Early January declines in mortgage rates unlocked refinance opportunities for nearly five million borrowers and helped push affordability to a four-year high, according to the February Mortgage Monitor released Feb. 9 by ICE Mortgage Technology, a provider of an end-to-end mortgage platform.  According to the analysis, “Even small reductions toward 6% rates can significantly boost…

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When Zillow® launched 20 years ago this week, the ultimate American home was big, beige and built to impress. In 2026, for-sale listings show that buyers want something very different: Homes that feel personal, flexible and designed for real life. “Two decades of Zillow data reveal a clear cultural shift,” said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home…

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Fathom Realty has announced the appointment of Lori Muller as president of Fathom Realty, effective February 9, 2026. Muller succeeds Samantha Giuggio, who will be stepping down from her roles as president of Fathom Realty and chief operating officer of Fathom Holdings. Muller brings more than two decades of leadership experience in residential real estate…

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As Compass moves forward following the closing of its industry-shaking acquisition of Anywhere, the brokerage’s founder and CEO announced that Neda Navab, his former chief of staff and most recently leader of brokerage operations, has been appointed the new president of Compass Real Estate. With the company reorganizing to absorb Anywhere and Reffkin taking the…

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State legislatures across the U.S. have been seeing new bills that would restrict private real estate listings, with mandates that such listings also be publicly marketed. Wisconsin enacted such legislation in December 2025 (to take effect in January 2027), while another bill of this nature is under consideration in Washington state.  Now, the Illinois legislature…

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The House of Representatives has announced the passage of H.R. 6644, known as the Housing for the 21st Century Act, and the industry has reacted with positivity and now look to the Senate for further action. The Housing for the 21st Century Act is a comprehensive, bipartisan legislative package that aims to increase housing supply…

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Along with low interest rates and the infusion of money from federal stimulus, one of the factors that drove the pandemic boom market was a surge in so-called “housing mobility,” meaning the overall propensity of people to pick up and move. That metric rose to its highest level in almost 20 years back in 2021,…

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Above, Jeremy Larson As Zillow celebrates its 20th anniversary this week, the real estate industry itself looks radically different than it did two decades ago. What once depended on access to listings and information now hinges on expertise, interpretation and trust—themes reflected throughout Jeremy Larson’s career. A longtime Zillow agent partner, Larson—CEO of the Larson…

The post Two Decades of Adaptation: How Jeremy Larson Built a Thriving Business Alongside Zillow appeared first on RISMedia.

Oregon REALTORS® announced a partnership with SkySlope to provide its members with complimentary access to Breeze, a digital disclosure program designed to simplify and streamline one of the most paperwork-heavy parts of a real estate transaction.  A release from SkySlope says Breeze replaces lengthy, complex disclosure forms with guided digital questionnaires that sellers can complete…

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Redfin has announced the launch of a new app within the AI platform ChatGPT, which offers consumers a way to access its listings and explore neighborhood information, data and market insights using conversational language.  Redfin explains that through its app in ChatGPT, users can ask specific housing questions and refine their search over time without…

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