After an initial firestorm sparked by President Donald Trump’s sharply critical—and threatening—comments directed at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week, the controversy may be dying down, at least for now. On Tuesday, Trump clarified that he had “no intention” of attempting to fire Powell before his term is up in 2026—a move that would…
Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. In the latest news from courthouses across the country in real estate, broker lawsuits claiming that restrictions on MLS access are illegal saw some new developments, as those claims continue to be hotly…
Last month, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill that explicitly bans any requirement that homebuyers sign an agreement with an agent before touring a home, essentially repealing a change made by the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) settlement agreement. While the settlement was crafted to defer to state laws, the bill would appear to…
In a sharply worded nine-page opinion yesterday, Judge Stephen R. Bough, who oversaw the Burnett case and is currently presiding over the largest commission copycat lawsuit (known as Gibson), declined to step down from that case, calling into doubt “small and selected” arguments put forth by brokerage defendant Howard Hanna. Bough, who has acknowledged that…
In a major policy announcement today, portal giant Zillow sharply escalated a long-simmering dispute over private listings, implementing what the company is calling new “listing access standards” that will essentially boycott properties that were previously limited to internal brokerage or MLS platforms. Speaking to RISMedia this afternoon, Zillow Chief Industry Development Officer Errol Samuelson says…
Words like “turmoil” and “uncertainty” rarely describe an environment where people are eager to buy and sell real estate. Unfortunately, right now it is hard to find any analyst, economist or commentator on either side of the political spectrum that isn’t using these words—or some variation, as tariffs have roiled financial markets and consumer confidence…
In the wake of the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) recent decision to stand by the Clear Cooperation Policy, which also added an (ostensibly) new avenue to protect the privacy of listings, brokers are reporting that for the most part, they don’t see a significant need for more “flexibility” in their markets. Respondents to RISMedia’s…
Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs on imports from dozens of countries and territories around the world, ranging from 10% to 50%. With the stated aim of bringing production back to the United States and balancing alleged “unfair” trade balances, most predict that the new tax will trigger significant disruption to the global…
A judge has denied an attempt by one set of plaintiff lawyers to intervene in a separate commission class-action case where eXp and Weichert had struck settlement deals, as a bitter fight between two separate sets of class-action attorneys over millions in settlement dollars drags on. Judge Mark Cohen of the Northern District of Georgia…
Today, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) announced it is eliminating a total of 61 positions as CEO Nykia Wright—who has held the role on a permanent basis for just over six months—continues her transformation of the organization in the wake of multiple turbulent years. “The industry is changing, and it is our responsibility to…
Stay on top of every opportunity with real-time alerts for key activities such as lead assignments and new inquiries. Instant updates mean faster responses, more conversations and higher conversion rates. Learn more.
