Residential Real Estate
Thoughts on Leadership: Honoring Veterans and My Father’s Legacy
After a week of sharing insights across the East Coast, our focus shifts as Veterans Day approaches—a time to honor and remember. This year, I dedicate my reflection to my father, Paul Frank Blefari (Pappy)—a WWII veteran, a loyal husband, and a cherished family man whose legacy of service and love continues to inspire me… […]
Op-Ed: A Beacon of Light Amidst Anti-Immigrant Sentiment in America
Above, Jamie Tian on the cover of ARE magazine I was working on some listings a couple months back when I read an email from Hope Atuel, the CEO of Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) laying out her idea for the cover of our ARE magazine to be published for the recently completed… […]
Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn Recognized as a 2024 Women of Influence by HousingWire
As the first female Chief Advocacy Officer for the association, she has built a bipartisan operation that’s consistently delivered wins for NAR’s 1.5 million members on policies aimed at expanding access to housing and protecting the rights of property buyers and sellers in the U.S. and around the world. www.nar.realtor – Fair Housing
RISMedia’s 2024 Real Estate Rookie of the Year Revealed at Annual Power Broker Gala
Above, from left, John Featherston, Tina Lapp, Heather Stenson and Brian Joyner During its 28th Annual Power Broker Reception & Dinner held at the Renaissance Boston Seaport Hotel Friday night, RISMedia announced its 2024 Real Estate Rookie of the Year winner, Heather Stenson, a REALTORⓇ with Connect Realty in The Woodlands, Texas. Designed to honor… […]
Bringing Tangible Value to the Table
NextHome CEO James Dwiggins—a third-generation real estate leader—has made it his mission to position his company’s strategies and training opportunities to guide, educate and protect his agents and consumers as well as the industry at large. Rescoping the company to navigate the post-August 17 landscape, Dwiggins is pushing his agents to educate buyers and sellers… […]
Lender Data Shows Refinance Offers Have Increased 42% Nationwide Over the Last Year
Remember the days of 3% mortgage rates? As a relieved nation emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, along with it came those historically low average mortgage rates below 5.00%, 4.00% or even sub-3.00%. But as inflation began to increase so too did mortgage rates, rising to nearly 8.00% in 2023 and 2024, their highest… […]
Kramer Manor: The Incredible Story of Homeownership, Resilience and Community That Was Almost Lost
The residents of one New Jersey neighborhood didn’t let racial barriers stand in the way of their ownership dream. www.nar.realtor – Fair Housing
Op-Ed: The Next Wave of Lawsuits Will Be About Steering—Mark My Words
Above, Leo Pareja, CEO, eXp Realty In the aftermath of recent lawsuits, the next major legal battleground in real estate is going to be steering. It’s not a matter of if, but when. During the litigation over cooperative compensation in MLSs, one of the central claims by plaintiffs’ attorneys was that real estate agents were… […]
Second Century Ventures Selects 8 Tech Companies for 2025 REACH Canada
Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of REALTORS®, has announced eight companies selected for its 2025 REACH Canada program. These firms operate within a diverse range of market segments and specializations, offering productivity and efficiency solutions for real estate professionals while addressing some of society’s growing housing challenges. “The vision… […]
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Announces Two Strategic Acquisitions
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (HHRES) has announced two significant mergers that will expand its market reach and reinforce its commitment to client service. In just two days, HHRES has welcomed two firms into Howard Hanna: Big Hill Realty in Dayton, Ohio, and The Alliance Group Realty in Hilton Head, South Carolina. HHRES stated that… […]