

Real estate agents are developing more sophisticated ways to pass their business on to the next generation and creating ongoing revenue streams for themselves along the way.

What to do about the affordability crisis?

Inventory shortages, supply chain disruptions and bidding wars that have pushed prices up to record levels are among the numerous factors that have exacerbated the affordable housing crisis that was already in full swing prior to the pandemic.

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