USA Real Estate News-RISMedia

Lofty—the CRM and marketing platform for the real estate industry—announced a significant legal and legislative victory following California Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature of Senate Bill 690 (SB 690) into law, eliminating the private right of action for pen register claims under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).  According to a release, SB 690 effectively…

The post Lofty Helps Pass Senate Bill 690 Into Law, Eliminating Private CIPA Claims Against California Businesses appeared first on RISMedia.

United® Real Estate has announced the company has been named to the Franchise Times Top 400 for the 10th consecutive year, earning a decade of recognition among the nation’s largest franchise organizations in systemwide sales. According to a release, United’s continued growth points to a shift underway among successful independent brokerages: Operating a real estate…

The post United Real Estate Recognized Among Largest U.S. Franchisors for 10th Consecutive Year appeared first on RISMedia.

Realtor.com has announced the launch of RealAssist AI in Realtor.com+, an AI-powered layer designed to set busy real estate professionals up for success by helping them work faster, stay ahead of client activity and take action with more confidence, without losing time to manual busywork, according to a release. Realtor.com noted that since its January…

The post Realtor.com+ Unveils RealAssist AI for Agents to Power a More Intelligent Workspace appeared first on RISMedia.

Inside Real Estate has announced a strategic alliance with Cotality, integrating Cotality’s property intelligence directly into Inside Real Estate’s AI platform, Streams. The integration surfaces predictive analytics, repair-informed home values, ownership history, and real-time propensity signals showing when a homeowner may be ready to buy or sell within every workflow.  According to a release, this…

The post Cotality’s Property Intelligence Joins Inside Real Estate’s AI Platform appeared first on RISMedia.

Editor’s note: Econ Review is a roundup of the housing and economic market data reports released during the month. Typically, the real estate industry enters a slower period as the end of the year approaches. The cold seasons bring a deceleration in sales and other activity, and September ushers in the transition period between the…

The post Econ Review: A Look at September’s Key Market Data appeared first on RISMedia.

Above, from left, Rajeev Sajja, Marki Lemons Ryhal, Amy Gromowski, Matthew Rathbun and Charles Oppler. Photos by AJ Canaria. WASHINGTON, D.C.—Real estate brokerages can’t treat AI as a shortcut, or they’ll expose their agents and companies to untold risks, a panel of industry experts said during RISMedia’s 38th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange on Oct.…

The post Industry Leaders Say AI Is Only as Trustworthy as People, Policies Behind It appeared first on RISMedia.

Young adult homeownership rates are at risk of declining unless the U.S. population grows, according to an analysis by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS). U.S. population growth, however, may not be able to provide the requisite pipeline of new homebuying young adults due to a smaller Gen Alpha birth cohort and declining immigration.…

The post Report: Demographic Factors Dim Already Affordability-Battered Prospects for Youth Homeowner Rates appeared first on RISMedia.

CRMLS is not waiting around for a promised lawsuit from Compass over its listing policies, filing its own federal lawsuit against the mega-brokerage late last night as a fight over exclusive inventory and listing control has once again spilled into federal court. In the 36-page complaint, CRMLS asked a federal judge in New York to…

The post ‘Competitive Weapon’: CRMLS Preempts Compass in Federal Lawsuit Over Listing Policy appeared first on RISMedia.

Above, from left: Sean McRae, John Featherston, Chris Kelly, Creig Northrop, Ben Silva. On-screen: Synthetic humans JackAI and Mae. Photo by AJ Canaria. Artificial intelligence has moved well beyond the chatbot—ushering in what RISMedia Founder and CEO John Featherston likens to a modern-day Industrial Revolution. During RISMedia’s 38th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange last week…

The post Beyond the Chatbot: RISMedia Unveils ‘Digital Humans’ at CEO & Leadership Exchange appeared first on RISMedia.

Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Better drops challenge against Vishal Garg The Better Home & Finance Holding Company (commonly known as Better) announced in an Oct. 5 press release that their Special Committee withdrew its challenge to the…

The post Court Report: Vishal Garg Wins Majority Votes, Set to Oust Five Directors; Compass/CRMLS Tensions Spike appeared first on RISMedia.

The potential Fathom and Bed Bath & Beyond parent merger is no more. After Bed Bath & Beyond, now under the corporate name Neighborhood Intelligence, first agreed to acquire real estate brokerage Fathom Holdings last June, the companies, in an Oct. 5 press release, said the deal would not be consummated due to current valuations…

The post Fathom, Bed Bath & Beyond Parent Merger Is Called Off appeared first on RISMedia.

HomeServices of America and Long & Foster Companies have named Daniel Dennis president & CEO of the iconic, 55-year-old firm.  With more than two decades of brokerage, luxury and national industry experience, Dennis succeeds Patrick Bain, who is stepping down following a 16-year career with the firm, including as president & CEO for the last…

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Lofty has announced the release of Lofty MCP Server—a new capability that offers brokerages a secure way to connect with other AI tools, data and proprietary workflows direct from the Lofty platform. According to a release, Lofty’s MCP Server is designed to provide brokerages with the open extensibility needed to maximize AI investments, and enables…

The post Lofty Launches MCP Server, Gives Brokerages an Open Foundation for AI Strategy appeared first on RISMedia.

The Federal Reserve’s new interest rate increase will likely be felt throughout the real estate industry, with mortgage rates surpassing last week’s data highlighting a two-year peak. According to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 7.28%, up from last week’s average of 7.03% and up from last year’s…

The post Mortgage Rates Hit 3-Year High; Economists Foresee Stalling Market appeared first on RISMedia.

Unemployment continues to remain steady around the 4% range, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The latest Employment Situation Summary from the BLS reports that the unemployment rate grew slightly—but not dramatically—to 4.2%, with the addition of 29,000 jobs. Previously, the unemployment rate sat at 4.1% for August. Categories like construction and manufacturing…

The post Labor Market Misses Projections; BLS Revisions Reveal a Downward Slope appeared first on RISMedia.

Above, from left, Matt Widdows, founder and CEO, HomeSmart; Anthony Lamacchia, broker/owner and CEO, Lamacchia Realty, Inc.; DeAnn Golden, president and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties; and Tracy Hutton, CEO and owner, CENTURY 21 Scheetz. Photo by AJ Canarla. News coverage—both from mainstream media and real estate organizations—tends to focus on national trends. But…

The post Regional Leaders Talk Success Strategies at CEO & Leadership Exchange appeared first on RISMedia.

Above, five industry leaders including (second from left) Emmett Laffey, Marki Lemons Ryhal, Richard Haggerty, Mike Hickman and (not pictured) Steve Morris, were inducted into RISMedia’s Newsmakers Hall of Fame during its 2026 Annual Awards Gala at the CEO & Leadership Exchange in Washington, D.C. Left, RISMedia’s Maria Patterson and far right, John Featherston. Photo…

The post Five Iconic Leaders Inducted Into RISMedia’s Prestigious Newsmakers Hall of Fame During Annual Awards Gala appeared first on RISMedia.

Above, NextHome President James Dwiggins at RISMedia’s 38th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange. Photo by AJ Canaria. WASHINGTON, D.C.—Real estate has always been a competitive industry, but other brokers aren’t your biggest threat. That’s according to panelists at RISMedia’s 38th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange who sounded the alarm that decision-makers should direct their energy…

The post James Dwiggins: ‘It’s Time to Stand Up to Bullies’ appeared first on RISMedia.

Above, NextHome President James Dwiggins at RISMedia’s 38th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange. Photo by AJ Canaria. WASHINGTON, D.C.—Real estate has always been a competitive industry, but other brokers aren’t your biggest threat. That’s according to panelists at RISMedia’s 38th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange who sounded the alarm that decision-makers should direct their energy…

The post James Dwiggins: ‘It’s Time to Stand Up to Bullies appeared first on RISMedia.

The Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) has announced a new Brokerage Membership category designed to bring MLS and brokerage leaders together for more direct dialogue, collaboration and shared learning. According to a release, the new membership reflects a simple premise: Building the MLS of the future requires the people who operate MLSs and the…

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