Unlawful renting of short-term lets on the rise

The government has been urged to take action after research found more than half of London's short-term holiday let properties are being rented out unlawfully. A report by Central London Forward, a partnership of inner city boroughs, revealed more than 50% of the 117,000 short-term lets listed across the capital in 2024 were booked for more than 90 days a year, in breach of regulations...Read More

Rent controls driving down build-to-rent construction in Scotland

There are fewer build-to-rent projects in Scotland so far this year – which the Scottish Property Federation and Savills blamed on rent control proposals. There’s been a 26% drop in build-to-rent homes being constructed in the first quarter of 2025 year-on-year, taking the number of units under construction from 2,545 last year to 1,896 this year. Scotland’s last set of rent controls ended at the start of this month...Read More

Spring Housing Market Strained by High Costs, Despite Slower Price Growth

As we move into spring, the housing market remains challenging, with record-high home prices and stubbornly elevated mortgage rates prolonging buyer struggles. Yet, positive signals have emerged in the form of a deceleration in home price growth and decreasing mortgage rates. Even so, the high cost of homeownership will likely remain the norm in the coming months. These high costs are sustained...Read More

New Listings Jump to Start 2025 as Tariff Uncertainty Weighs on Sales

Meanwhile, the number of newly listed homes increased with an 11% jump compared to the final month of 2024. Aside from some of the wild swings seen during the pandemic, this was the largest seasonally adjusted monthly increase in new supply on record going back to the late 1980s. “The standout trends to begin the year were a big jump in new supply at an uncommon time of year, as well as a weakening in sales...Read More

Best Countries To Invest In Real Estate In 2025

In 2025, the best countries to invest in real estate are Portugal, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates (specifically Dubai), Spain, and Greece. Portugal and Cyprus attract investors with their Golden Visa programs and high rental yields, while Dubai offers a tax-free environment and significant property value growth. Spain provides a mix of affordable properties and strong rental returns, and Greece benefits from its booming tourism...Read More

Best Places to Invest in Real Estate in 2025 in USA

The real estate market in 2025 offers a unique blend of opportunities for investors. With shifting economic conditions and changing work and demographic trends, there are several lucrative opportunities on the horizon for real estate investors. "Real estate provides a unique opportunity for investors to diversify with an asset that has intrinsic value and potential for appreciation," says Richard Gebbia, principal at Siebert. "Moreover, real estate can be particularly powerful"...Read More

Lundy, RentSpree expanding across real estate landscape

Lundy's AI-powered Navigator, a chatbot purpose-built for MLSs and associations, is on a path of expansion, adding five major real estate organizations with "many more" coming online soon, the company said. First MLS, Realcomp MLS and HiveMLS, along with Bluegrass Realtors and the MetroTex Association of Realtors, have launched Navigator. Unlike ChatGPT, Navigator leverages each entity's own...Read More

Nearly 90% of Metro Areas Registered Home Price Gains in Fourth Quarter of 2024

Almost 90% of metro markets (201 out of 226, or 89%) experienced home price increases in the fourth quarter of 2024, as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate ranged from 6.12% to 6.85%, according to the National Association of REALTORS®' latest quarterly report. Fourteen percent of the 226 tracked metro areas posted double-digit price gains over the same period, up from 7% in the third quarter. "Record-high home prices and...Read More

NRI real estate guide 2025

Indian real estate witnessed significant growth in 2024 marked by high investments, all-time high office leasing activity, and rising property prices. As for the Indian residential segment, 2024 has been a mixed bag because of the general and state elections through the year. Housing sales tapered by 2 per cent in 2024 in comparison to 2023, while new launches fell by 7 per cent because of the slowdown in...Read More

How to Navigate Legal Disputes in Indian Real Estate as an NRI

Making investments in real estate as an NRI while navigating legal issues can be complex. The real estate segment in India is lucrative yet prone to several legal issues, particularly when the property is situated in an area different from the investor’s place of residence and jurisdiction. Therefore, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the legal framework and available redressal avenues is essential to safeguard...Read More

How NRIs Can Maximize Returns from Indian Real Estate in 2024?

India’s real estate market continues to be a hotspot for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) seeking to grow their wealth. With a booming economy, urbanization, and changing government policies, the landscape of property investment in India has evolved, offering NRIs a wide range of opportunities. As part of this evolving landscape, NRI property purchase in India has become more accessible, allowing NRIs to invest...Read More

How to purchase immovable property in India? A guide for NRIs

Purchasing an immovable property in India presents an opportunity for a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), to own real estate, make investments, etc. The process of acquiring property in India can be intricate and demands a comprehensive understanding of the steps involved. This article will guide you through crucial steps for you to make informed decisions ensuring your investment journey is a...Read More

Proximity to Family and Friends, Affordability Drive Relocation Trends in 2024, Finds New NAR Report

Realtors® reported that their recent clients chose to move to a specific area primarily to be closer to family and friends (30%) and to get more home for the money (21%), according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors®. While available U.S. Census Bureau data provides information surrounding where and in what volumes Americans are moving, NAR's 2024 Migration Trends report analyzes...Read More

How Agents Can Help Home Buyers Save on Utility Bills

“Finding and saving money for your clients elevates you from a real estate agent to a real estate professional,” Eileen Oldroyd, broker-owner of Oldroyd Realty in Mission Viejo, Calif., said Saturday at a sustainability session during NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience, in Boston. And agents are well-positioned to help address a key pocketbook issue for consumers: utility bills There’s a method to Oldroyd’s...Read More

House prices are rising across the UK for the first time in two years

House prices are rising across the UK generally for the first time in two years, surveyors have reported. A balance of 16% of professionals reported prices increasing in September, up from a flat 0% result in August and the first positive reading since October 2022. Demand, sales, and new listings all grew in September, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said. A net balance of 14% of property...Read More

India 3rd favourite spot for global real estate investments

India is quickly becoming a favourite spot for foreign investors who want to put their money into land and development projects. In fact, it’s ranked third globally for such investments in 2024, according to a report by Colliers. Most of this foreign money is going into India’s industrial and warehousing sectors—about 70% of all foreign real estates...Read More

13 Beach Cities Where It’s Getting Easier To Buy a Home—and Possibly Cheaper, Too

urns out, 13 of the nation’s largest housing markets not only offer the best of both worlds—sand and surf combined with big-city living—but they’re also serving up more homes for sale than a year ago, according to a recent Realtor.com report. More homes generally means less competition from other buyers, which can ultimately lead to lower prices. That also means that home shoppers—those who are coming off that dreamy...Read More

America’s 10 Easiest Housing Markets for Homebuyers—and the 10 Hardest

Buying a home today is just plain hard: Home shoppers who dare venture out there face high asking prices, steep mortgage rates, intense competition from investors, and other challenges that are not for the faint of heart. That said, not all real estate markets are equally grueling across the board; the level of difficulty varies greatly from place to place. Certain areas could even be considered downright easy,...Read More

The Real Estate Commission: How Much Are Realtor Fees?

If you hire a real estate agent to help you buy, sell, or rent a house, this professional gets paid through the average real estate commission. So how much do you pay, and what for? Is there any wiggle room to negotiate this fee or the closing costs associated with it? Rather than getting paid hourly or weekly fees, most real estate agents earn money only when a real estate deal goes through. Plus, the process can mean weeks or months of work...Read More

In Red-Hot Real Estate Markets, Why Do Certain Homes Just Not Sell?

Manchester, NH, currently holds the title of hottest market in the country, where homes typically sell after just 14 days on the market. So when a listing in this desirable city sits for 144 days, there has to be something wrong with it, right? That’s the question we asked upon spotting a three-bedroom, one-bath, 1,400-square-foot house on Central Street listed nearly five months ago for $370,000. That’s far below Manchester’s median listing price of $425,000...Read More

Real estate agents are fleeing the field. Is that good for homebuyers?

When real estate broker April Strickland looks at her local housing market in Gainesville, Fla., she sees a mismatch. Industry data show that only a few hundred homes are sold each month, she said, yet there are more than 1,500 local Realtors. Strickland has seen the ups and downs of the housing market since 1995, when she started managing her parents’ rental properties as a teenager...Read More

7 Ways People Destroy the Value of Their Homes, According to a Real Estate Agent

Josh Dotoli founded Dotoli Group in 2013, and the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based real estate firm now consistently ranks among the top 1% for sales production nationwide. With over 100 transactions per year and $200 million in closed sales in 2022 alone, it is the No. 1 brokerage in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade. While Dotoli urges his clients to add as much value as possible...Read More

Inflation Hike May Put Mortgage Rates Above 7% Again

The latest inflation data could push mortgage rates higher, economists are saying. Consumer prices reaccelerated in March, showing a more somber picture of economic progress and throwing into question the Federal Reserve’s planned rate cuts this year. Housing analysts had been hoping that such cuts could help bring mortgage rates lower...Read More

February Sees 1.6% Increase in Pending Home Sales

The Northeast PHSI decreased 0.3% from last month to 63.4, a decline of 9.0% from February 2023. The Midwest index soared 10.6% to 81.6 in February, down 2.5% from one year ago. The South PHSI rose 1.1% to 89.5 in February, falling 8.5% from the prior year. The West index fell 6.5% in February to 57.1, down 7.9% from February 2023. The high-cost regions in the Northeast and West experienced pullbacks..Read More

Strategic Collaboration Unveiled: National Association of Realtors® Forges Partnership with Curbio

The National Association of Realtors® today announced Curbio as a new partner with NAR REALTOR Benefits®. Curbio, which operates in more than 55 markets nationwide, is a pay-at-closing contractor for pre-sale home improvements of any size. As part of the agreement, NAR members and their clients will receive free access to Curbio's 'Build Your Own' estimate app, which offers free repair estimates...Read More

What Buyers Truly Need, Insights from Realtors in the Real Estate Realm

Consumers who succeeded in the transaction were certainly content with their professional representation. A super-majority, 75%, indicated in NAR’s latest Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers that they would definitely use the same agent in the future; another 15% indicated “probably.” The figures are consistent with previous years. That’s why so many of our members say referrals are a top business source. Meanwhile, their clients have done quite well over the years; the typical homeowner’s median net worth is nearly $400,000...Read More

Resignation Shocker: National Association of Realtors CEO Departs Sooner Than Anticipated Following Federal Lawsuit Setback

The jury’s verdict also has the possibility to upend practices by real estate agents to boost commissions as home prices continue to rise. The trade group plans to appeal and seek reduced damages. The association did not mention the lawsuit in Goldberg’s decision to step down. NAR’s leadership also came under fire in August, when its president, Ke..The Nnny Parcell, resigned two days...Read More

Homebuider sentiment drops to lowest point in a year, but falling rates spur some optimism

Homebuilder sentiment is now at the lowest level since the end of last year. More builders reported cutting prices in November. The average cut was 6%. The report reflects sentiment before a recent decline in interest rates. High mortgage rates continue to weigh on the nation’s homebuilders, leading to an increase in price cuts to lure buyers. But builders are cautiously optimistic about recent signs that interest rates may move lower soon.......Read More

‘Rental recession’: London office vacancies hit 30-year high

London’s office market is in a “rental recession,” according to financial services company Jeffries, who reported that vacancies in the capital’s business hub had hit a 30-year high. Jeffries analysts estimated there had been a 20% contraction in London office usage as working from home and hybrid working, as well as a move toward green offices, continue to be a priority......Read more

Home sales fall again in July, as supply drops to near quarter-century low

Sales of previously owned homes dropped 2.2% in July from June to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 4.07 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were 16.6% lower compared with July of last year. Homes sold at the slowest July pace since 2010. This count is for closings, so contracts were likely signed in May and June, when mortgage rates went from around 6.5% to.....Read More

Mortgage demand drops as interest rates remain stubbornly high

Mortgage rates didn’t move at all last week, and are still sitting near a recent high. With home prices continuing to rise, that pushed more potential homebuyers to the sidelines.Total mortgage application volume dropped 1.8% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally.......Read More

Mortgage demand drops as bank failures hit jumbo loan rates

Mortgage demand from homebuyers has been erratic to say the least during the usually busy spring housing market. That is likely because today’s buyers are hypersensitive to mortgage rates, which have been fluctuating widely week to week but which are still considerably higher than they were a year ago. Now, several bank failures are starting to make it more difficult even for wealthier buyers......Read More

Why rent control won’t solve the issue of high rents in the U.S.

In December 2022, $1,981 was the typical monthly rent in the United States — a 7.4% increase from the year prior. But while rent has begun to stabilize nationwide, rent affordability remains difficult for many Americans. “There’s literally nowhere in the country where a tenant is not burdened by their rent,” according to Leah Simon-Weisberg, an adjunct professor of law at UC San Francisco......Read More

Canada is banning some foreigners from buying property after home prices surged

Canada in 2023 is closing its doors to foreign investors who want to purchase homes. A new Canadian law took effect January 1 that essentially bans foreign buyers from buying residential properties as investments for two years. The law was passed because of a spike in Canadian home prices since the start of the pandemic....Read More

‘Call Before Showing’ Codes Enhance Customer Service

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about CBS codes in one of the markets I serve. If you aren’t already aware, CBS stands for “call before showing.” These codes are a setting in the most widely used lockbox brands, Sentrilock and Supra. They’re easily programmed when setting up a lockbox on a listing. ...Read More

Slowdown in Home Prices Ahead Despite Q3 Growth

Home prices continued to climb in the third quarter of this year, but the upward trend may finally be coming to an end, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ latest quarterly report. Higher mortgage rates are starting to weigh on home price growth, though practically every major metro saw home prices rise in the third quarter.....Read More

RPR®, CompStak Partnership Adds Value to Commercial Transactions

“One of our goals is to provide NAR’s commercial members with quick access to accurate and transparent data,” says CompStak CEO Michael Mandel. Commercial real estate professionals who use Realtors Property Resource®(link is external) now have exclusive access to an analyst-reviewed comp data and analytics platform to leverage in their business....Read More

These 2 maps show the U.S home price correction is sharper—and more widespread—than previously thought

The going home price correction finally showed up in the Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, as the reading for July came in 0.24% below its June reading. That marks the first month-over-month decline in home prices since 2012.While this is a small numerical drop in the Case-Shiller Index, it’s still a clear indication of a trajectory shift......Read More

The U.S. housing market downturn will be worse in 2023, forecasts Goldman Sachs

On Tuesday, researchers at Goldman Sachs released a paper titled “The Housing Downturn: Further to Fall.” The investment bank now forecasts that activity in the U.S. housing market will end 2022 down across the board. The firm projects sharp declines this year in new home sales (22% drop), existing home sales (17% drop), and housing GDP (8.9% drop). For perspective, Russia’s souring economy is only expected to see its GDP fall 3% this year......Read More

Moody’s: Home prices to fall in these 210 housing markets—while these 204 markets will go higher

If you wet your beak in the real estate biz, there’s a good chance this already feels like a personal recession. Spiked mortgage rates—which saw the average 30-year fixed rate jump from 3.1% to 5.3% this year—have pushed the U.S. housing market into its swiftest plunge in activity since 2006. Home sales and home construction are both falling—fast. .....Read More

How hard the housing correction is hitting your local housing market, as told by one interactive map

Two months ago, Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi came to Fortune with a bold call: The U.S. housing market, he said, was entering into a “housing correction.” At the time, some in the real estate industry brushed it off. .... Read More

Affordable Alternatives to the 7 Largest U.S. Cities`

While home buyers fled urban areas during the pandemic in search of larger, more affordable homes, bidding wars are now pushing up housing prices in the suburbs and leaving many unsure of their next move. “Even before the pandemic, we saw that buyers were looking for more affordable towns near larger cities because as home prices rose, value and affordability became top of mind,” says Danielle....Read More

New-home Sales Reach 15-year High

Buyers are increasingly turning to newly constructed homes for more options. Sales of new single-family homes surged 20.7% month over month in March to a 1.02 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to new data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Census Bureau. New-home sales are at the highest annual pace since September 2006.........Read More

April Marks Fair Housing Month: NAR Launches New Resources for You

Want to shine a light on the role real estate professionals play in fighting discrimination? In honor of Fair Housing Month, the National Association of REALTORS® is launching several resources to help you promote your fair housing commitment, as well as educational resources to keep you informed about the latest issues surrounding fair.....Read More

Plunging City Rents Could Spawn Urban Resurgence

Interest in apartments in big cities has waned during the COVID-19 pandemic, while apartments in less dense areas have surged in demand. A new report from realtor.com® shows that major urban markets, such as San Francisco and New York, are posting double-digit price declines for one- and two-bedroom units compared to a year earlier.Read More

Property Owners Get Much-Needed Relief in New Stimulus

Housing providers can breathe a sigh of relief. After months of political gridlock, Congress passed a series of measures Monday night to provide financial relief for Americans struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the provisions benefiting real estate: $25 billion in rental assistance to states and clarification......Read More

NEW APARTMENT SUPPLY EXPECTED TO REACH 30-YEAR HIGH THIS YEAR

The apartment sector is expected to have a banner year, with new supply reaching a three-decade high across the country’s 150 largest apartment markets, according to a new report from RealPage, a property management software firm. For this year,......Read More

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