Want to close more deals? Then you can’t rely solely on your sphere of influence and networking to meet new clients and build your pipeline. Our team of experienced real estate agents reviewed the top real estate lead generation companies to help you get more real estate leads. These lead gen companies find qualified real estate leads actively buying and selling now — using the latest tech, like AI and predictive analytics.We pinpointed the top real estate lead generation companies for 2025 based on their cost, the lead quality, whether their leads are high- or low-funnel, and whether those leads are exclusive to you. In this update, we review nine exceptional real estate lead generation companies that can supercharge your lead generation efforts and get you to the closing table faster (and more often). Our picks: The 9 top real estate lead generation companies for 2025 Best for full-service marketing suite + exclusive leadsMarket LeaderFrom $189 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Market Leader Best for seller leadsSmartZipFrom $500 Jump to Details ↓ Visit SmartZip Best for automated lead nurturingZurpleFrom $149 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Zurple Best for seller leads (with a no-contract option)OffrsFrom $499 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Offrs Best for exclusive inherited-property seller leadsCatalyze AIFrom $180 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Catalyze AI Best for buyer leads based on locationZillow Premier AgentFrom $20 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Zillow Premier Agent Best affordable, all-in-one lead generation platformRealGeeksFrom $299 Jump to Details ↓ Visit RealGeeks Best for geo-targeted lead generationCINCFrom $899 Jump to Details ↓ Visit CINC Best for AI-powered lead generation & conversionYlopoFrom $395 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Ylopo Our picks: The 9 top real estate lead generation companies for 2025 Best for full-service marketing suite + exclusive leadsMarket LeaderFrom $189 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Market Leader Best for seller leadsSmartZipFrom $500 Jump to Details ↓ Visit SmartZip Best for automated lead nurturingZurpleFrom $149 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Zurple Best for seller leads (with a no-contract option)OffrsFrom $499 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Offrs Best for exclusive inherited-property seller leadsCatalyze AIFrom $180 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Catalyze AI Best for buyer leads based on locationZillow Premier AgentFrom $20 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Zillow Premier Agent Best affordable, all-in-one lead generation platformRealGeeksFrom $299 Jump to Details ↓ Visit RealGeeks Best for geo-targeted lead generationCINCFrom $899 Jump to Details ↓ Visit CINC Best for AI-powered lead generation & conversionYlopoFrom $395 Jump to Details ↓ Visit Ylopo Market Leader: Best for full-service marketing suite + exclusive real estate leadsAs its name suggests, Market Leader is known for offering a complete marketing suite with features like email and SMS marketing services, lead capture forms and a built-in lead management CRM. The company provides in-house advertising experts who send buyer and seller leads exclusively to you, streamlining lead management and marketing efforts.Market Leader is a strong option for real estate professionals seeking lead generation and marketing solutions in one platform. Its full marketing suite and real estate lead exclusivity set it apart, although it would stand out even more if it offered concierge service and a free trial option. Users have praised its efficient CRM capabilities but noted challenges with lead responsiveness in some cases.FeaturesAutomated workflowSocial media integrationCustomizable reportsNetwork Boost: generates affordable leads through social media ad campaignsHouseValues: helps you get seller leads from a desired ZIP codeLeads Direct: helps run pay-per-click advertising campaignsExclusivity: YesTrial period: NoContract requirements: Six-month minimumPros & ConsGuaranteed number of leads each monthAutomated email and SMS marketing and lead nurturingBuilt-in lead management CRMLead capture formsLead exclusivityFull marketing suiteLead responsiveness can be an issueDoes not offer a concierge serviceLimited analyticsNo free trial periodPricingProfessional for Agents: $189 per monthProfessional for Teams: $329 per month plus additional per-user chargesNetwork Boost: Around 40+ leads for as little as $350 per monthVisit Market LeaderREAD OURMarket Leader ReviewSmartZip: Best for seller leadsSmartZip uses predictive analytics to predict likely sellers six to 12 months in advance, offering a first-mover advantage in tight inventory markets. The company provides robust marketing and nurturing tools, including a CRM with real estate lead data, home valuation landing pages, direct mail campaigns, a comparative market analysis tool and more.SmartZip primarily benefits experienced listing agents, yet any agent willing to nurture seller leads can thrive with this platform. To generate real estate leads, SmartZip employs predictive analytics that sifts through consumer data from credit card companies, market data from MLS, and other demographic data.Real estate agents using SmartZip gain immediate access to its CRM populated with leads and their data. This dashboard shows a list of property owners in the agent’s target area based on the client’s likelihood to sell within the next 18 months. Armed with this data, agents can use the included automated marketing tools to market directly to sellers who are likely to transact.FeaturesPredictive analyticsSmart CRMDirect mail campaignsHome valuation landing pagesCMA toolCheckIn appLocal trend reportsExclusivity: NoTrial period: NoContract requirements: Annual contract is requiredPros & ConsPredictive analytics targets likely sellersComprehensive marketing and nurturing toolsDesign quality of marketing materialsAutomated home valuation landing pagesLeads are not exclusive and are generally top-of-funnelNot recommended for new agents; relatively priceyPricingStarting at $500 per month, with an average monthly spend of $1,000Visit SmartZipREAD OURSmartZip ReviewZurple: Best for automated lead nurturingZurple generates real estate leads within your target market (up to 10 areas) with branded property search or home valuation landing pages. Once a lead is sent to the included CRM, Zurple sparks conversations via text or email with your leads from all sources and alerts them to new listings in their area of interest.The nurturing messages are fully automated and change based on the leads’ behavior on your website. These automated conversations nurture your leads until the system determines they are ready for you to jump in with a human touch to bring sales across the finish line.FeaturesPersonalized and timely engagement with leads from Zurple and other sourcesBranded property search landing pages for your target market (up to 10)Automated home valuation landing pages Tracks lead behaviors online to understand where they are in the purchasing process and follows up automaticallyPipeline Boost to generate affordable buyer leadsVideo and social media marketing toolsExclusivity: YesTrial period: NoContract requirements: Six-month minimumPros & ConsGenerates exclusive buyer and seller leadsProvides immediate replies to inquiries, emails and textsTakes the pressure off of agents to be available 24/7Automated lead nurturing and pipeline managementSystem can nurture leads from any source, not just leads from ZurpleLanding pages are basic and not integrated into your websitePipeline Boost leads are affordable, but high funnelPricingStarting at $149 per month, you can also purchase search engine marketing (SEM) services from Zurple, additional sites at $100 per month, per site, and upgrade to include their Pipeline Boost feature.Visit ZurpleREAD OURZurple ReviewOffrs: Best for finding seller leads (without a contract)Offrs was one of the first companies to offer AI-powered predictive analytics to find likely sellers based on hundreds of data points. Their latest feature, RAIA, is a ChatGPT-powered conversational chatbot that’s been trained by licensed real estate agents to qualify and nurture your inbound leads for you, converting them into clients. You can jump in when you’re ready for more personal communication with the most qualified real estate leads.With the available ROOF upgrade, you can leverage a team of licensed Inside Sales Agents (ISAs) and AI agents to help qualify and convert your leads.FeaturesUses AI to analyze data & market trends to identify likely sellersRAIA AI qualifies leads via SMS, email, or web chatAI is trained by licensed agents & ISAsAI predictive lead scoringAvailable ROOF upgrade means ISAs will call leads for youExclusivity: Yes, with an additional costTrial period: NoContract requirements: Month to monthPros & ConsA no-contract option so you can try Offrs (for a slightly higher cost per month)A highly effective chatbot to qualify new leads by asking pertinent questionsNo CRM, but if you are looking for seller leads and already have a CRM for your contact management, Offrs + RAIA is an excellent choice.PricingStarts at $499 per month for exclusive leads. The no-contract option is more expensive than the 12-month contract option. ROOF is a free upgrade for all premium plans The company charges a 25% referral fee for every closed deal qualified by ROOF.Visit Offrs to request a demo and get their latest pricing.Visit OffrsREAD OUROffrs ReviewCatalyze AI: Best for exclusive inherited-property seller leads​​​​Catalyze AI is our top choice for inherited property or probate leads. Probate leads represent an estimated $69 billion in annual property sales in the U.S. The company uses real-time data to identify inherited properties in your area. It deploys predictive analytics to identify, with a high degree of accuracy, the most highly motivated inheritance leads before they end up in probate court.While the company doesn’t provide marketing tools, its predictive analytics technology puts you considerably ahead of your competitors. These real estate leads are often eager to sell, making them highly valuable — especially for such an affordable product. However, leads may take time to close, and the service isn’t available in all markets. This company is best suited for experienced listing agents familiar with the probate process.Features​​​​Predictive analytics technology (finds leads before traditional probate lead services)User dashboard to monitor new leadsRadius-based leads within 50 miles from youExclusivity: Yes, exclusive listing leads get pushed to your platform.Trial period: No, but select discounts may be available (must inquire)Contract requirements: Can cancel at any timePros & ConsIntuitive dashboardAffordable leadsMonthly sales training calls with scripts for better conversionsLimited to inherited propertiesNo extra marketing bells and whistles are includedPricingStarts at $180 per month for 30 leads ($6 per lead for homes under $1 million; $8 for higher-value homes)Visit Catalyze AIZillow Premier Agent: Best for buyer leads based on locationAs a major player in the real estate industry, Zillow is hard to overlook. The company has the resources to invest heavily in SEO and user experience and interface design. As a result, Zillow dominates Google search results. Its easy-to-use interface makes it a top choice for consumers searching for properties. That’s good news for agents and brokers looking to attract real estate leads.Zillow Premier Agent (ZPA) is Zillow’s paid advertising program that connects agents to buyer leads. Zillow Premier Agent offers enhanced visibility to its members on Zillow’s platforms, giving ZPA agents priority placement in property listings, plus exclusive access to real estate leads. The platform’s high traffic volume, effectiveness and straightforward CRM make it a top choice for lead generation.Zillow also offers “Zillow Flex” a pay-at-closing lead product that offers buyer leads to qualified agents with no upfront cost. While Zillow offers significant exposure and reach, some industry insiders argue the company prioritizes “Flex” over “Premier Agent” partners. Nonetheless, if you want to cast a large net, Zillow Premier Agent can help you reach more real estate leads in your area.FeaturesAutomatic lead placement in Zillow’s CRMPriority status when claiming properties on ZillowEase of automating follow-ups for lead conversionDirect integrations with all real estate CRMsExclusivity: NoTrial period: NoContract requirements: VaryPros & ConsPersonalized agent profileExclusive placements on your listingsExcellent for building brand awarenessStreamlined CRMLacks robust lead follow-up toolsLeads aren’t necessarily qualified or exclusiveZillow Flex is invite-onlyPrice per lead can be higher than other companiesPricingDepends on the ZIP code — around $20 to $60 per lead. Unfortunately, Zillow isn’t very transparent about the cost of leads through their Zillow Premier Agent program. It depends in large measure on your market.Visit Zillow Premier AgentRelated articles 9 best places to buy real estate leads in 2025 9 innovative strategies to get more real estate seller leads in 2025 The ultimate guide to real estate lead generation ideas for 2025 Real Geeks: Best affordable, all-in-one lead generation solution + website designReal Geeks offers a robust solution for real estate lead generation, CRM, IDX website design and all-around marketing suitable for single agents, teams and brokerages. In addition to their IDX website and CRM lead generation platform, Real Geeks offers advanced feature upgrades like an AI chatbot to help engage real estate leads and a downloadable property search app for your clients with a 4.7 rating in the Apple App Store.The company generates leads using done-for-you PPC advertising on Facebook and Google for an additional monthly fee. Advanced users can leverage Real Geek’s Facebook Ad Tool for a more hands-on approach to lead generation.FeaturesIDX real estate websitesReal Leads campaign manager and lead generatorAutomated home valuation toolAutomated market reportsCRM with lead activity tracking, SMS lead autoresponders and third-party integrationsGeek AI chatbot Client-facing property search appExclusivity: NoTrial period: None specifiedContract requirements: Minimum six-month contract requiredPros & ConsComprehensive toolkit includes lead generation website, CRM, automated marketing and lead nurturing toolsDone-for-you Facebook and Google PPC advertisingLimited customization options for websitesAdditional fees for certain featuresNo free trialPricingStarts at $299 per month for 2 users with a 12-month contract, $499 per month for a six-month contractVisit RealGeeksCINC: Best for geo-targeted lead generationCINC is an all-in-one lead generation platform that combines sophisticated paid advertising, IDX websites and an AI-powered CRM to generate and nurture leads. CINC’s advertising team excels at targeting leads in mico-niches such as neighborhoods, school districts, and even specific property types such as waterfront homes or golf communities. Service upgrades include cash offer ads and Google Local Service Ads (LSAs) to generate high and mid-funnel seller leads.CINC is an ideal choice for productive agents and teams who work in competitive geographic or property-type niches and want automated systems to engage and nurture leads. Entry-level pricing is higher than some competitors, but unlike competitors, CINC includes leads in their pricing.FeaturesSophisticated geographic and property-type lead targeting Integrated IDX website and CRM AI-powered chatbot trained by top-producing agents Mobile app Referral network 3-line auto dialer availableExclusivity: YesTrial period: NoContract requirements: 6 monthsPros & ConsTargets leads in dozens of geographic and home-type nichesSophisticated IDX website and CRMHighly skilled PPC advertising team leverages data from 50,000 agents and teamsFully automated lead nurturing powered by AIIndustry-leading training and supportStarting price is higher than competing platformsIDX websites have limited customization optionsSold as an all-in-one platform – cannot purchase leads or software separatelyCINC AI is a $200 per month upgradePricingCINC’s pricing starts at $899 per month for solo agents and $1500 per month for teams but can vary widely based on market and property-type niche. Software and lead generation services are not sold separately.Visit CINCYlopo: Best for AI-powered lead generation & conversionYlopo uses dynamic home search, home valuation and AI-powered video ads to drive real estate leads to landing pages on a custom-branded IDX website. Once leads are generated, they are qualified, converted and nurtured using Ylopo’s proprietary AI text and AI voice assistants.Trained on over 50 million conversations on the company’s platform, Ylopo’s AI assistants boast response rates that can rival human agents — with the added benefit of being available to respond to inquiries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As an early adopter and current industry leader in AI, Ylopo’s AI lead generation solutions are ideal for tech-savvy agents, teams, and brokerages who want to be on the cutting edge of lead generation technology.FeaturesAI-powered text and voice assistantsIDX lead generation websitesSophisticated demographic ad targetingSeller leads generated from buyer ads (buy/sell leads)Mission control dashboard to monitor + adjust adsExclusivity: YesTrial period: NoContract requirements: Six-month minimumPros & ConsIndustry-leading AI text and voice assistants engage leadsIDX websites suitable for lead generation and brandingSeamless integrations with popular CRMsConsumer response to AI text and voice assistants might shiftLimited customization options for IDX websitesNo CRM includedPricingStarts at $395 per month + ad spend.Visit YlopoRelated articles 9 best places to buy real estate leads in 2025 9 innovative strategies to get more real estate seller leads in 2025 Real estate prospecting: 16 proven strategies to supercharge your business Our methodology: How we chose the top real estate lead generation companies for agents for 2025HousingWire is the destination for industry leaders and decision-makers to stay informed and stay ahead of what’s going on in the U.S. housing industry.We bring decades of combined experience in the real estate industry as agents, brokers and marketers to find the best real estate tools for every type of agent, broker and team. We also crawled the web so you don’t have to, analyzing a sample of reviews across social media, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and online discussion forums.To determine which real estate lead generation companies are best for industry professionals, we’ve analyzed dozens of products and platforms, weighing the pros and cons of each alongside both quantitative and qualitative data like price, special features, ease of use, return on investment, client support and customer reviews.Real estate lead generation companies: FAQsAre lead generation companies worth it in real estate?Yes, lead generation will truly be the lifeblood of your business’s success. It may seem challenging to generate real estate leads at first, but once you build up a current of strong, qualified leads, you’ll see how much less effort will be necessary to sustain sales.Many real estate professionals turn to lead generation companies like the ones listed above to streamline the process and access more potential clients. While some agents have achieved significant success with these services, whether they are worth it (or not) depends on your individual circumstances. Assess your budget, target market and specific goals before investing in any service. Also, determine which aspects of marketing you are least comfortable attempting on your own and start outsourcing there.Luck also plays a role in determining whether or not a lead generation company is worth the investment. Lead generation is by nature highly unpredictable – local market conditions, timing and speed to lead all play a role. You might land several hot leads on day one or it may take you six months (or longer) to close a single deal.Where do real estate agents get most of their leads?Real estate agents acquire leads from multiple sources. While real estate lead generation companies are one option, agents also obtain leads through traditional avenues like their sphere of influence,  referrals, open houses, community events and their personal networks. Real estate professionals use online platforms, such as social media and websites, to attract potential clients outside of their immediate local area. The choice of lead generation methods may vary, but it’s always a great idea to diversify your lead channels for the most well-rounded approach.How do I find the best lead generation company for real estate?Our team of real estate experts recommends choosing a real estate lead generation company that custom-tailors its services to you. There’s no sense in paying for leads outside of your zip codes or from demographics that aren’t going to be interested in the properties in which you specialize. As the saying goes, in real estate “the riches are in the niches.”The quality of leads you’ll get from a lead generation company will vary widely based on the advertising strategies the company uses, how (or if) they vet leads, and if their leads are exclusive to you. While no lead generation company can guarantee their leads will transact quickly, the best companies can target leads in your specific niche, vet them, and send them only to you.Choose companies that offer transparent pricing and clearly defined lead sourcing methods, avoiding hidden fees or unclear processes. If possible, opt for a trial period to assess the company’s performance before making a long-term commitment.Agents should also consider the potential benefits of any lead nurturing or marketing tools that come bundled with a company’s service. Automating repetitive tasks can help you convert leads faster and more efficiently— giving you more time to make the personal connections that get you to the closing table.Should I pay for leads in real estate?Yes. Like any lead generation strategy, paid leads are an investment in your business. Just keep in mind that it might take a few weeks or months to see a return. It’s still a long game. Your ROI from paid leads will depend on the nurturing strategies you use and how well you can implement them today, next week and six months from now. Automated conversion and nurturing tools can help, but the most successful agents build relationships with leads. This is why simple check-in phone calls are so powerful.Paid leads may offer quantity, but their quality can vary. Decide whether you prefer a smaller number of high-quality, active leads or a larger volume with potentially more “cold” prospects. It’s also wise to diversify your lead generation methods. While paid leads can be a part of your strategy, don’t overlook organic methods like referrals, networking and your overall online presence.The full pictureThe lead generation landscape is more dynamic than ever, with a range of top companies offering lead gen services tailored for agents, teams and brokerages. Whether you opt for an all-in-one lead generation platform like Real Geeks, an industry-leading marketplace like Zillow Premier Agent, or specialized solutions like Catalyze AI, the key is to align your choice with your skill level, budget and target market.If you’re a brand new agent, an all-in-one system that generates buyer leads and includes marketing tools to convert them, like Market Leader or Real Geeks will have the best ROI. Agents with four to 10 years of experience should opt for more advanced (and more expensive) systems that leverage predictive analytics to deliver seller leads that are highly likely to sell. Smartzip and Offrs are our top picks in this category. Finally, teams and brokerages will benefit most from high-priced platforms like Ylopo that can target hyper-local leads and convert and nurture them for the long haul with sophisticated AI tools.We’ve thoroughly researched the top real estate lead generation companies and weighed the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision to support your business.Real estate advice + top tech, lead gen & marketing tools — delivered to your inbox.Get expert advice, independent reviews and product recommendations from our editorial team of experienced real estate agents, brokers and coaches. hbspt.forms.create({ region: "na1", portalId: "4509319", formId: "baa83a9a-0daa-452f-a7c6-38f4addffde5" });jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('.vetted-accordion-header').click(function() { var content = $(this).next('.vetted-accordion-content'); if (content.hasClass('active')) { // Collapse the section if it's already active content.removeClass('active').css('max-height', '0'); $(this).removeClass('open-toggle'); // Remove class from header } else { // Expand the clicked section content.addClass('active').css('max-height', content.prop('scrollHeight') + 'px'); $(this).addClass('open-toggle'); // Add class to header } });});

On Friday, California insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara rejected State Farm’s request for “emergency” rate increases, going against the recommendation of his staff experts.The request from State Farm involved insurance rate increases that would have gone into effect on May 1, 2025. The proposed increases were 22% for single-family homeowners, 15% for 15% for condominium owners and 38% for rental dwellings.But under California Proposition 103, insurers must prove that such increases are necessary and not excessive. As frequent catastrophic weather storms lead homeowners and renters to grasp for stable insurance premiums, State Farm has stopped writing new policies in California and issued nonrenewal notices for thousands of existing policies.In a press release issued last week, Lara addressed State Farm’s request for increases in California following last month’s Los Angeles-area wildfires. “Under the strict review laid out by Proposition 103, the burden is on State Farm to show why this is needed now. State Farm has not met its burden,” Lara told the insurer in a letter. The press release went on to say that the commissioner “has consistently required full transparency from all parties in the rate-making process — including insurance companies and intervenors — to ensure decisions are based on clear and justified data.”Lara has also requested that State Farm answer critical questions about its financial condition and its proposed rate hikes. He called for an in-person meeting with State Farm officials on Feb. 26 where they can address these issues.Lara’s office seeks to assess State Farm’s financial stability, specifically why the company’s financial position has deteriorated despite previous rate increases. It also wants to know what has changed since State Farm’s last rate filings that now require urgent relief. Consumer impacts and adequate documentation to justify claims and the rate hike were also requested.“All Californians know from the past 10 years that the risks of wildfire are real and growing. We have experienced first-hand the ravages of a changing climate. We are clear-eyed about the work needed to protect our communities,” Lara said. “Our decisions must be guided by transparent data and an honest reckoning with the challenges we all face together. As the elected head of the Department, my primary responsibility is to the people of California. This situation highlights the voters’ wisdom in having an independent, elected Insurance Commissioner making decisions to uphold market integrity in response to evolving threats, which today include climate change, rising global reinsurance costs, and a tightening national property insurance market.”The letter from Lara to State Farm executives mentions that with his department’s approval, the company previously received rate increases of 6.9% in 2022, 6.9% in 2023 and 20% in 2024.“In the absence of non-wildfire catastrophic losses in 2022 and 2023, how does State Farm explain the significant decrease in its policyholder surplus?” Lara wrote.State Farm’s response, filed the same day, expressed disappointment about the lack of support regarding premiums and protections for Californians.“We have gone to great lengths to clearly answer the questions outlined by the Commissioner. While we’re positioned to handle all of the claims associated with the most recent wildfires, State Farm General must seriously consider its options within the California insurance market going forward,” the statement read.Jennifer McGuinness-Lubbert, the CEO of Pivot Financial, said that disasters like the LA fires trigger a threshold whereby insurance companies have to get money from reinsurers.“It’s pretty widely known that State Farm got most of their reinsurance from their parent company,” she said in an interview with HousingWire.In a separate LinkedIn post, McGuinness-Lubbert explained that’s where State Farm went wrong. “If you don’t want this level of risk don’t buy reinsurance from your Parent buy it from third-party entities,” the post read. “California Homeowners should not pay for this, State Farm knew the risk of intracompany agreements, as they are institutional investors, now it’s time to pay like any 3rd party would have to.”

Reverse mortgage industry conferences are often seen as an effective way for professionals to meet up, discuss best practices from across their markets and assess the regulatory environment at entities like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and within the states.Occasionally, U.S.-based reverse professionals also get the opportunity to connect with practitioners in other parts of the world, which was the case at 2024’s National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Annual Meeting and Expo in San Diego last September.HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD) had a chance to meet up with Medina Cicak, Heartland Bank’s chief commercial officer in Australia, and Keira Billot, the New Zealand-based general manager of retail and reverse mortgages.Why make the trip?In an interview held in late January, the pair discussed some of their observations about the conference, American industry professionals and some of the talked-about business elements from the event and other areas of similarity and difference. The first key question came down to why they would choose to make the long journey, since flying from Auckland to San Diego takes more than 15 hours if you’re fortunate enough to fly direct.“We came to the conference because we wanted to connect with the U.S. market to learn more about the product offering and criteria, the distribution and marketing methods and the future innovations that are planned to support the retirement funding industry in the U.S.,” the pair said.Heartland is a longstanding company, with roots going as far back as 1875. Heartland Bank is based in New Zealand, and serves as the arm that offers reverse mortgages to older populations there and in Australia. Part of the desire to learn came from the larger reverse mortgage market in the U.S. when compared to those in New Zealand and Australia, they added.“The reverse mortgage market in Australia and New Zealand is small compared to the U.S.,” they explained. “We have worked hard in each country to build a solid reputation for the product. Heartland has offered reverse mortgages in Australia and New Zealand since 2014 and is the largest provider of reverse mortgages in each country.”But it’s also a growing market, the pair added. Both the New Zealand and Australia reverse mortgage businesses have experienced growth of roughly 20% each since that first year, and gaining further insight into the way the U.S. market has evolved could be helpful as they navigate their own market, they said.Product similarities, differencesWhile there are several broad similarities between the New Zealand/Australia reverse mortgage product and the predominant program offered in the U.S., the regulatory presence in their markets are generally less strict. New Zealand includes more voluntary guidelines. In Australia, reverse mortgages are subject to the National Consumer Credit Protection Act (NCCPA) which comes with borrower protections such as lifetime occupancy and a “no negative equity” guarantee.In New Zealand, the products are bound by the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (CCCFA), which the pair says “protects the interests of consumers in connection with credit contracts, consumer leases, and buy-back transactions of land” despite not having a specific reverse mortgage provision. Also at play in New Zealand is the government’s Ministry of Social Development, which established non-binding guidelines for reverse mortgages in 2008. Heartland complies with these guidelines, they explained.The company also requires clients to seek out independent legal advice to ensure full comprehension of the product’s requirements, aiming to fulfill a similar function to the stateside counseling requirement. But you don’t have to look very far for differences between their market and the U.S. counterpart.“The range of products offered was probably the biggest difference,” the pair said. “The HECM for Purchase in the U.S. is marketed to real estate agents to help people buy homes,” and no equivalent product exists in New Zealand or Australia, they said. The amount of HECM for Purchase material at the event was striking to the pair, but the variety of players in the U.S. relative to the other two nations also stuck out.“In New Zealand, there are only two main providers of reverse mortgages, both are banks,” they said. “Heartland Bank is the largest provider by a vast majority. The main distribution channel is direct-to-customer, however there are some brokers that also refer customers.”In Australia, Heartland is one of 11 reverse mortgage providers, and applications that come through brokers “are typically presented to a panel of lenders and customers choose the best product for their needs,” the pair said.Getting the word outThe pair added that they were also struck by the different tacts the U.S. industry takes with marketing reverse mortgages to potential clients.“[R]everse mortgages are marketed so differently in the U.S., in the way that they’re compared to a standard mortgage, highlighting the overall cost benefit,” they explained. “This is not common in Australia or New Zealand. And although the purpose of the product is somewhat different in the U.S. […] this approach to marketing is potentially something for us to consider exploring.”Different nations can take on vastly different approaches to marketing their reverse mortgage products. Even in North America, the overall tonal differences between many of the most prominent and visible reverse mortgage commercials in the U.S. can be very different from the tones explored immediately north of the border.HomeEquity Bank, based in Toronto, Ontario, demonstrated this with advertising presentations at prior NRMLA events, showcasing a more fun, somewhat rebellious emphasis for Canadian seniors who are determined to age in place.HomeEquity bank has also taken novel approaches by hiring familiar media personalities to older Canadians, including a longstanding national news anchor as well as an American former conman-turned-security consultant whose story was the basis of a popular Steven Spielberg movie.

As the 2025 spring homebuying season approaches — and the tone is set for what the rest of the year could look like — the long-term costs of a home loan are inching lower even as fears of inflation, unemployment and tariffs loom large.HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center showed that 30-year fixed rates for conventional loans stood at 7.05% on Tuesday. That was down 2 basis points (bps) from a week ago and 5 bps lower than two weeks ago.Rates for 15-year conventional loans have been a roller coaster ride in recent months and have dropped back below the 30-year average for the first time since early January. The 15-year rate shed 30 bps in the past two weeks to reach 7.02% on Tuesday.Dan Bauer, head of residential lending for Chicago-based Alliant Credit Union, told HousingWire via email that affordability is “one of the biggest deterrents to homeownership” as borrowers struggle to handle the one-two punch of higher mortgage rates and higher home prices.“That said, we are seeing more acceptance of 7% mortgage rates compared to a year ago,” Bauer said. “Buyers have adjusted their expectations and recognize that waiting for significantly lower rates may not be realistic. The key is preparation — buyers who take steps to improve their credit, get preapproved and budget effectively are still finding paths to homeownership despite market challenges.”Key datasets are making it highly likely that the Federal Reserve will choose to keep benchmark rates at their current level in the near term.The CME Group’s FedWatch tool on Tuesday showed that 97.5% of interest rate traders expect the federal funds rate to remain at a range of 4.25% to 4.5% after the March 19 meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. The odds of a decrease later in the spring aren’t much better, with 87.4% predicting no changes after the Fed’s May 7 meeting.The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for January, released last week, showed that inflation rose 3% on a yearly basis and 0.5% on a monthly basis. It was the fourth straight month of inflationary growth — another warning sign for the Fed as it tries to achieve annualized growth of 2%.The good news for the CPI arrived in the form of shelter costs, which declined for a sixth straight month. At 4.4% growth in January, this figure is nearly half of what it was when it peaked at 8.2% in April 2023.“People are concerned about inflation being reignited, and the possibility of mortgage rates going higher versus lower,” said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president for William Raveis Mortgage. “Once again, we’ve hit a roadblock, and that roadblock is not just tariffs but also tax cuts and immigration policies.”Although President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods have been paused until March 4, the specter of higher prices on imported goods have sparked concerns across various business sectors. This is reflected in the newest survey data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as builder sentiment sank by 5 points from January to February, with the current index reading of 42 reflecting increased pessimism from the construction industry.For Americans who are willing and able to relocate, Midwest markets like Chicago provide lower barriers to achieve homeownership.“Chicago and many of Illinois’ smaller cities offer more affordable housing options than coastal markets, but affordability is still relative. In Chicago, demand remains strong, especially in desirable neighborhoods with limited inventory,” Bauer said.“In smaller cities, we’re seeing more opportunities for homebuyers, but economic factors like job growth and property taxes play a big role in long-term affordability. The state’s economy has strengths in industries like health care, logistics and technology, but ongoing concerns about tax burdens and outmigration could impact housing demand over time.”Bauer’s remarks about property tax burdens are reinforced by a new WalletHub analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Illinois has the second-highest effective tax rate among all states and the District of Columbia based on the median U.S. home value. And the typical homeowner in Illinois pays $5,189 per year in property taxes, the sixth-highest amount in the nation.At a time when banks continue to pull back on mortgage offerings or exit the business entirely, credit unions could be an option for home shoppers seeking personalized attention or local market expertise. Bauer said that Alliant — the largest credit union in Illinois — has loan programs targeted toward first-time homebuyers, medical professionals and other groups.“We focus on member-first lending, which allows us to offer competitive mortgage options tailored to a borrower’s financial situation, not just a one-size-fits-all approach, he said. “Credit unions can expand their market share by focusing on personalized service, flexible lending solutions and maintaining strong member relationships.”

The oldest baby boomers are poised to turn 80 years old this year, which could bring the market of dedicated senior housing from a place of oversupply to a shortage. This is according to a report published this week by the Wall Street Journal.The projected aging of the U.S. population shows that by 2030, the 80-plus population is expected to increase by 4 million people to a total of 18.8 million nationwide. That age is often seen as a milestone by which a person cannot live safely or comfortably in more general-service dwellings, necessitating some kind of specialization tailored to the natural physical impairments that come with age.Despite that projected need for more senior housing, however, development on dedicated senior housing units and facilities ground to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic and has largely stood still since then, the report explained.“The sector is expected to move from its former glut to a shortage in the next five years,” the Journal reported. “More than 560,000 new units are needed to meet all the demand by 2030, but only 191,000 will be added at current development rates, according to data service NIC MAP.”A renewed interest in the senior housing market could also spur higher prices and waitlists, two things that lower-income older Americans can ill afford. Adding to the potential shortage in years ahead are stubbornly high mortgage rates and tariffs that could slow new construction. Occupancy rates and rents at senior housing facilities have largely returned to their prepandemic levels, signaling a recovery in the wider industry. That could be challenged, however, by developer doubt about the industry’s prospects and the fact that as many as half of U.S. seniors cannot afford private senior housing communities.The wealth of the baby boomer generation as a whole slightly offsets this, since “many have paid off mortgages on homes that have soared in value,” and more than “40% could afford senior housing from income alone,” the report explained, citing data from real estate analytics company Green Street. But complicating things further is an increasing desire among older Americans to age in place in their own homes and communities.“[A]bout 35% of seniors who could afford senior housing opt not to use it,” the firm’s data suggests. This is because they “prefer to age at home closer to friends and family, something that is being made increasingly possible by advances in design and technology.”

Gary Keller, Jay Papasan and Jason Abrams took to the stage at the KW Family Reunion on Tuesday to discuss the housing market and current economic trends as they do every year. But while the three Keller Williams executives did their usual forecasting for the year, they also acknowledged far more room for unpredictability in 2025.As the Trump administration has swept into the White House — announcing layoffs among large portions of the federal workforce and cutting spending at agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Papasan said that 2025 is ushering in an era of great change within the federal government. “We looked back in history and there’s two times in the U.S. that we’ve seen the government really remade substantially,” said Papasan, Keller Williams’ vice president of content strategy. “Under FDR, we had the New Deal, and then under Eisenhower there were a lot of changes as well. So, it is not unprecedented, but it does create unpredictability. And do businesses and investors like things to be predictable or unpredictable?”According to the KW executives, they expect that unpredictability will lead to some people holding back on major investments, such as buying a house, unless their life circumstances dictate that they must make a move. “We know people move because they’re getting married, they get divorced, they have babies,” Papasan said. “I think that there’s the timeless stuff that motivates people even when the market is not favorable, and that’s where we need to focus. Those sales are still going to happen.” Despite the uncertainty, KW is predicting that 4.2 million existing-home sales will occur in 2025, up slightly from the roughly 4.1 million sales in both 2023 and 2024. “What’s fascinating about this is that it’s not getting progressively better right now, and what’s interesting is that people keep expecting it to get progressively better,” said Keller, the brokerage’s co-founder and executive chairman. “But here’s the thing: If you go back and you look at history, you’ll understand that when you get into a trough like this, it typically takes three to four years to get out of it.”Keller believes that both 2025 and 2026 will be slow for home sales, but he anticipates that things will eventually pick up in the ensuing years. Papasan also noted that while market conditions may be challenging, things are not getting any worse. “I also don’t want to jinx it on the other side, but it hasn’t gotten worse than this in over 25 years,” Papasan said. “When I look at 2008, when it was just horrible, it was still around the level it is today.”Keller added: “There is a bottom to the market and it isn’t zero.” But while Keller Williams is predicting that the median home price will continue to rise in 2025 — and that mortgage rates will stay near 6.5%, further constraining housing affordability — executives have told agents that it is still a good time for consumers to buy and sell real estate.  “You might be buying at the top of the moment, but you’re never buying at the top of the market, because it always goes up,” said Abrams, KW’s head of industry and learning.“Don’t wait to buy real estate — buy real estate and give it time,” Papasan added. With this in mind, Keller said that many in the industry are expecting home-price appreciation of 2.5% in 2025, but he warned that nothing is certain.“We definitely could see appreciation if nothing happened but interest rates dropped, but they aren’t motivated to drop rates right now,” Keller said. Part of the issue that KW executives see with interest rates is tied to inflation, which edged higher in January. But it’s also due to a lack of housing inventory and the fact that rates continue to hover around the historic average of roughly 7%.“When we started Keller Williams in 1983, look at where rates were, in the teens, and we thrived,” Keller noted. He and other KW executives believe that consumers are adjusting to higher rates. Based on historic trends, they expect to see more prospective buyers lean into the market if rates begin to come down, even though rates are still well above the post-pandemic levels of 2020 and 2021.Abrams also stressed the importance for agents to provide clients with historic perspective on mortgage rates. They should consider discussing possible solutions to mortgage challenges, such as rate buydowns or the ability to refinance in the future. But while Keller and the KW team are expecting the market to continue chugging along more or less as it has been, they also see the potential for some major disruptions in the near future. “It would take a black swan event for home prices to drop,” Abrams said. “When we ask the question of what would it take to drive prices lower, it turns out that it is something crazy.” But that “something crazy” may be on the horizon. According to Keller, if the Elon Musk-helmed “Department of Government Efficiency” accomplishes its goal, that would add another 2.2 million jobless claims and drive unemployment up to 5.7%. While Keller acknowledged that this typically leads to an uptick in housing supply as unemployed people look to sell homes they can no longer afford or are forced to move for new work opportunities, he noted that 5.7% is very close to 6% unemployment, which is an indicator of “disastrous economic times.” The KW team also dove into other risks facing the U.S. economy in 2025. These includes things like unpredictable policies and natural disasters. “You think about immigration,” Keller said. “In Texas alone, 25% of the construction industry are undocumented workers. If they were to leave tomorrow, all bets are off because there’s no replacement for them at the prices they are willing to work. I’m apolitical on this, but we have to be aware that we’re moving into a very economically risky period in America.”It remains uncertain about how things will shake out this year, but Keller acknowledges that things may turn out very well. He also sees the confluence of various policies such as tariffs, mass deportations and government cuts to be the potential catalysts for an economic event that causes home prices to drop.“This could be the economic event that the real estate industry was waiting for to create high unemployment, to create excess supply and drive prices back down,” Keller said. In the meantime, however, Keller said it is important for agents to focus on lead generation — especially seller lead generation — as the number of new listings rose in January, indicating that more homeowners may be interested in listing this year. “Making the choice to sell no homes is silly,” Abrams said. “The reality of it is that you aren’t competing with 1.5 million Realtors, but far fewer. At the end of the day, the volume is there.” 

A bill that has been introduced multiple times to the Illinois Legislature since 2020 is poised for a new revival as the state continues to seek ways to address its shortage of affordable housing stock, according to reporting by Northern Public Radio.The Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit Act, first introduced in 2020, would offer a state tax credit for housing developers that construct affordable homes within the state. With a price tag of roughly $20 million per year, advocates say that financial risk to the state’s treasury is mitigated by not paying credits until a development has been completed.The original version of the bill was introduced in 2020 by then-State Rep. Delia Ramirez (D). Ramirez has since left the state House to become a federal member of the House of Representatives, serving Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District that encompasses parts of Cook and DuPage counties. In light of Ramirez’s election to the U.S. House, the bill is now being spearheaded by state Reps. Dagmara Avelar (D) and Ryan Spain (R).“The rising cost of housing is squeezing families across our communities, and too often, new affordable developments just aren’t keeping pace with demand,” Avelar said in a recent statement about the bill. “By incentivizing new construction, we can expand housing options, bring down costs, and give families a real shot at homeownership.”In an interview with Northern Public Radio, Avelar explained that a key impediment to passing the bill in previous sessions often came down to budget constraints and other priorities that consumed lawmakers’ more immediate attention. But since the bill could produce jobs while incentivizing private investments into Illinois, she thinks that lawmakers could take more notice this time.Avelar also described the current version of the bill as “scaled down” compared to previous efforts. It is estimated to spur the development of at least 1,000 additional affordable homes for qualifying state residents.An affordable housing lobbying group, the Illinois Housing Council, assisted Avelar with the bill’s composition. Its executive director, Allison Clements, said the legislation is modeled by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. While the LIHTC program is seen as beneficial, it is much larger in scale and has a national focus. A state-based complement could ensure that certain projects not addressed by the federal program could be covered in Illinois, she said.“[The LIHTC] is the most important resource we have available to build and preserve affordable housing throughout the state and country,” Clements told the outlet. “But that resource always needs additional gap funding to make developments really cross the finish line. So, we have gotten behind this model that has already been implemented in over 25 other states around the country and has proven to be a successful tool to build and preserve affordable housing.”Spain’s involvement in the bill’s sponsorship adds bipartisan support from the state assembly’s minority leadership. Spain serves as deputy minority leader in the chamber’s Republican conference, and he said that the bill can both help businesses while addressing the state’s housing shortage.“We need to make sure that we’re providing opportunities to make the development of housing more successful, and it’s been slow in Illinois for many years now in terms of new housing starts,” Spain said. “And so, we’ve got to do something to change the calculation for developers and for families so that we can bring more housing solutions forward.”Previous versions of the bill had Republican support, but they never got a floor vote, Spain said. His support is strong despite the fact that the state is running a projected deficit of $3 billion. The need for housing, he says, still makes addressing shortages a core priority.“We have a lack of affordable housing to the tune of over 300,000 units,” he said. “And we need to make some investment and indicate our priorities so that this can be corrected. And if we do it well, we can facilitate population growth in Illinois that would greatly improve our current fiscal situation.”

Homebuyers can purchase properties in full with cash, eliminating the need for a mortgage application. But last year, only one-third of buyers purchased homes with cash, representing a three-year low point.In total, 700,445 homes in 2024 were purchased with cash, which is down from 760,914 in 2023.Real estate marketplace Redfin released a report on Tuesday that included county-level sale records for homes purchased between January 2014 and December 2024. Redfin analyzed the country’s 50 most populous metro areas, although it only included 40 metros in the report.According to Redfin, 32.6% of homebuyers used cash to purchase their homes in 2024. That’s down from 35.1% in 2023, and it’s the lowest level in three years. Despite that, all-cash home purchases were more common last year than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Back then, anywhere from 25% to 30% of transactions were of the all-cash variety.Redfin attributes the decline in cash purchases to a smaller share of real estate investors in the marketplace. Still, “wealthier Americans” are most likely to purchase homes with cash, Redfin said.“The rate of all-cash sales remains high because when housing is expensive — like it is now — wealthier Americans who can afford to pay cash are more likely than lower-income Americans to be buying homes,” Redfin senior economist Sheharyar Bokhari said in the report.“We are unlikely to see the share of all-cash purchases fall much lower in 2025, unless mortgage rates drop enough to drive a significant increase in sales.”In 2021, more than 1 million cash purchases hit the housing market. That was the highest volume dating back to 2014. The next highest figure was in 2018 when more than 861,000 homes were purchased entirely with cash. Real estate investors stormed the housing market in 2021 once pandemic-driven concerns dissipated. According to a Realtor.com report, investor home purchases ramped up by 52.9% in 2021. This growth has dwindled since then due to rising home prices and mortgage rates.Florida led all states with the most all-cash home purchases in 2024, according to Redfin. The Sunshine State had four of the top metro areas with the highest all-cash purchase shares — each of which exceeded 38%. Cleveland also made the list as 40% of home sales there consisted of all-cash deals.Meanwhile, pricier metro regions had lower shares of all-cash buyers. California had three of the five metros with the lowest shares of all-cash purchases. These areas included San Jose, Oakland and Los Angeles. Seattle and Virginia Beach, Virginia, were also among the five metros with the lowest shares of all-cash purchases.

In the third quarter of 2024, Fitch Ratings estimates that national home prices were overvalued by 11.1% on a population-weighted average basis. This marked a decrease of 50 basis points from the previous quarter’s figure of 11.6%, according to a report released Tuesday.Fitch noted that the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home-price index slowed to an increase of 3.9% year over year in September 2024, after peaking at 6.5% in February and March of last year. Despite consistent month-over-month home-price gains since February 2023, the pace of monthly growth has begun to decelerate. And annual forecasts predict more modest increases, with September marking the sixth consecutive month of slowing annual appreciation, according to CoreLogic.Fitch estimates that home prices were overvalued in 85% of U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) as of Q3 2024, a slight decrease from 88% in Q2 2024. Within these MSAs, Fitch reported that 52% were overvalued by more than 10%, down from 56% in the prior quarter. Among the 50 most populous MSAs, Buffalo, New York, is estimated as the most overvalued area, followed by Rochester, New York, and El Paso, Texas.Fitch largely attributes the decrease in overvaluation to the rise in sustainable home prices and the relatively stabilized home price index, as well as comparatively stable rent prices, unemployment rates and mortgage rates.Home-price growth was stable to increasing from September 2023 to September 2024, Fitch’s report showed. The Northeast region experienced 6.3% growth during this period while housing markets in the South, West and Midwest saw more moderate increases of 2.7%, 3.3% and 5%, respectively.Among the 100 most populous MSAs, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida, led the way with a 4.1% annualized decline in home prices.Looking at supply and demand factors, Fitch reported that supply rose throughout 2024. There were 22% more homes actively for sale in December 2024 compared with the same time in 2023, marking the 14th consecutive month of annual inventory growth, according toRealtor.com.A slight reduction in active listings from November to December was observed, partially due to a seasonal slowdown, as well as an approximate 40- to 50-bps increase in mortgage rates during these two months compared to September and October.Although home sales typically soften during the winter months, December 2024 saw anincrease in sales of both new and existing single-family homes. New-home sales grew 2.2% month over month and 9.3% annually to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 698,000.Existing-home sales improved by 5.1% from November 2024 to December 2024, which also represented a year-over-year increase of 6.7%.Looking ahead, Fitch’s report discusses the continuation of affordability pain points. It said that while the affordability gap narrowed through a recent decline in mortgage rates, rates on the rise again has reversed the trend.Fitch also acknowledged efforts by the Trump administration to tackle housing affordability, referring to an executive order directing federal agencies to provide “emergency price relief” aimed at reducing housing costs and expanding housing supply.“However, the administration’s stringent immigration policies may inadvertently impact the construction industry,” the report aded. “Immigrants constitute a significant portion of the U.S. construction workforce, and stricter immigration measures could exacerbate labor shortages, leading to project delays and increased costs.”Fitch also cited proposed increases in tariffs, including materials essential for home construction like steel, aluminum and lumber. This could contribute to heightened construction costs and, in turn, exacerbate affordability issues. Fitch maintains its outlook that U.S. home prices will rise by 3% to 4% over the course of 2025. The ratings agency also anticipates that the Federal Reserve will end the current easing cycle earlier than previously expected. It expects benchmark rate cuts of 100 bps by fourth-quarter 2025, with the policy rate left in the range of 3.5% in 2026.

Eleven more women have filed civile lawsuits against one or more of the Alexander brothers, adding to the mountain of legal woes facing Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander over alleged sexual misconduct.Along with state and federal criminal sex trafficking charges, the new complaints bring the number of known civil suits against the brothers to 17. Plaintiffs in 10 of the new suits are listed as Jane Does, with a woman named Leah Peters accounting for the other one.Tal and Oren Alexander — once superstar agents in the luxury real estate world — are defendants in six of the suits. Oren’s twin brother Alon, who worked for their father’s private security film, is listed as a defendant in one of the new suits.The 11 suits were filed in bulk, with the plaintiffs being co-represented by Antigone Curis of Curis Law and Andrew Van Arsdale of AVA Law Group.“We commend these survivors for coming forward and standing up against their abusers and look forward to pursuing justice on their behalf,” Curis said in a statement provided to HousingWire.The three brothers have consistently denied allegations of misconduct. They were arrested in December and are currently being held in the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center after being denied bail on federal criminal charges. The FBI said it has spoken to more than 60 women who accuse the brothers of assault. Their federal trial is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2026.The accusations in the new suits are remarkably similar to those in previously filed cases. The alleged victims say they were lured to an apartment under false pretenses and assaulted after they got there. Many of them believe they were drugged.The complaints were filed under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act, which provides a window for sexual assault cases that previously would have been subject to statute of limitations. The window expires in March. E. Jean Carroll’s suit against President Donald Trump was filed under the same law.One of the original civil cases, filed by Angelica Parker, was dismissed on a technicality. The judge ruled that New York State’s Adult Survivors Act supersedes the city’s law, and the window for the state law previously expired. Parker has the option to appeal.In a court filing last week, representatives for the Alexanders accused Morgan & Morgan of pressuring Florida state prosecutors into filing criminal charges. The law firm is representing a Jane Doe mentioned in the state’s complaint.The brothers’ attorneys said the state substantially relied on evidence provided by Morgan & Morgan and thus should be required to disclose that evidence. If proven true, it’s unclear how this would materially impact the case.White-label brokerage Side is suing Tal, Oren and their defunct brokerage, Official Partners, for defaulting on a loan extended to the brothers in 2022. Recent developments in that case could be indicative of how dire their situation is. Lawyers with Allen Matkins are no longer representing them in the Side case, saying that the brothers have failed to pay them for their services. They also said that the Alexanders being incarcerated has made it “unreasonably difficult” to represent them. They claim they’ve made more than a dozen attempts to contact the brothers about the Side case and received “only cursory return of communications.”The brothers asked the court to compel arbitration in the case but were denied. A judge granted Side’s request for a preliminary injunction to freeze the collateral on the loan, the tampering of which was listed as an event of default in Side’s complaint. An amended complaint accused the brothers of subsequently missing a payment on the loan.

Property taxes are a thorn in the side of some U.S. homeowners, depending on the state or region. As home prices and property values rise in 2025, rising property taxes are impacting some places more than others.Personal finance website WalletHub released its 2025 Property Taxes by State report on Monday, ranking all 50 states based on property tax expenses.WalletHub’s study noted that the average U.S. household spends $2,969 per year on property taxes, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The study tapped into census data to analyze the 50 states and the District of Columbia to rank them on real estate taxes. The report calculated property tax rates by dividing the median real estate tax payment by the median home price in a given state.WalletHub also “used the resulting rates to obtain the dollar amount paid as real-estate tax on a house worth $303,400.” That was the median value for a U.S. home as of 2023, according to the most recently available census data.WalletHubRed states, on average, posted lower property taxes than blue states.Hawaii led all states with the lowest effective real estate tax rate of 0.27%. Based on the 2023 median home value, homeowners there would’ve paid about $820 in annual property taxes. But Hawaii’s median home value is $808,200, which brings a median annual tax payment of $2,183.Second place belongs to Alabama, which has an effective property tax rate of 0.38%. Its annual taxes total $1,148 on a $303,400 home. But Alabama also has one of the lower median home values in the U.S. at $195,100, and the corresponding property tax payment at that price is $738. Nevada and Colorado each had effective real estate tax rates of 0.49%.At the other end of the spectrum, the states with the highest property tax rates are mostly on the East Coast.New Jersey was at the bottom of list with the highest effective property tax rate of 2.23%. Based on the U.S. median home value of $303,400, homeowners in the Garden State pay $6,770 in annual property taxes. But the state’s current median home value of $427,600 is accompanied by an annual property tax bill of $9,541. New Jersey was followed by Illinois (2.07% tax rate), Connecticut (1.92%) and New Hampshire (1.77%).Over a 13-year time frame, Texas posted consistently high real estate tax rates, according to WalletHub. It remains among the 10 states with the most expensive property taxes. And other states like Nebraska and New York have followed a similar pattern. WalletHubWalletHub urges homeowners to consider property tax expenses before making major moves in 2025. “Some states charge no property taxes at all, while others charge an arm and a leg. Americans who are considering moving and want to maximize the amount of money they take home should take into account property tax rates, in addition to other financial factors like the overall cost of living, when deciding on a city,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.

A month after launching its new Private Exclusive Listings (PX) feature, agent-driven offer, negotiation and collaboration platform Final Offer has acquired Private Collection, a source of listing information for off-market properties. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Final Offer said the addition of Private Collection adds more than $1 billion in off-market inventory to its platform. “The acquisition of Private Collection accelerates Final Offer’s market share of enterprise brokerage customers seeking to provide their agents with a tool to share off-market listings within their brokerage as well as their clients and prospective clients,” Final Offer said in a prepared statement. “With full integration into Final Offer, buyer agents can share and comment on exclusive listings and then make offers and negotiate the transaction seamlessly within one integrated platform.”Final Offer, an HW 2025 Tech winner, enables agents to provide their buyers with early access to pre-market listings within their brokerage, giving them a competitive advantage in buying properties before they reach the broader market. The proptech startup said that Private Collection customers and their sellers will now be able “to receive, counter and accept offers as well as utilize a buy-it-now option (The Final Offer Button) within Final Offer, allowing buyers to purchase a property without the risk of losing.”The Exclusive Listings feature allows properties to be marketed twice—as an exclusive pre market listing, then “potentially leveraging the open market either before or after the first offer is in hand to cast the widest possible exposure,” the company said.The acquisition and launch of PX comes amid a debate over the National Association of Realtors’ Clear Cooperation Policy, which requires Realtors to list a property on the MLS within 24 hours of marketing. The Massachusetts-based proptech firm has made several other acquisitions. In July 2024, Final Offer acquired the North American operations of Openn Negotiation — another negotiation platform and offer platform that operated in Canada.The company has raised close to $16 million in investments from Second Century and over 100 real estate professionals since it’s founding in January 2021. It currently operates in 11 U.S. states and in Canada.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he wants to eliminate property taxes in the state. In a post on X, the governor said that taxing land/property “is the more oppressive and ineffective” form of taxation.“Property taxes are local, not state. So we’d need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60% of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them… We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60%… “Though Florida’s statewide budget mostly comes from the sales tax, property taxes fund critical services like police, fire and schools.Amir Neto, the Florida Gulf Coast University Director of the Original Economic Research Institute, told ABC Action News that if the source of revenue is lost, you “either have to stop spending the money right, or you need to make up that revenue with something else.”According to CoreLogic data, the median 2024 property tax in Florida was $3,101, a 9.5% increase over the prior year and up 47.5% from 2019. Property taxes have skyrocketed in South Florida in particular. Median property tax payments in Miami-Dade County have risen 56.8% since 2019, and they’ve jumped 56.8% in neighboring Broward County. Home-price appreciation over that period has been 58.9% and 59.9%, respectively.Even in the last year, taxes have exploded for South Florida residents, as Broward experienced an 11.4% year-over-year jump in median property taxes and Miami-Dade’s rose by 9.9%.Nationally, the highest effective property tax rates in 2023 were in Northeast and Midwest states, led by Illinois (1.88%), New Jersey (1.64%), Connecticut (1.54%), New York (1.46%) and Nebraska (1.46%), ATTOM reported.Northeast states had seven of the 10 highest average property taxes in 2023, Attom reported. New Jersey led the way at $9,488, which was nearly 10 times the average of $989 in West Virginia, the state with the nation’s smallest average levy.Because of its revenues from tourism, Florida does not have an income tax. Following several expensive hurricanes in recent years, Florida home insurance rates among the highest in the nation. According to Insurify, home insurance premiums rose about 7% in 2024 and are expected to keep rising.

Boston-based fintech Stavvy announced a new integration using the latest Encompass Partner Connect Application Programming Interface (API) framework from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) for mortgage technology.In an exclusive interview with HousingWire, Kosta Ligris, CEO and founder of Stavvy, explained that the news is the official transition from ICE’s legacy Software Development Kit (SDK), which ICE announced it was transitioning away from during the fall of 2024.The SDK, which was used for two decades by ICE, is being “sunsetted” by Oct. 31, 2025, to encourage users to use its more secure, cloud-based API-based Encompass Partner Connect (EPC) platform.This modern framework “enables industry participants to integrate into ICE solutions and provide their services to loan originators and servicers through secure API-enabled technology,” a release from Stavvy explained.“This was just our decision to move deeper into [ICE’s] newest set of integration tools…and the reason we decided to go down the path and invest the time and the resources is that this latest integration provides an even more seamless transition to digital tag documents,” Ligris explained. “It allows us to provide for a more seamless, both hybrid and RON closing experience with little to no human intervention.”Stavvy’s Encompass integration allows lenders to execute hybrid or fully digital closings and integrate features such as eSign, eNote, eVault, remote online notarization (RON) and in-person electronic notarization (IPEN) directly within Encompass.The integration utilizes the latest Encompass Partner Connect (EPC) APIs and Partner Document Delivery EPC integration to facilitate an end-to-end experience without leaving Encompass. As a result, the integration allows for faster closings through automation and reduces errors with real-time syncing and automated processes.“We’re thrilled to accelerate the closing process for our clients with Stavvy’s digital mortgage lending solution,” said Ligris in the release. “Our bidirectional integration seamlessly incorporates our eClosing features directly within the Encompass platform, making it easier than ever for lenders to execute hybrid or fully digital closings. This integration is a tangible example of our shared commitment to driving efficiency in the industry and making the path to homeownership as streamlined and accessible as possible.”“Our partnership with Stavvy over the past three years has been key to advancing our digital lending operations,” said Rolando Lora, the executive vice president, chief retail lending officer, and director of community lending at The Washington Trust Company. “Their ability to fully leverage the Encompass platform has been critical, enabling us to achieve significant efficiencies from pre-close to post-closing.”

A majority of agents believe 2025 is going to be a great year for the housing market. Around 85% have an optimistic outlook, and 70% believe the market will be more stable, according to a new survey from Clever Real Estate.   Although agents are split on whether it’s going to be a buyers or a sellers market, 87% predict that demand will remain very strong over the next year. That will likely make it a busy year for real estate agents. Time will be your most valuable resource. To juggle all the demands of being an agent — from tracking your deadlines, avoiding time wasters and making the most of each day — you’ll need these six time-management hacks to sell more homes in what’s looking like a very busy year for the housing market.1. Don’t be ruled by the clockOne of the beautiful things about being a real estate agent is that you aren’t restricted by a Monday through Friday, 9-to-5 schedule. This gives you a tremendous amount of freedom to manage your day according to your unique productivity patterns. If you’re an early bird, frontload your day by getting all your paperwork and research done during the morning hours. If you’re a night owl, wait until everyone’s asleep to tackle that day’s workload. Figure out what works best for you through trial and error, and embrace those best practices. By aligning your work time with your natural productivity periods, you can bank massive gains in how much work you complete.2. Make a schedule and stick to itOnce you’ve identified your best work times, create a detailed daily schedule that blocks off time for all your tasks. A tried-and-true method for this is to look at everything on your to-do list for that day and put the most important items at the top.A slightly different time-management strategy, sometimes known as “eating the frog,” recommends putting the most difficult or most unpleasant task upfront. This ensures that it’ll get done, allowing you to move on to the rest of your work without the dread of an unpleasant task weighing you down. Either way, establish a strategy to prioritize your day’s work.While you’re deciding what to tackle first, identify the items on your to-do list that aren’t actually urgent. Everyone has a couple things on their list that can probably be crossed off. Once you’ve recovered a little time, keep it open for those inevitable times when a client needs a last-minute showing, or if some other emergency pops up.Finally, don’t forget that your schedule isn’t just for your benefit. It also communicates your priorities to your co-workers and employees. Blocking out your time tells them that you’re busy doing important work. It also discourages drop-ins, small talk and other unnecessary time-wasting behavior.3. Ruthlessly delegateIdeally, you want to expend your effort on the type of work that you’re best at — whether it’s marketing, negotiating deals, building relationships, or something else. Clearly and objectively identify where your particular strengths lie, and then delegate the rest as much as possible.This is going to require you to hire the right team. One common mistake that agents make is to hire people who are similar to themselves. Unfortunately, all that does is make one of you redundant. Hire people who bring complementary skills to the table or who are good at the tasks you may not excel at.Once you delegate, it’s important to step back and not micromanage. If you hired the right people, you should trust them enough to work independently. However, you should monitor and check in regularly to make sure there’s some kind of defined accountability process in place.4. Cordon off communicationMost of a real estate agent’s job is communication — from reassuring clients face-to-face, to acting as a go-between for the buyer and the seller, followed by answering texts and emails. In fact, communication is such an important part of the job that it can easily surpass any boundaries you try to set until you’re essentially on-call 24/7. This can not only exhaust you, it can also spread you so thin that when you do respond, it may not get your full focus.For that reason, one of the most productive time-blocking techniques can be to designate a certain section of your day to respond to emails, phone calls, and text messages. Otherwise, don’t allow yourself to answer non-emergency communication. You’ll be more productive, and the people who want to get in touch with you will come to value your time more.5. Take advantage of technologyFor time management and productivity, there are several apps that can help you optimize your workday. Every agent knows about ShowingTime and Mailchimp. But document management apps — such as PandaDoc or CamScanner — or transaction management tools, such as Dotloop, can be a huge help. If you need more general workflow enhancement, you can tap into your true potential with Pomodoro apps for time management or apps that restrict your social media usage or online time so you can focus on important projects.6. Don’t let meetings steal your timeSome of the biggest time sucks for real estate agents are endless meetings. In many workplaces, it’s often a two-pronged problem. Some meetings are unnecessary. Others serve a purpose but tend to eat into productive hours. That means you have to take a top-down approach to overhauling your meeting culture.First, make sure every meeting has a well-defined agenda. This prevents meandering conversations that often stretch meetings past their productive duration. The agenda should also list the necessary attendees, which ensures everyone there has a well-defined role. Finally, the agenda should include a start and finish time.Structuring meetings like this can make them much more constructive. But to really make your meetings productive, you need to have an open and encouraging workplace culture. Your employees should feel empowered to step up and make real contributions or register disagreement when necessary.Nicole Lehman is a PR Strategist for Clever Real Estate.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.To contact the editor responsible for this piece: zeb@hwmedia.com.

Is the Washington, D.C. housing market facing a sudden collapse ignited by DOGE’s job-cutting? A whirlwind of social media posts from dubious figures has sparked speculation that a large influx of inventory is hitting the market. Could this be a tipping point that sends the D.C. housing scene into a tailspin? Is there already a crash underway?Before you jump to conclusions, let me share a word of wisdom: be cautious with those doomsday posts floating around on X. It seems everyone has something to say, especially when it’s sensational! Let’s dig deeper into reliable data sources and find out what’s happening in the D.C. market. Altos Research has the fresh weekly data to provide the answers we need.Weekly housing inventory dataLet’s first examine the national inventory data. This has always been a key indicator for housing as we move toward normalcy. Although inventory levels are not yet back to average, it’s encouraging to note that we are significantly above the all-time low inventory level of 240,497, recorded in March 2022. We experienced a slight increase in inventory last week and we can anticipate the typical spring surge soon. Weekly inventory change (Feb. 7-Feb. 14): Inventory rose from 632,367 to 637,991The same week last year (Feb. 9-Feb. 16): Inventory fell from 494,819 to 493,987The all-time inventory bottom was in 2022 at 240,497The inventory peak for 2024 was 739,434For some context, active listings for the same week in 2015 were 954,581Now let’s look at the DC Metro housing market and see if we can see any signs of the massive inventory surge that’s trending on social media. So far, it looks like we’re not seeing it materialize. The inventory in the DC metro housing market isn’t much higher than the COVID-19 inventory lows. Remember to be careful when listening to people who have never tracked housing economics. When working from such a low base, inventory exploding higher will be easy to see, much like what we saw in the 2018 data, so if and when it happens, we’ll know.New listings dataThe new listing data from Altos Research reflects homes that come to the market without an immediate contract, providing us with a real-time view of any selling pressure in the market. The last two years were the two lowest new listings data years in history.Last year, I forecasted we would get at least 80,000 per week during the seasonal peak months, but It didn’t happen. This year, I believe we should hit that target. Note that during the housing bubble crash years, this data line ran between 250,000-400,000 per week.The national new listing data for last week over the previous several years:2025: 56,5592024: 49,5562023: 42,073Let’s examine the current state of the D.C. market and recent listing data. It appears pretty normal when compared to the last few years. Unfortunately, it seems that those promoting significant inventory surges lacked the appropriate data tools to track these trends effectively.Jobless claims have been rising in this area over the past few weeks and we can expect a further increase due to the Trump administration’s goal of slashing federal jobs, which some have estimated at 200,000. I like to keep things straightforward: monitor jobless claims, new listing data and active inventory over the next few months and follow the data. However, nothing particularly significant has occurred yet.Price-cut percentageIn an average year, about one-third of all homes typically experience a price cut, which reflects the usual dynamics of the housing market. Last year, I had a low forecast, predicting only 2.33% nominal home-price growth, which ended up being too low.For 2025, I am forecasting growth of 1.77%, indicating another year of negative real home price growth. As inventory increases and if mortgage rates remain above 7%, price growth is expected to cool down. I was mistaken last year, partly because mortgage rates fell to 6% quickly. However, the slowdown in price growth is a positive development for the housing market, which desperately needs it.Price-cut percentages for last week over the previous several years:2025: 33%2024: 30%2023: 31%Finally, let’s examine the price cut percentages in the D.C. market. We can observe that the percentage of price cuts is lower than the national average. This doesn’t mean we won’t see stressed sellers as federal workers lose their jobs in the upcoming weeks, but the recent data does not indicate any significant stress in the market yet.10-year yield and mortgage rates In my 2025 forecast, I anticipate the following ranges:Mortgage rates will be between 5.75% and 7.25%.The 10-year yield will fluctuate between 3.80% and 4.70%.The 10-year yield was wild last week. The CPI report sent bond yields rising, and the next day, the PPI inflation report sent the 10-year yield falling. Friday’s weak retail sales report sent the 10-year yield falling again, pushing mortgage rates under 7%.Mortgage spreadsThe positive story regarding mortgage rates is the improvement in mortgage spreads observed in 2024 and 2025. Without this improvement, mortgage rates would be close to 8% in 2025.Historically, these spreads typically range between 1.60% and 1.80%. If we were experiencing the worst mortgage spreads of 2023, mortgage rates would be 0.77% higher today. Conversely, current mortgage rates would be approximately 0.73% to 0.83% lower with regular mortgage spreads.Purchase application dataPurchase application data has been roughly flat this year:2 positive readings  1 flat reading 2 negative readingLast week, the weekly data was down 2% weekly but up 2% year over year. Historically, when mortgage rates are high, purchase application data tends to reflect negative trends. For instance, last year, when mortgage rates ranged between 6.75% and 7.50%, the purchase application data showed 14 negative, two positive, and two flat readings.We will monitor the data closely in February and discuss this and other housing economic topics at our big Housing Economic Summit on Feb. 26 in Dallas.Weekly pending salesThe latest weekly pending contract data from Altos Research offers valuable insights into current trends in housing demand. This dataset has shown a notable improvement since the summer of 2024, and toward the end of the year, it showed year-over-year growth. However, as mortgage rates started to rise late into 2024 and stay elevated in 2025, it has facilitated a slight decline in pending sales year over year from where we had been growing. We are still showing higher growth versus 2023 levels, but not by much. Our housing data gets better when mortgage rates are near 6%.Weekly pending contracts for the past week over the past several years:2025: 303,9572024: 314,0532023: 298,432The week ahead: Housing data and Fed speeches This week, we have several key housing data releases, including home builder confidence, housing starts, and existing home sales. On Monday, a few Federal Reserve Presidents will be speaking, and we should pay attention to how the markets react to their comments. On Tuesday, I will be on CNBC to discuss builders and tariffs. Additionally, every Thursday, we can expect jobless claims data to be released, and this information may become particularly interesting soon due to the recent layoffs.Hopefully, this article provides a better understanding of the housing inventory in the DC marketplace. 

The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced in a post on X Friday that it had recovered $1.9 billion in HUD funds that “were earmarked for the administration of financial services, but were no longer needed.” The post reads: “$1.9 billion of HUD money was just recovered after being misplaced during the Biden administration due to a broken process. These funds were earmarked for the administration of financial services, but were no longer needed.”The group added that it worked in concert with HUD Secretary Scott Turner to “fix the issue and de-[obligate] the funds which are now available for other use by the Treasury.”Musk magnified DOGE’s results in his own post on X, “It is astounding how much taxpayer money can be saved with even a small amount of effort.” No other information on the recovered funds has been released by the administration.In the post, screenshots of unredacted documents displayed tax and address information for Dallas-based mortgage servicer Selene Finance and Anaheim-based mortgage lender and servicer Carrington Mortgage Services.News outlet NOTUS reported that while the current version of the post redacts some of the identifying information from the highlighted contracts, an earlier version which remains visible in the post’s edit history exposes potentially sensitive tax information from the private companies.“The screenshots of documents attached to the original post, which DOGE published at 3:24 p.m., included sensitive company information such as the names, addresses and signatures of the government contractors as well as their tax ID numbers,” the report stated. “The original post was viewed more than 2 million times, according to the metrics listed on X.”HUD has been under fire in the second Trump administration, with the agency expected to cut 50% of its workforce.Among the reported targets of HUD cuts by DOGE include offices that enforce civil rights laws, that compile housing market data and which are focused on post-disaster recovery and rebuilding. An attorney with housing industry and policy experience who spoke with HousingWire characterized the potential impacts as striking “at some of HUD’s essential functions.”

A federal judge temporarily blocked the mass firing of employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Friday after an agreement was reached between the Department of Justice and the National Treasury Employees Union. The consent order signed by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson also prevents the Trump administration from deleting or removing CFPB data and transferring or returning any of the bureau’s funds.The ruling comes after labor unions representing federal employees sued President Donald Trump and the acting directors of federal agencies who were targeted in Trump’s executive order for workplace optimization. That includes Treasury Secretary Russell Vought, who was acting director of the CFPB when the suit was filed. The next court hearing on the lawsuit will take place on March 3.Trump takes swift action to dismantle the bureauVought moved swiftly over the last week to dismantle the CFPB, ordering work to be stopped, closing the headquarters and cutting off its funding. Jonathan McKernan was named acting director of the CFPB on Tuesday and the bureau has fired more than 100 employees since then — a first batch of about 70 new or probationary employees and a second larger group of employees hired for two or four year terms, according to NPR. The bureau’s total number of employees is about 1,700.Federal trade unions fire backFederal trade unions filed the lawsuit on Wednesday and the court hearing on Friday means any more mass firings are on hold. Under the judge’s consent order, CFPB employees can’t be fired for reasons unrelated to their work performance or conduct. It also stops the bureau from trying to redirect its funding, which comes from the Federal Reserve system. The lawsuit asserts that “while the President is responsible for the enforcement of federal laws,Congress alone has the power of the purse with which to fund or defund agenciesand their activities.”The CFPB had already agreed on Wednesday to a preliminary injunction on any efforts to disrupt its funding or shut down the department as part of a lawsuit from the city of Baltimore and the Economic Action Maryland Fund. CFPB data is a key concernImportantly, the newest consent order blocks the Trump administration from deleting or transferring the CFPB’s data, which DOGE employees started accessing on Feb. 5. The lawsuit includes a declaration by the CFPB’s former chief technologist, Eric Meyer, that stated that he believed the databases holding the CFPB’s data “will soon be deleted.” Meyer wrote: “I am preparing this declaration to ensure that the Court is aware of the imminent risk that twelve years’ of critical CFPB records, which belong to the public, will be irretrievably lost and cause serious and sweeping damage unless the Court takes action to preserve the status quo in the face of efforts to dismantle the CFPB.” More resources:Updated list of Trump actions that affect housingA timeline of what’s happening at the CFPB under Trump

In the most recent episode of the Power House podcast, host and HousingWire President Diego Sanchez sits down with Chris Vinson, CEO of Windsor Mortgage, a division of Plains Commerce Bank. The conversation covers Windsor’s growth and success in recent years, including its focus on wholesale lending, technology and coaching.This interview has been edited for length and clarity. To start the discussion, the duo dive into Windsor Mortgage’s origin story.Vinson: I started off as a mortgage broker in the year 2000. I actually sold to a bank in 2008 and had one big goal: to figure out how to reach No. 1 in market share. I got that market share in 2012, and in 2016, I really started to work community banks throughout the Midwest. And that was the birth of Windsor.Windsor was never going to be Windsor. Our demographic was a 45- to 55-year-old male that wore a suit every day. However, as things change and you start one thing and think you’re going in one direction, you switch to the other. I got a call from Fannie Mae and they said, “We know this wholesale group; they’re actually making a shift and change. Would you be interested in adding that to your arsenal of Windsor?”In 2008, [Plains Commerce Bank] purchased us because I didn’t have enough warehouse lines as a small broker.Sanchez: Now, the wholesale channel is dominated by United Wholesale Mortgage and Rocket Mortgage. What is your strategy for competing against these two juggernauts and carving out your own slice of the market?Vinson: Our my main focus is helping originators be better. So, we do a lot of coaching. We offer a lot of a lot of tactical things that can go out and generate more business. So, our philosophy is. “If you want to learn how to get better and to generate more, we’ll help you.”It’s tough out there right now, so running scenarios, having our live Zoom rooms and being able to talk to our underwriter are all unique things that I think Windsor offers that maybe some of our competition doesn’t.I think we get asked all the time, “What makes Windsor unique?” We’re looking for your problems and we’re figuring out a solution.Sanchez: Can you talk a little bit about what your tech stack consists of right now and how you’re maybe trying to differentiate it?Vinson: I think the big challenge on the tech side is what LOS is the originator broker using. It’s really gotten to a smaller pool, which is nice. So, I guess you could call us old school or stubborn to change. We’re still within Encompass because the backside is good in connecting through all of our back channels and bank side.Technologies have become even more of a level playing field. But we’re working on our new technologies with the ICDs (initial closing disclosures) so the broker can originate that. That’ll be next month.