NAR beefs up communications department with two major hires

Houston Agent Magazine 5/29 7:52A John Yellig

The National Association of REALTORS® is bringing on two communications professionals with messaging experience in the nation s capital. Bennett Richardson, the former general manager and global head of public affairs at Semafor, was named senior...

Pending home sales plunge in April on high mortgage rates

Houston Agent Magazine 5/29 7:32A John Yellig

Pending home sales plunged 6.3% in April, well below the 0.4% decline economists were expecting, as high mortgage rates blunted any boost that higher inventory could have deliver ed . All four regions experienced month-over-month declines, led by...

Report: Douglas Elliman gets takeover offer from Anywhere Real Estate

Houston Agent Magazine 5/27 7:46A John Yellig

Luxury real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman could find itself with a new owner following a takeover offer from a competitor, Bloomberg reported , citing people familiar with the matter. Anywhere Real Estate , formerly known as Realogy , made a...

Guaranteed Rate Affinity appoints Guadagnino and Dilday to leadership roles

Houston Agent Magazine 5/27 6:37A Jacqui Mueller

Guaranteed Rate Affinity has appointed Dino Guadagnino as regional vice president of reverse mortgages and Kevin Dilday as area sales manager for the Mid-Atlantic region. Guadagnino has specialized in reverse mortgages since 2003. In his new role,...

Sales underway at Briarley in Montgomery

Houston Agent Magazine 5/27 5:26A Emily Marek

Perry Homes, Highland Homes and J. Patrick Homes have begun presales at Briarley , Johnson Land Ventures’ latest master-planned community in Montgomery. Perry Homes is building on 60- and 70-foot lots and is offering 52 floor plans, ranging from...

Wendy Bernstein joins Compass

Houston Agent Magazine 5/22 3:55A Emily Marek

Wendy Bernstein is now affiliated with Compass in Houston. She was previously an agent with Bernstein Realty . A longtime industry veteran, Bernstein has lived in Houston for over 50 years and first obtained her real estate license in the 1980s....

Toll Brothers to build at Wildtree in Magnolia

Houston Agent Magazine 5/21 10:43A Emily Marek

Toll Brothers is building a new-home community later this year at Wildtree, a Magnolia master-planned community. Toll Brothers at Wildtree will feature one- and two-story homes on 60-foot lots. Pricing is expected to start in the mid-$500,000s....

Debunking 80/20: New data shows it’s 65/20

Houston Agent Magazine 5/21 7:55A Jacqui Mueller

The well-known 80/20 rule in real estate has driven how agents perceive the success of their colleagues: 20% of agents close 80% of the deals. New data released by CoreLogic/Cotality , and examined by noted industry researcher Mike DelPrete ,...

HAR: Housing market ‘solid and steady’ in April

Houston Agent Magazine 5/19 10:37A Emily Marek

The Houston housing market showed signs of “continued stability” in April, the Houston Association of REALTORS® said in its latest Housing Market Update . via HAR Single-family home sales declined 1.1% year over year in April, the association’s...

Lily Jang joins BHGRE Gary Greene

Houston Agent Magazine 5/19 4:18A Emily Marek

Lily Jang is now affiliated with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene . She was formerly a top producer with Keller Williams Memorial . A former news anchor, Jang had a career in broadcast journalism before earning her license as a...

NAHB: Builder confidence drops in May on tariff uncertainty

Houston Agent Magazine 5/16 3:55A John Yellig

Builder confidence fell sharply in May, dropping to its lowest level since November 2023, the National Association of Home Builders reported, citing the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The decline comes as builders are rattled by tariff...

NAR: Affordability gap persists despite improvements in housing supply

Houston Agent Magazine 5/15 11:35A Jacqui Mueller

After years of record-low housing inventory , the market is starting to look up. Across much of the U.S., available homes are increasing thanks in large part to a construction surge during the pandemic years when mortgage rates w ere at historic...

NAR names REACH class of 2025

Houston Agent Magazine 5/15 10:24A John Yellig

The National Association of Realtors ® strategic investment arm, Second Century Ventures , named eight real estate technology firms for its 2025 REACH scale-up program . The companies will receive education, mentorship, networking opportunities...

Home sales skyrocketed 167% in this Houston neighborhood

Houston Agent Magazine 5/13 7:44A Emily Marek

Brookshire was the hottest community in Houston during the first three months of 2025, according to a quarterly report from the Houston Association of REALTORS® . Home sales jumped 167.7% year over year in the western Houston suburb, with 83...

NAR: GOP tax plan ‘very positive’ for real estate

Houston Agent Magazine 5/13 6:51A John Yellig

The National Association of REALTORS® applauded the first draft of the Republican tax plan as very positive for real estate, citing five provisions that were high on NAR s list of priorities. These included expanded or preserved deductions for...