Celebrating 25 years of success, HomeSmart unveiled a new brand identity today complete with a new logo and messaging for the brand from the stage at its annual premier agent event, Ignite: Growth Summit 2025—back where it all began a quarter of a century ago in Scottsdale, Arizona, in front of agents, brokers and franchise…
Above, from left: Helen Hanna Casey, Terrie O’Connor, Sherry Rahnama and Carol Bulman. Photo by AJ Canaria. As more women rise to executive roles across the real estate industry, the conversation is shifting from breaking barriers to building what comes next. During an insightful panel titled “We Broke the Glass Ceiling – Now What?” at…
Above: Craig Cheatham As much as the broker/MLS relationship is complex and critical when it comes to better serving all those involved in the real estate transaction—it’s a relationship that’s been filled with frustration—and a conversation that’s been taking place on stages throughout the industry for many years now. Craig Cheatham—president and CEO of The…
Above: Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant. Photo by AJ Canaria. While all eyes might be on America’s favorite celebrity couple—Travis and Taylor—there’s another high-stakes relationship unfolding behind the scenes with far greater implications for the housing market. That’s the relationship between Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and President Donald Trump, arguably the most influential…
Above, from left: Jackie Louh, Alex Vidal, Vince Leisey and Duff Rubin. Photo by AJ Canaria. Recruiting and retention is a popular theme at real estate conferences and conventions across the board—and while it’s been talked about throughout the years, according to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®/The Trident Group CEO Larry Flick V,…
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, the No. 1 family-owned and -operated brokerage in the United States, according to RISMedia’s 2025 Power Broker Report, has unveiled a new brand identity in an effort to reflect the company’s commitment to innovation, growth and the communities it serves—as well as to signal that Howard Hanna is ready to…
Above, from left: Carol Bulman, Terrie O’Connor, Smokey Garrett and Craig Cheatham. Photo by AJ Canaria. The real estate industry is nothing if not resilient—and in the wake of sweeping industry changes that have taken effect since the landmark verdict in 2023, those leading the industry have doubled down to adapt as the Department of…
Above, from left: Ken Baris, Jamie Tian, Ashley Conlon, Chris Kelly and Jesse Williams. Photo by AJ Canaria. The state of the commission landscape—and where it stands one year post-settlement—took center stage on Thursday, Sept. 4 during RISMedia’s 37th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., during a session titled,…
Editor’s note: The following is the September cover story in RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine. In 2000, HomeSmart entered the real estate space with a clear and compelling mission: to give agents more control, more transparency and more efficiency in their day-to-day business. At the time, most brokerages offered high splits, little to no technology and…
Above, Bill Flemming Bill Flemming CEO HomeSmart Connect Arlington Heights, Illinois https://join.homesmart.com Region served: Northern Illinois (Chicago) and Southern Wisconsin Years in real estate: 39 Number of offices: 10, with another set to open before the end of the year. Number of agents: 807 Best time-management tip: Cut out the noise and focus on what…
Essentially, if you type “Zillow” into a ChatGPT query, the chat will bring up the Zillow app, then a user can use the Zillow app and its functionality—home searches, connecting with agents, etc.—as if they had opened the native Zillow app. Read more.
