In the midst of one of the most confusing markets in recent history, New York City's independent brokerages led the way in agent count growth and retention — two metrics at the top of most leaders' minds as we inch closer to entering a mild recession.
Sold.com partners with Revive to offer renovation services
The new partnership will allow Sold.com partner agents to refer their clients more easily to Revive's renovation network.
4-in-1 Wonder: Detroit Castle Is a $1.2M Trip Through Design History
Walking into a 1906 castle in Detroit is like taking a step back in time—and a stroll through multiple design eras.
The 7,273-square-foot home is listed for $1.2 million.
“It was designed by one of Detroit’s most prominent turn-of-the-century architects, and what’s really unusual about this house is that it literally has four different architectural styles in the main part of the house,” explains listing agent Kenan Bakirci, with KW City Realtors. “To me, it’s almost like [the architect] was showing us everything under one roof.”
One room is Arts and Crafts style, another is Louis XV, the dining room is Edwardian, and the music room is Louis XVI.
Lower signs Opendoor as first mortgage platform customer
Lower's "mortgage as a service" platform lets brands offer digital-first mortgages through application programming interface and no-code solutions.
Tap into your fantasies: Housle, the Wordle for real estate, is here
Housle encourages players to guess the asking price of a listing in 6 guesses or less. The web browser version of the game went live this week and an app is scheduled to launch next week.
Erin Napier of ‘Home Town’ Reveals Her Favorite Upgrade She Tries To Add to Every House
On “Home Town,” Erin and Ben Napier work hard to renovate homes with their clients’ styles in mind. But not everyone knows the best way to decorate their house, so the Napiers must often intervene to make sure the space turns out great.
In the Season 7 episode “Windy City to City Beautiful,” the Napiers meet Karen and John, a couple who are moving from Chicago to Laurel, MS. The pair buy a 1965 home for just $170,000 and plan to spend $120,000 on updates to make the house feel clean and fresh.
However, as Erin points out, “Fresh is a foundation, it’s not a look.”
Karen and John clarify that their style is modern and minimalist. Yet the risk with this, Erin notes, is that the home ends up having no personality at all.
What Is Mulch? A Homeowner’s Guide to Groundcover
Those enormous bags lining the aisles aren’t just tripping hazards—they’re also well-calibrated mixtures designed to protect and enrich your plants and and boost your curb appeal with minimal effort. Here’s the lowdown on all things mulch, including types of mulch, how much mulch you need, and more.
Get ready to pamper your plantings!
What is it made of?
Photo by Huettl Landscape Architecture
RE/MAX launches ad campaign highlighting the agent’s value
With the tagline, "The right agent can lead the way," the campaign includes broadcast spots and digital assets that emphasize RE/MAX agents as experienced real estate professionals equipped to help consumers through any market.
One bright spot for rentals? Student housing, at least for now
The next few years appear to be "in solid shape" for off-campus student housing as students flock back to campus and send the demand upward, according to a new report.
Accountability vs. motivation: Which is more important now?
As a leader, you need to focus more on systems and processes and let your agents determine their own ways of ensuring accountability and motivation, writes Adam Hergenrother. Now is the time for prescriptions rather than descriptions, the what rather than the how.
Pulse: Tell us about someone who’s meant a lot to your career
In good times and bad times, there are some folks you can just count on. Tell us about someone who has made a difference in your career.
Why Keller Williams is a tech biz, according to its chief digital officer
In advance of his appearance at Inman Connect New York on Jan. 24-26, the franchisor's chief technology and digital officer told Inman what agents are asking for since the market changed.
How to Build a Pond in Your Yard (It’s Not as Easy as Just Digging a Hole)
Happy Trails Photography by CJMcKendry/iStock
Waterfront property is pricey, but you can create your own if you know how to build a pond! And unless the body of water you want is truly massive, this can definitely be a DIY project that most homeowners can do with a little elbow grease.
So if you’ve been pining for a pond, here’s how (and where) to dig in.
Pick your pond spot
Before you settle on a location to build a pond, call 811, a government service that helps homeowners avoid cutting utility lines as they dig holes on their property. After you call, your local utility companies will send locators to your home to mark the location of buried lines so you can steer clear.
Place your pond, ideally, where you’ll see it from either a window or patio/deck, so you can enjoy your new view. You will also want to choose an area that’s fairly level so your pond will look full all the way around, rather than half-full on one side. And make sure the pond is within reach of a grounded exterior outlet, where you’ll plug in your pump, filter, and an outdoor spigot that will replenish evaporating water.
A-List(ing): Top Celebs Have Rented This Stunning $23M Beverly Hills Estate
To sell or to lease? It’s the question Guy Attal, president of clothier Fabrizio Gianni, has been asking himself for more than two decades.
Right now, the answer is pointing toward a possible sale. Attal’s star-studded estate in Beverly Hills, CA, recently reappeared on the market for $22,950,000.
The 1.38-acre property in the swankiest part of 90210 has been available over the years as a luxury rental for as much as $130,000 per month, which means Attal could be raking in $1.56 million in annual rental income.
Considering he bought the place in 2000 for just $2.55 million, the lavish estate paid for itself many years ago.
Splitero’s $11.7M Series A takes aims at HELOC market
San Diego-based Splitero has secured more than $1 billion in total financing to back its model, which offers cash payments, or Home Equity Investments (HEI), to homeowners of up to $500,000 without income or credit score requirements and no monthly payments.
Standard Features vs. Upgrades in a New-Construction Home: What’s the Difference?
One of the reasons many homebuyers are drawn to buying a brand-new home is that they often get to choose many of the home’s features to suit their tastes. With a resale home, you pretty much get the place as is. But with new construction, you can call the shots on countertops, fixtures, flooring, paint colors, and so much more to make your home feel like, well, you!
However, prospective new-construction customers should realize that certain builders may offer a wide array of options, whereas others may offer few to none. Or, some may offer changes, which they charge extra for.
“When shopping for a builder, it is important to understand what is included in the base price for the plan you like—or you could end up spending thousands more to add the options and features you want,” says Kimberly Mackey, founder of New Homes Solutions and a sales and marketing management firm in residential homebuilding.
In other words, it’s important for anyone shopping new-construction homes to have an understanding of what is standard and what will likely require an upgrade (meaning more money out of your pocket). Here’s how to know the difference, and what’s worth the additional investment.
What Is a Kitchen Work Triangle, and Why Does It Matter?
A kitchen work triangle is the shape formed when you connect your kitchen’s main three work areas—fridge, stove, and sink—where most of the prepping, cooking, and cleaning take place.
If you’re in the process of renovating your kitchen, this “work triangle” term is bound to be bandied about—and for good reason: If there’s one room in your home that you’d like to be as streamlined and efficient as possible, it’s the kitchen. Whether you’re heating up a frozen pizza or preparing a Thanksgiving feast, you don’t want to waste time needlessly navigating between your appliances and cleaning and prepping places.
So, how do you set up your main work spaces to facilitate flow and functionality in the room many consider the heart of the home? In this installment of our Dream Kitchen Remodeling Guide, we’ll explore the wild world of kitchen work triangles, as well as how to size up your own to see if it needs improvement.
What to know about a kitchen work triangle
This formation rose to popularity in the 1940s.
Building a House Is Stressful, Even if You’re Sanjay Gupta
The CNN correspondent was traveling for work during construction of his family’s house, leaving the decision-making to his wife. (Yes, they’re still married.)
5 Bathroom Design Rules You Should Break in 2023
Most homebuyers embark on their house hunt with a list of deal breakers, but an outdated bathroom typically isn’t one of them. Sure, it might be hard to imagine yourself relaxing in a bathtub surrounded by stained tile, but most buyers can get past this flaw because it can be fixed rather painlessly.
That’s why bathroom renovations are common among new homeowners and people who have owned their homes for decades. Studies show that in the past couple of years, guest bathroom and primary bathroom renovations ranked just below kitchen upgrades as the most popular interior overhauls. And experts predict that these trends will continue into the new year and beyond.
So if your bathroom is ripe for a face-lift in 2023, we invite you to think beyond the most overused design moves and get creative. Say bye-bye to boring, and cross the following tired bathroom design rules off your list.
1. Plain subway tile
Subway tileGetty Images
Opendoor in 2023: The iBuying king and a business model in turmoil
Opendoor faces a fight for survival after "an abrupt strategy pivot" sent Opendoor into 2023 "without a proven business model." Here are the five biggest challenges facing the king of a troubled business model.