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COURT REPORT: eXp, Weichert Get Settlement Sign-off in Copycat Suit; Hardy Suit Thrown Out
4/6/2026 2:02 PM
Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. eXp, Weichert get settlement sign-off in copycat lawsuit A federal judge granted final approval to a series of commission-related antitrust settlements involving several real estate brokerage...Read More
 
Northwest MLS Fires Back at Compass With Counterclaim; New Washington Law May Not Be Enough to Stop Private Listings
4/6/2026 1:28 PM
The legal battle between Northwest MLS (NWMLS) and Compass escalated this past week as NWMLS filed counterclaims in federal court, accusing the nation’s largest residential brokerage of violating Washington’s Consumer Protection Act, fraudulent misrepresentation and tortious interference—charges Compass swiftly dismissed as retaliation by a “mon...Read More
 
The Future of Listings Depends on Access, Not Exclusivity
4/6/2026 1:15 PM
There is a lot of noise in the real estate industry right now. Clear Cooperation. Private listings. Lawsuits. And now a growing push toward exclusive “Coming Soon” and preview platforms. Let me be clear about where HomeSmart stands. Until shown otherwise, we believe listings should be broadly accessible, not restricted to any one platform orR...Read More
 
Getting (to) Real: How and Why One Team Leader Made the Call to Change Brands
4/6/2026 1:07 PM
The recent press release for a 20-member team leaving one national brokerage to align with another was fairly boilerplate; the kind of update that is quickly reabsorbed into the churn of a news cycle.  But sometimes there is a story within the story. Sandra Rathe, leader of The Sandra Rathe Team, took RISMedia behind the… The p...Read More
 
Lofty Launches Homeowner Agent to Improve Seller Lead Generation
4/6/2026 12:47 PM
Lofty announced the launch of Homeowner Agent, a new AI operating system that aims to help agents monitor leads within an existing database, understand selling intent and automatically nurture their clients with personalized market and property insights. The goal is to eliminate guesswork to ensure agents stay top of mind with their database. De...Read More
 
JPAR Brokerage Appoints Tony Delgado as New President
4/6/2026 12:36 PM
Above, Tony Delgado JPAR Brokerage announced the appointment of Tony Delgado as the new president. Delgado will continue to serve as the company’s responsible broker and will oversee all aspects of JPAR’s Texas operations. “For the past number of years, Tony has been at the center of the work that matters most to our agents—support,… <...Read More
 
While Jobs Rebound in March, Real Estate Economists Advise Caution
4/6/2026 11:26 AM
In a rebound from February’s downcast numbers, a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on April 3 showed the U.S. economy gaining 178,000 jobs in March, with the unemployment rate sliding slightly to 4.3%. Job gains occurred in healthcare, construction and in transportation and warehousing. Federal government employment continued to decline...Read More
 
Econ Review: A Look at March’s Key Market Data
4/2/2026 3:17 PM
Editor’s note: Econ Review is a roundup of the month’s housing and economic market data reports.  The housing market is built on data. Home prices, home sales, construction rates coupled with economic data like inflation, jobs, interest rates—it all creates the ecosystem that is the housing market. Understanding the state of the market mean...Read More
 
Arizona’s REMAX Fine Properties & REMAX Solutions Merge
4/2/2026 2:41 PM
Above, L-R: Sandy Karpen, Dan Porter, Nate Martinez, Melissa Dierks, Jamie Wong and Greg Remmers. REMAX Fine Properties has announced a strategic merger with REMAX Solutions. The expanded Arizona-based brokerage will now include more than 400 agents operating across 10 office locations statewide, with projected annual sales production beyond 3 b...Read More
 
Mortgage Rates Continue to Climb in ‘Complicated Intersection’ of Geopolitics and Economic Policy
4/2/2026 2:09 PM
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased for the fifth consecutive week, rising to 6.46% as the ongoing war in Iran continues to roil financial markets, economists said. The average mortgage rate ticked up 8 basis points to 6.46% this week, according to the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), released by Freddie Ma...Read More