These strategies work, whether you are establishing, growing or maintaining your real estate agent referral network.

Building a culture that no one wants to leave isn’t easy, writes DEI expert Julia Lashay Israel. Here she shares the core pillars of an inclusive culture and how you can leverage them as components to take your brokerage to the top.

It’s no surprise that for today’s eco-conscious buyers, LEED-certified residences represent a prize like no other. However, for now, such homes are a rarity. Here’s a closer look at why that’s the case, and why it could be changing.

See what’s happening around town!

February 1st – 28th: Black History Month

“Each February, Black History Month honors the achievements and contributions of African Americans to the country. Here’s how you can celebrate throughout the Denver metro area with lectures, dramatic performances, music and more, both before and after Black History Month!” Schedule & More Info!

There are various taxes and fees involved when relatives settle their parents’ estate, but the first step is figuring out what it’s worth.

A Slow Start, but Higher Consumer Confidence

In our local real estate market, the start to the first quarter of 2023 felt a lot like the fourth quarter of 2022; somewhat slow. With an official recession likely this fall, high inflation, and the mortgage rate hikes of last year, it’s understandable why many people have been apprehensive to make a move.

Despite the slow start, consumer confidence has been on a sharp rise recently. Consumer confidence is a great leading indicator of what will happen over the next few months. To try to anticipate what the market might do, the best metrics to pay attention to are consumer confidence, new mortgage applications, home showing activity, mortgage rate locks, and finally closings. 

The spike in consumer confidence indicates people are a bit more optimistic about the economy than before. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t apply for new mortgages. The increase in mortgage applications should eventually flow through the rest of the metrics, resulting in more home sales. It’s a great sign for the spring, which is historically the busiest time of year in real estate.

Realtor.com

A home with a unique viewpoint is coming into focus on the Oregon coast.

The 7,442-square-foot home, with its own lighthouse, sits on almost 26 acres along the Pacific Ocean in Cloverdale, OR. The stunning property is listed for $10 million.

“The Oregon coast is beautiful and rugged—they call it the wilderness coast, and it’s exceptional in its beauty,” says Brian Ladd, with Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty. He is co-listing the property with Josh Reed. “I think what’s so iconic about this property is the setting.”

Justin Jones/Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty

Florida's largest community bank, Amerant Bank, continues to grow the national footprint of its mortgage subsidiary, Amerant Mortgage, through acquisitions.

HGTV

Christina Hall might know a whole lot about renovating a house, but the latest episode of her new show, “Christina in the Country,” reveals she still has some major blind spots now that she’s moved to Tennessee.

In the episode “Some Like It Hot,” she meets Tom and Terese, who recently relocated from California. They want Hall to put together a stunning new kitchen and bathroom, with an $85,000 renovation budget.

See how Hall’s project unfolds—and the major stumbling block she encounters that forces her to put half of this renovation on hold. Let this serve as a reminder that remodeling in the country can be a whole different ballgame–and even accomplished designers will need to learn new things!

Rural homes may have a septic tank instead of sewage hookups

HGTV

Realtor.com

Does the thought of paying for a home these days give you heart palpitations? We get it. After all, it’s hard enough to afford eggs right now. Affording a house? That’s a bird of a very different feather.

That’s why we searched our listings and found five turnkey homes in various parts of the country for under $100,000. Whether you’re looking for a cute cottage in a big city or an adorable starter home in a small town—we’ve got you covered.

And while these prices are on the low end, the quality is quite high.

Only $99,900 for a three-bedroom, two-bath Victorian with a wraparound front porch, and all the charm you could hope for in Mississippi? It’s available.

Things are looking up for homebuyers on a budget as mortgage rates fall from their 20-year highs, according to a report published Thursday by Redfin.

tnah.com

After the past few years of isolating in our homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for seamless, indoor-outdoor living was very much on display in this year’s New American Home.

The 40th iteration of the show home, built every year to feature the latest and greatest building methods and products, was unveiled this week at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas.

The contemporary, four-bedroom, seven-bathroom home spans nearly 7,600 square feet and is located in a gated, upscale community in Henderson, NV, about 20 minutes outside of Las Vegas. The two-level residence, with a two-level pool, private patios outside most of the bedrooms, and outdoor kitchens, is on the market for about $15 million. The newly built home also features an elevator between floors, an office with a private bathroom, and a two-car garage.

“What’s the most impressive about this house is everything you don’t see,” said architect and builder Michael Gardner, of Luxus Design Build, at a press conference. “When you walk into the home, the simplicity of it and the complexity behind it, that to me is one of the coolest parts of it.”

Despite big rounds of layoffs by companies like Compass and Anywhere, payrolls throughout the real estate industry held firm in January, according to a report released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Getty Images

Mortgage rates have dropped yet again—could this spell an opportunity for homebuyers?

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate home loan fell to 6.09% for the week ending Feb. 2, according to Freddie Mac. That’s down nearly a full percentage point from October’s 20-year high of 7.08%.

Meanwhile, the number of homes for sale is soaring, flying 71% higher for the week ending Jan. 28 compared with this same week a year earlier, according to a recent analysis by Realtor.com®.

This dip in mortgage rates, combined with plenty of homes on the market, adds up to a potential win for homebuyers.

Sales of homes valued at $10 million or more in newly emerged or reemerging markets helped propel transactions in that sector beyond pre-pandemic levels in 2022 while falling short of 2021 levels.

Catch up on all of the latest news and this week's most-read stories. It's Inman's Top 5 for the week of Jan. 27 - Feb. 2, 2023.

As David Kramer steps into his role as Hilton & Hyland's president after a year of upheaval, the brokerage is repositioning itself. Kramer told Inman the goal is to effect change with culture.

Being a mentor isn’t a one-way street. When done right, it offers you the opportunity to hone your skills and experience to unexpected levels of personal and professional growth.

Getty Images / Realtor.com

Tommy Hilfiger has splashed out a cool $36.9 million for a stylish pad in Palm Beach, FL.

The fashion designer purchased the five-bedroom, seven-bath, waterfront estate from Larry Moens, one of the area’s top real estate brokers, according to The Real Deal.

Moens has sealed the deal on numerous Palm Beach properties for high net worth buyers, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, actor Sylvester Stallone, and casino developer Steve Wynn.

Realtor.com

The deal was inked for "eight figures" and brings to MooveGuru a number of substantial mortgage marketing partnerships, according to news sent exclusively to Inman.