RE Technology's Top 10 Articles of 2023
Over the past 10 days, we've been counting down our top 10 articles of the year. These articles are an exclusive breed—at RE Technology, we publish over 1,000 articles each year. So which articles were among the 1 percent that made it into our top 10? Not surprisingly, our most-read story of the year deals with the industry's biggest development of 2023: the commissions lawsuits. Similarly, ChatGPT was the most significant development in the tech space in 2023, and three of this year's top 10 articles reflect that (see articles #2, #9 and #10 below). So what else made it into this year's hall of fame? Check out the full list of our most-read articles below: The Jury Has Ruled on Commissions: What Are the Next Steps? Using ChatGPT Is Probably an MLS Violation Beware, DocuSign: Google Docs now offers eSignatures 10 Common Questions Home Buyers Ask Google (and 30 Key Phrases to Target with Google Ads) 13 Scary Listing Photos that Will Horrify Buyers How Agents Are (Unintentionally) Violating Fair Housing Top 10 Mobile Apps for Real Estate Agents 14 New iOS 17 Features That Were Built for Real Estate Agents We Asked 6 AI Bots to Recommend a Realtor. Here's What Happened 8 Browser Extensions for ChatGPT

MoveEasy Rebrands to LiveEasy as It Rolls Out New Platforms for Homeowners and Renters
Updates product integrations for greater B2B accessibility and customization COLUMBUS, OHIO - June 15, 2023 -- LiveEasy (FKA MoveEasy), the nation's leading home services platform, has expanded its reach into new sectors with the rollout of its Homeownership and Rental Dashboards. In addition to its core services, the company has launched an entirely new sector with its Rental Dashboard; and has rolled out its Homeownership Dashboard, which was announced and beta-launched in October 2022, with full functionality to all users. Finally, the company has also launched a major update to how these platforms are integrated with other partners and businesses: with new embeddable, modular tools including widgets and APIs to let clients configure and customize the software as they like. Together, these launches and upgrades bring LiveEasy services to millions of additional consumers and businesses. The company also announced it has changed its name to LiveEasy to better align with the full array of concierge services provided to their expanding client base. While the company has always provided a "lifetime concierge" for every consumer, the new name makes that message more clear, along with the expansion of home dashboards, and the value they can help consumers build while reducing expenses in whatever type of property they call home. "Today, the world of buyers, sellers, renters and homeowners are increasingly intertwined," said LiveEasy founder and CEO Venkatesh Ganapathy. "We've taken the bold and strategic step to bring those all under one roof, serving every American consumer who owns, lives in or rents any type of home. We couldn't be more excited to make this expansion and bring our valued partners in the real estate industry along with us." Making an Impact for Consumers and for Businesses From its launch in 2017, LiveEasy began by offering white label moving concierge services, enabling real estate brokers to offer this service directly to its clients. The Moving Dashboard included products to help new residents access and save money on local services like cable and internet, maintenance and insurance, saving the average household $400 on home services and providing a convenient place to manage their home-related needs. At the same time, the comprehensive array of services and features helps keep the clients and the clients of our brokerages, mortgage lenders, insurance, and property managers engaged with their services, and more likely to become repeat customers, which directly benefits their businesses. LiveEasy is focused on providing unparalleled value for both consumers and the professionals that support them. The company currently has 150k+ real estate agents, which have access to 1 million movers and 5 million homeowners, and from January 2022-June 2023, have saved their clients a collective $9.8 million and 17,000+ hours of labor. Now, with today's major expansion into these new markets, the company is entering an exponentially larger space of offering its services to everyone living in the 190M+ homes and rental units in America with the potential to save them hundreds of millions of dollars on their homes. "In just the last year-plus, we've already helped put nearly $10 million back in Americans' pockets," added Ganapathy. "And at the same time, we're helping them maximize their home's equity potential and build meaningful wealth. And all this happens while actually making their lives easier by bringing all their home-related needs into one convenient platform, while increasing opportunities and revenue for the businesses that support them." Just as it has delivered valuable savings for homeowners and consumers, the company has also generated over $57M in business for its partners. "LiveEasy has saved our clients $1.2+ million in home services costs and 3,400+ hours of time scheduling services," said Rajeev Sajja, SVP Digital Marketing and Innovation for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors. "It has generated more leads for our ancillary services, such as Insurance referrals, than any other partner." With the rollout of the enhanced Homeownership Platform, the launch of the new Renter Platform, and the updated integrations for its Moving Platform, businesses will be able to build on these savings for clients. Additionally, LiveEasy allows for consumers to be entered into their home management system at any time in their home journey, not just at the moment of a move. This allows our brokerage, mortgage and property management partners to deliver lifetime value, and activate leads from their sphere that may have been missed otherwise. Features of the Dashboards The Homeownership and Renter Dashboards retain many of the same core functionalities and features as the Moving Dashboard – offering localized products and services central to their unique living experiences – as well as new, highly customized features. The Homeownership Dashboard centers around wealth building and managing home equity. This includes tools, calculators and built-in loans and finances, even mortgage refinancing, to pay for remodels and renovations. Using LiveEasy, homeowners can see the real-time value of their home, access their mortgage information, and be instantly connected with a live representative to provide mortgage and refinancing advice. It also helps customers project which renovations or home projects will have the greatest impact on their equity, assess their unique HELOC situation, and secure financing and contractors for the project right through the dashboard. Finally, it provides cost-saving features to ensure consumers are getting the best price possible for cable, internet, home security and more, in addition to discounts on home products and services throughout their homeownership journey. The Renter Dashboard similarly offers customized services to renters that streamlines their needs. These include simplifying the move-in process - from reserving elevators, to managing security deposits and pet policies, to scheduling key pickups and walkthroughs - to handling the day-to-day requirements, like scheduling routine visits, maintenance / landscaping appointments and appliance care, and more. Lastly, LiveEasy has expanded the integration options of its products, which will allow more partners than ever to access it and to customize it to their unique needs. With a low-code, easy-to-use interface, the product is now available to B2B partners not only as a fully hosted platform but also as a embeddable, modular set of product widgets (or available via API), thus allowing a host of businesses to take advantage its entire product suite and enabling them to configure and customize the platform as they like. For example, companies that help consumers shop for home insurance and compare prices can utilize just one or two tools from LiveEasy's dashboard, to create tailored, value-add services for end users. This enables our partners to engage with their clients within their own user interface and flow and move from a disconnected experience to a deeper relationship with lifelong connection to their consumer. "Since we launched our Moving Platform in 2017, we've prided ourselves on being innovators in the product space, and thanks to our recent funding led by Moderne Ventures & Travelers Insurance, we've been able to double down on that innovative edge," added LiveEasy's Ganapathy. "We're as committed as ever to building products that will really move the needle for the real estate industry. Today's rollout is just that." With this expansion, LiveEasy intends to be the go-to platform for Americans to manage their home-related expenses and services, gain better visibility into their largest financial asset or to build towards a future home while renting, and connect them with businesses and professionals throughout the lifetime of their home journey. About LiveEasy LiveEasy is the country's first full-service home management concierge platform designed to help the 190 million+ homeowners and renters in the US with all their moving and home management needs. Its various tools makes it easy to access service providers, savings, a dedicated concierge, and more. For partners, LiveEasy is a white-labeled, turnkey solution that enables businesses to customize and brand the platform, so they can offer a true end-to-end home management solution to their clients and develop a lifetime connection with them. Today, LiveEasy partners with a range of businesses including mortgage, insurance, rental, home services, and the largest real estate brokerages in the country representing more than 150,000 agents. For more information, visit LiveEasy.com.

'First-Time Buyer' Season 3 Now Streaming on Hulu
CHICAGO (December 27, 2022) – The third season of First-Time Buyer by the National Association of Realtors® is now available to watch on Hulu. The unscripted television series, created by NAR in 2020, provides an accurate representation of the American homebuying process while highlighting the important role that Realtors® play in helping U.S. consumers achieve the dream of homeownership. "First-Time Buyer provides a unique and authentic glimpse into the homebuying journey, and the challenges and triumphs that come with it," said NAR President Kenny Parcell, a Realtor® from Spanish Fork, Utah, and broker-owner of Equity Real Estate Utah. "Through this series, we hope to inspire and educate aspiring homebuyers, and to showcase the valuable role that Realtors® play in supporting their clients." The eight new episodes – filmed across Houston and Tampa – follow different individuals, couples and families through their first homebuying journey. "The stories featured in this season of First-Time Buyer are relatable and inspiring," said NAR Head of Production Alicia Bailey. "They showcase the diversity of the American homebuying experience, as well as the various emotions that come with it. We hope that viewers will be able to relate to the experiences of these homebuyers and learn from their journey as they navigate the complex world of real estate." First-Time Buyer is an extension of NAR's consumer advertising campaign, "That's Who We R", which works to elevate the Realtor® brand by highlighting unique differentiators, such as Realtors®' commitment to the association's Code of Ethics. "As Realtors®, we are proud to support and guide first-time buyers through this exciting and sometimes overwhelming process," said Parcell. "It's truly an amazing feeling to help someone achieve their dream of owning a home." All episodes from seasons one and two are also available to stream for free on YouTube, Facebook and at firsttimebuyer.realtor. The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The term Realtor® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

NAR Launches Nationwide Motor Coach Tour to Mobilize Members, Strengthen Voice for US Consumers
CHICAGO (November 15, 2022) – The National Association of Realtors® announced today it will launch a nationwide motor coach tour with coordinated stops or affiliated events planned in every U.S. state over the next year. As its membership numbers approach 1.6 million, NAR is using the opportunity to better engage Realtors® and to emphasize their opportunities to strengthen market conditions for U.S. consumers. "NAR's membership numbers remain at an all-time high, but COVID-19 and the increase in virtual communication have diminished face-to-face interaction between NAR and Realtors® around the country," said NAR's 2023 President Kenny Parcell. "We wanted to reconnect with the members we have in every U.S. ZIP code and remind them of how important it is that we continue to engage policymakers in support of American consumers." Parcell and other members of NAR's leadership team have designed the tour to better mobilize Realtors® and to ensure they recognize their collective voice in representing the interests of U.S. consumers. "Our country is experiencing a 6-million-unit housing shortage, pushing homeownership out of reach for too many Americans," Parcell continued. "Consumers are counting on Realtors® to advocate on their behalf and to help ensure the American dream of home and property ownership remains available to as many people as possible." Riding with the Brand 2023 is a nationwide, multi-stop association member activation tour. The goal is to engage thousands of members nationwide by executing visits that can support member engagement, member recruitment and retention, and community engagement. The tour will make its first stop in Atlantic City, N.J., after launching in Philadelphia on November 29. A complete list of event dates and locations, as well as additional information about the tour's intent, can be found at nar.realtor/riding. The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

National Association of Realtors Honors 2022 Good Neighbor Awards Finalists
WASHINGTON (September 1, 2022) -- The National Association of Realtors has selected 10 Realtors as finalists for its 2022 Good Neighbor Awards, which honor NAR members who make an extraordinary difference in their communities through volunteer work. This is the 23rd year the Good Neighbor Awards program has recognized Realtor volunteers who donate time, money and passion to enrich the lives of people in their communities. "This year's Good Neighbor finalists have gone above and beyond to help build stronger communities and improve the lives of people across this country," said NAR President Leslie Rouda Smith, a Realtor® from Plano, Texas, and a broker associate at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate in Dallas. "Their determination and selfless commitment embody everything that we strive for as Realtors® and as compassionate members of our community. I'm proud of this group for devoting hundreds of hours of their personal time to these important causes." Five winners will receive a $10,000 grant and national media exposure for their charity, including a feature in the fall issue of REALTOR® Magazine. The winners will also be honored in November during NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience, in Orlando, Florida. Five honorable mentions will receive $2,500 grants. Beginning today, the public can vote for their favorite of the 10 Good Neighbor finalists. The top three vote-getters will be recognized as Web Choice Favorites, with the winner taking home $2,500, and the second and third place finishers each receiving $1,250, funded by Realtor.com®. Cast your vote at realtor.com/goodneighbor between September 1 and October 3. Both the winners, as determined by judges, and the Web Choice Favorites will be announced on October 6. The 10 NAR Good Neighbor Awards finalists are as follows: Jennifer Barnes, Keller Williams Realty Peachtree Road, Brookhaven, Georgia In 2020, Jennifer Barnes thought she would feed people for just a few weeks until the COVID-19-induced shutdowns ended. That experience opened her eyes to an underlying vulnerability in her affluent Atlanta-area neighborhood that extended well beyond food. The nonprofit she founded, Solidarity Sandy Springs, inspires more than 2,600 volunteers to provide wide-ranging community services for thousands of families, including free eye exams and glasses, flu vaccines, job fairs, back-to-school backpacks, and more. Barnes has also distributed nearly one million pounds of food to about 46,000 shoppers. nar.realtor/gna/jennifer-barnes Dennis Curtin, Legacy Investments, Kansas City, Missouri Dennis Curtin founded Mimi's Pantry to offer a more positive food pantry experience to people in need. The state-of-the-art, 6,000-square-foot facility welcomes shoppers to browse the aisles and choose their food, just as they would in a grocery store. The nonprofit invested in commercial refrigeration equipment and offers fresh meat, produce and milk. It also has a play area and library for kids and is building a greenhouse, an orchard of fruit trees and berry bushes this fall. In three years, it has served 50,000 individuals. nar.realtor/gna/dennis-curtin Jim Edmonds, Emerald Isle Properties, Kilauea, Hawaii As the Hawaiian island of Kauai may at any time have only a handful of homes for sale under $1 million, Permanently Affordable Living (PAL) Kaua'i founder Jim Edmonds partners with nonprofits to build and convert affordable housing for service and farm workers within walking distance to their workplaces. Edmonds navigates the complex challenges of poor infrastructure and resource scarcity through innovative, cost-saving solutions like solar energy, edible landscaping, shared electric vehicles, and shared bicycles. nar.realtor/gna/jim-edmonds Heather Griesser LaPierre, RE/MAX Preferred Newtown Square, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania To address food insecurity in her neighborhood and around the world, Heather Griesser LaPierre founded Kids Against Hunger Philadelphia. She rallies hundreds of volunteers each month to pack nutritious, ready-to-make pasta- and rice-based meals, involving local entities like churches, scout troops and police officers. In 2021, she decided to double production to 350,000 meals a month in order to ensure children who depended on school lunches were fed. This effort was even more impressive considering COVID-19 restrictions had forced her to manage with a fraction of the normal volunteer force. nar.realtor/gna/heather-griesser-lapierre Tamara "Tami" Hicks, Century 21 Signature Real Estate, Ames, Iowa As a Realtor®, Tami Hicks would see sellers throw out perfectly good furniture that they didn't need because they didn't know what to do with it. Hicks gathered a few friends and co-founded Overflow Thrift Store, a nonprofit that recycles and resells home furnishings and clothing. Now boasting two locations, the thrift stores' proceeds are distributed monthly to 10 nonprofit organizations. It also partners with eight additional community agencies to provide clients with free shopping vouchers for furniture and housewares. Since 2014, Overflow Thrift Store has resold more than 1 million items, recycled 325 tons of clothing that otherwise may have gone into landfills and donated $512,000 to nonprofit organizations. nar.realtor/gna/tami-hicks Lisa Hoeve, Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt, Holland, Michigan As a foster parent herself, Lisa Hoeve understands the stressful circumstances that arise when a child is placed in a new home, often with strangers, on short notice and carrying none of their own belongings. Hoeve created Hope Pkgs to ease the transition for the children and to support the foster parents striving to ensure these children are as comfortable as possible. She works through child service agencies in Michigan to provide "First Night Bags" with gender- and age-appropriate new pajamas, socks, underwear, blankets, toiletries and stuffed animals. Since 2015, she has served more than 4,200 children. nar.realtor/gna/lisa-hoeve Debbie McCabe, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®, and the Trident Group, Devon, Pennsylvania Most of us don't know what it feels like to sleep on the streets in the winter, but Debbie McCabe does. Each year, she leads a team of people who voluntarily sleep in cardboard boxes to raise money to help youth experiencing homelessness. For more than 10 years, McCabe has been a volunteer leader for the 76-bed Covenant House Pennsylvania. The transitional housing and services it provides build a bridge to hope for young people overcoming homelessness and who have been a victim of human trafficking. McCabe helped the facility safely keep its doors open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the height of the pandemic. nar.realtor/gna/debbie-mccabe Debbie Miller, Webpro Realty, Lakeland, Florida Debbie Miller had been a devoted volunteer for KidsPACK for many years, helping provide weekend food to kids who might not otherwise have had enough to eat. When COVID-19 hit and demand spiked, the organization found that vendors could no longer supply the bulk food it needed. As inventory dwindled, Miller took to social media, starting a Facebook page and convincing hundreds of new people to donate Chef Boyardee provisions using Amazon. The organization was able to support 140 new children from this effort alone. Today, it feeds 3,000 kids from 80 area schools on weekends. nar.realtor/gna/debbie-miller Kathy Opperman, Long & Foster Collegeville, Collegeville, Pennsylvania Kathy Opperman knows a little support can make all the difference when managing grief or loss. She founded Pillars of Light and Love, which offers a multitude of programs and support groups including grief support, help with anxiety, healthy coping skills training, anti-bullying and self-confidence building, and several youth empowerment programs. They have offered over 800 free workshops and support groups. Their mission is to build confidence, self-esteem and resilience so adults and youth can overcome the stresses of life. nar.realtor/gna/kathy-opperman MaliVai Washington, Diamond Life Real Estate, Jacksonville Beach, Florida For 26 years, MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation founder Mal Washington has been breaking the cycle of poverty through a vibrant after-school mentoring program. Originally rooted in his beloved sport of tennis, MWYF now serves 500 kids annually through a comprehensive youth development program of academic tutoring, leadership skills, financial training and fitness. He is proud of the 100% high school graduation rate within the program as the surrounding neighborhood's dropout rate is 20%. nar.realtor/gna/malivai-washington NAR's Good Neighbor Awards is supported by primary sponsor Realtor.com® as well as the Center for REALTOR® Development. "The Good Neighbor Award finalists are a remarkable group of individuals," said Realtor.com® CMO Mickey Neuberger. "Their work shows that volunteers are truly improving our communities and making them a better place, and Realtor.com is so pleased to be able to recognize them for their efforts." Nominees were judged on their personal contribution of time as well as financial and material contributions to benefit their cause. Realtor.com® is an open real estate marketplace built for everyone. Realtor.com®(link is external) pioneered the world of digital real estate more than 25 years ago. Today, through its website and mobile apps, Realtor.com® is a trusted guide for consumers, empowering more people to find their way home by breaking down barriers, helping them make the right connections, and creating confidence through expert insights and guidance. For professionals, Realtor.com® is a trusted partner for empowered growth, offering consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. For more information, visit Realtor.com. The Center for REALTOR®Development (CRD) is a wholly owned subsidiary of NAR, and the home of high-quality education. With 10+ credentials, learning pathways, over 100 microcourses, and an award-winning podcast, there is a learning experience for every real estate professional. Sharpen your skills and boost your business by investing in yourself. Get started at crd.realtor. The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Revive enhances its brand, becomes Revive Real Estate, changing its top-level domain destination to revive.realestate
IRVINE, Calif. - July 20 2022 -- Revive, the most complete presale home renovation solution for sellers and cash-backed offer programs for buyers, announces the enhancement of its brand, becoming Revive Real Estate, and changes its top-level domain to revive.realestate. "By officially becoming Revive Real Estate, we boost the clarity of our brand and can amplify it with a hot top-level web domain extension," said Michael Alladawi, Revive Real Estate CEO and founder. "Very few Proptech firms, if any, can say that their domain is only their name. It gives our business instant recognition and elevates our marketing," he added. Created by the National Association of Realtors and launched in 2018 alongside .realtor for members of NAR, the .realestate domain is free of restrictions from NAR affiliation. It allows firms like Revive Real Estate to creatively market its brand by leveraging "real estate" as a descriptive and universally understood term. "Securing .realestate is a fantastic fit for Revive to better connect with brokers and their agents, as well as home sellers, buyers and others who are part of the presale renovation ecosystem," said Colleen Doyle, Vice President, RIN and Strategic Initiatives at NAR. "This top-level domain helps firms like Revive own their segment in our industry, setting them apart from their competition," she added. Revive is one of nine Proptech firms in the 2022 NAR US REACH program, operated by Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors and the most active global real estate technology fund. Revive offers presale renovation services for homeowners to help maximize their profits from their home sales. When homeowners renovate their homes before selling, they maximize their return on their most significant asset — their home. Revive research shows that sellers leave 15 to 20 percent of potential profits on the table if they sell their homes "as is." Alladawi notes that presale renovation is a burgeoning new industry, offering a new tool that more agents and sellers need to know about. "Revive sellers average $186,000 more than the costs of the renovation, and substantially more in higher-cost markets," Alladawi explained. "The more we spread the word – and our new enhanced brand will help – the more wealth we can help create for homeowners when they sell their homes," he added. According to Revive research, a little more than 8% of all homes in the US as of February 2022 were worth at least $1 million. If just one in ten sellers of homes worth $1 million or more chose a presale renovation, sellers would net tens of billions of dollars in additional sale proceeds. "The potential of additional annual wealth creation is staggering," said Revive Real Estate cofounder Dalip Jaggi, noting, "Every year, some 5 million to 6 million existing-home sales occur. If just 5% of these homes chose a presale renovation, sellers could increase by $56 billion." Learn more at www.revive.realestate. About Revive Revive's mission is to guide home sellers through presale renovations without upfront costs. By providing access to Revive's network of top contractors, home sellers gain an average of $186,000 in additional profit when selling their homes. Revive homes sell for more and help sellers move ahead by maximizing their sales value. Learn more at www.revive.realestate.

NAR Releases Its Inaugural ESG+R Sustainability Report
Report provides comprehensive review of the association's major sustainability activities in 2021 WASHINGTON (January 11, 2022) -- The National Association of Realtors today released its inaugural ESG+R Report, highlighting the association's top sustainability accomplishments in 2021 within four categories: environment, social, governance and resilience. In the coming years, this annual report will offer a snapshot of NAR's current state of sustainability activity – existing programs, resources and services – while tracking the association's progress over time on stated goals within the context of NAR's multiyear Sustainability and Resilience Plan. "Leading by example, NAR is driving the real estate industry toward a more efficient and sustainable future," said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. "As part of this responsibility, we are strengthening the association's support of sustainability efforts and increasing engagement on policies and programs that prioritize viability, resiliency and adaptability. We are working to generate meaningful, lasting change that will benefit both current and future generations." Some of NAR's major sustainability achievements in 2021 included the following (by category): Environment Actionable items that brought specific and positive impacts, reduced energy use and environmental footprint and helped raise awareness among stakeholders through reports and educational opportunities. The Chicago Headquarters' Master Vision Project: Initiated in 2018, this project has brought forth the most significant updates to the building in 60 years. Under normal operations, these changes will bring up to 25% in energy savings from the installation of new mechanical systems and a 75% reduction in energy consumption from the new elevator system. Materials, resources, and waste tracking all aim to meet LEED standards. The Incorporation of Sustainability into C2EX: NAR members earning their C2EX Endorsement will now have enhanced opportunities to learn about sustainability concepts and how they relate to real estate. Social Activities, initiatives, and events the association undertook to engage employees and communities promoting the growth of sustainability by unlocking opportunities for health, equity and well-being. NAR's New Core Value for All Employees – Advance Diversity and Inclusion: This new Core Value established for all NAR employees solidifies NAR's commitment to respecting diversity throughout the organization and supports the commitment to an inclusive workplace environment where everyone feels safe to express their authentic self. NAR Partnership with the Food Recovery Network: In 2021, NAR continued its partnership with FRN to donate any unused food portions from major meetings to those most in need. To date, NAR has provided more than 4,170 pounds of unserved meals to local organizations. NAR is asking state and local Realtor® associations to join this effort by pledging to donate unserved meals at events in their local communities. The Home Performance Counts joint initiative with NAR and NAHB: This initiative connects Realtors® and builders and provides first-hand experience and resources on collaboration and working with clients on high-performance homes. Governance Introducing the concepts of sustainability to members, state, and local associations, using an approach that integrates sustainability into all areas of the association. Partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: NAR and NOAA developed a partnership that keeps members informed on how weather events affect housing and markets. 2021 Sustainability Summit: This event was hosted virtually in 2021 and included members, industry affiliates and external partners. Select sessions were streamed to make content more available, accessible, and transparent. Changes to Sustainability Advisory Group: This group now includes all Chairs who sit on the Public Policy Coordinating Committee and NAR's Vice Presidents of Advocacy and Association Affairs. Resilience Short- and long-term actions that help Realtors® and communities respond to and prepare for extreme weather and a changing climate. Flood Factor on Realtor.com®: Realtor.com® now includes flood risk data from Flood Factor on each listing to help assess flood risk on individual properties, allowing property owners to accurately assess their risk and better prepare for future flooding events. NAR's Smart Growth Grants and Placemaking Program: This program supported state and local associations in the creation of parks, trails, and community gardens. The natural surface of these projects enhances stormwater absorption and the gardens can provide a source of food in times of need, improving a community's resiliency. NAR Supports FEMA's Risk-Rating 2.0: On October 1, FEMA began phasing in a new flood insurance pricing system called "Risk Rating 2.0: Equity in Action." NAR supports this new system, which prices flood insurance for each home individually rather than by flood zone. By adopting modern insurance industry technologies, standards, and practices, FEMA can rate more precisely and accurately by using more flood risk factors and property-specific characteristics – allowing consumers to make better, more informed decisions about the risks and costs of insuring a property. For the complete list of 2021 achievements, view NAR's ESG+R Report here. For more information on NAR's sustainability efforts, visit nar.realtor/sustainability. The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

RE Technology's Top 10 Articles of 2021
Over the past 10 days, we've been counting down our top 10 articles of the year. These articles are an exclusive breed--at RE Technology, we publish over 1,000 articles each year. So which types of articles were among the 1 percent that made it into our top 10? No surprise here: articles that touched on the economic issues currently driving the real estate market took three spots in our top 10. Our #10 article took a look at low inventory issues, while #6 confronted worries about a wave of foreclosures following the end of forebearance. Our #1 article explored the (seemingly endless) upward trajectory of home prices. Our list isn't all economic anxiety, though. RE Technology readers drove two Friday Freebies onto this year's top 10. Check out articles #4 and #7 for free resources that can help you level up your real estate business in 2022. What else made it into this year's hall of fame? Check out the full list of our most-read articles below: When Will U.S. Buyers See Relief From Skyrocketing Home Prices? What Salary Can You Expect to Make as a Real Estate Agent? The 4 Biggest Mistakes Agents Make When Working with Buyers Friday Freebie: Absentee Owner Prospect List The Big Lie: 'The House Is Not in a Flood Zone' 4 Reasons Why the End of Forbearance Will Not Lead to a Wave of Foreclosures Friday Freebie: Homebuyer Packet Template The Top 5 Reasons Real Estate Agents Get Sued Best Closing Gifts Under $100 Low Inventory Won't Last Forever. Two Reasons to Be Optimistic

Real Estate's Ben Caballero Shatters World Record With $2.46 Billion Sales Volume
Top-ranked real estate agent sold 6,438 new homes in 2020 DALLAS, May 26, 2021 -- Ben Caballero, a current Guinness World Record title holder and the No. 1-ranked real estate agent in the U.S. since 2013 by RealTrends, set a new record for home sales last year. He individually sold 6,438 homes worth more than $2.46 billion in 2020. Caballero shattered his current Guinness World Record, his second, for "The most annual home sales transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent is 5,801 and was achieved by Ben Caballero (USA) in Dallas, Texas, USA, in 2018." A new home sales expert who works directly with 60-plus builders in Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin, and San Antonio, Caballero sold 3,556 homes in 2016, earning his original recognition as a Guinness World Record title holder, the first record of its kind for a real estate agent. The verified data for his individual sales came from the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems, Houston Association of REALTORS, San Antonio Board of REALTORS, and the Austin Board of REALTORS Multiple Listing Services. Caballero is the only individual real estate agent to repeatedly surpass the total annual production of the highest-ranked real estate teams, both in total sales transactions and total transaction volume. If he were a brokerage, his sales volume would place him among the top 125 largest U.S brokerages in the RealTrends 500 list. New sales record for Dallas-Ft. Worth Last year also marked a record sales year for Caballero in Dallas-Ft. Worth, the headquarters of his firm, HomesUSA.com. He sold 4,282 homes worth $1.655 billion in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market, smashing last year's sales record of 3,496 homes worth $1.384 billion. Caballero also is the only real estate agent in the world to exceed $2 billion in annual home sales and he did it three times: 2020 with $2.46 billion, 2019 with $2.25 billion, and 2018 with $2.27 billion. "As a Texan, I am proud to live and work in the world's greatest and most resilient housing market and home to one of the strongest economies in the world," Caballero said. "Looking at the market today, this record is going to stand for some time. What's most incredible is I get to do something I love every day and get paid for it. I built homes or 18 years and truly enjoy working with builders." Between 2004 and 2020, Caballero was responsible for 42,265 new home sales totaling $15.6 billion in volume. According to the World Bank, his sales volume is higher than the annual Gross Domestic Product of more than 70 countries. To put Caballero's accomplishments for last year in perspective, he averaged more than 120 new home sales a week or 17 new homes a day, or a pace of more than two home sales every business hour. Caballero attributes the ability to maintain his massive volume to technology that powers the HomesUSA.com platform, which he invented and uses to manage and market property listings on local Multiple Listing Services for his builder clients. Caballero plans to formally apply for a third Guinness World Record title for "Most annual home sales transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent." About Ben Caballero and HomesUSA.com® Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com, holds the current Guinness World Record title for "Most annual home sale transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent." Ranked by RealTrends as America's top real estate agent for home sales since 2013, Ben is the most productive real estate agent in U.S. history. He is the first real estate agent to exceed $1 billion in residential sales transactions in a single year. He is also the first real estate agent to exceed $2 billion in annual sales, which he accomplished the last three years straight. An award-winning innovator and technology pioneer, Ben works with more than 60 home builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. His podcast series is available on iTunes and Google Podcasts. Learn more at HomesUSA.com |Twitter: @bcaballero - @HomesUSA | Facebook: /HomesUSAdotcom.

RE Technology's Top 10 Articles of 2020
Over the past 10 days, we've been counting down our top 10 articles of the year. These articles are an exclusive breed--at RE Technology, we publish over 1,000 articles each year. So which types of articles were among the 1 percent that made it into our top 10? This year's list, unsurprisingly, was dominated by COVID-19 related articles. In fact, our number one article—by a longshot—was a post announcing that real estate was now considered an essential service. The flood of traffic we got from that article underlines the sense of relief that real estate professionals felt when they were able to keep working. 2020 wasn't all coronavirus doom and gloom, however. Our second most-read article was a lighthearted look at real estate memes. Gratitude also featured largely, with articles on thank you notes (#4) and closing gifts (#8) rounding out our top 10. What else made it into this year's hall of fame? Check out the full list of our most-read articles below: [Best of 2020] Real Estate Is Now Considered an Essential Service According to U.S. Government [Best of 2020] 16 of the Best Real Estate Memes of All Time [Best of 2020] Friday Freebie: Download a COVID-19 Postcard and Reach Out to Your Sphere [Best of 2020] 10 Thank You Notes That Will Generate Business [Best of 2020] Are You Unknowingly Encouraging Sellers to List as FSBOs? [Best of 2020] How to Prevent Coronavirus by Cleaning Your Smartphone and Computer TODAY! [Best of 2020] 5 Social Media Habits Agents Should Leave Behind in 2020 [Best of 2020] 8 Real Estate Closing Gifts That Return Your Investment [Best of 2020] 5 Real Estate Apps that Will 'Wow' You and Your Clients [Best of 2020] 6 Apps to Help You Take Better Listing Photos

Top-ranked US real estate agent Ben Caballero tops $2 billion volume - again
Nearly 4,000 new homes sales in Dallas-Ft. Worth alone last year sets new record DALLAS, TX (May 11, 2019) -- Ben Caballero, a current Guinness World Record title holder and No. 1-ranked real estate agent in the U.S., set a new record for home sales in Dallas-Ft. Worth last year. Caballero sold 3,982 new homes in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market worth more than $1.569 billion in 2019. Caballero broke the previous record, which he set in 2018, when he sold 3,496 new homes in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area worth $1.384 billion. The verified sales data come from the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems, Houston Association of REALTORS, San Antonio Board of REALTORS, and the Austin Board of REALTORS Multiple Listing Services. 2019 marked Caballero's second-biggest sales year overall ever, as he sold 5,778 new homes worth $2.249 billion in the four biggest new home construction markets in Texas. In 2018, Caballero sold a record of 5,793 new homes totaling $2.271 billion in a single year. He is the only real estate agent ever to exceed $2 billion in annual home sales, a feat he has now accomplished twice. Caballero, CEO and owner of HomesUSA.com, was the sole listing agent on every transaction and selling only new homes as he represents 60-plus builders in Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. "Everything is bigger in Texas," said Caballero, adding "Texas is home to the world's greatest and most resilient housing market and is one of the strongest economies globally. Achieving this record volume in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area I call home gives me enormous satisfaction and pride. I also feel blessed being able to do something every day – helping builders – that I enjoy immeasurably." For nearly a decade, Caballero has been the top-ranked real estate agent by REAL Trends for both total sales and number of transactions. Between 2004 and 2019, Caballero was responsible for 36,827 new home sales totaling $13.141 billion in volume. That volume is higher than the annual Gross Domestic Product of 65 countries, according to the World Bank. To put Caballero's 2019 accomplishments in perspective, he averaged more than 100 new home sales a week or 15 new homes a day, or a pace of nearly two home sales every business hour. Caballero attributes the ability to maintain his massive volume to his HomesUSA.com platform, which he invented and uses to manage property listings on local Multiple Listing Services for his builder clients. Caballero is the only individual real estate agent to surpass the total production of highest ranked real estate teams on REAL Trends "The Thousand" list, as measured by total sales transactions (sides) and total transaction volume. Caballero's record sales in 2018 earned him his second Guinness World Record title. He is the past and current title holder for "Most annual home sales transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent." About Ben Caballero and HomesUSA.com® Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com, holds the current Guinness World Record title for "Most annual home sale transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent." Ranked by REAL Trends as America's top real estate agent for home sales since 2013, Ben is the most productive real estate agent in U.S. history. He is the only agent to exceed $2 billion in residential sales transactions in a single year, a feat first achieved in 2018 and last year. An award-winning innovator and technology pioneer, Ben only sells new homes, working with more than 60 home builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. His podcast series is available on iTunes and Google Play. An infographic illustrating Ben's sales production is here. Learn more at HomesUSA.com |Twitter: @bcaballero - @HomesUSA | Facebook: /HomesUSAdotcom.

HouseFax adds 'Radon Risk' data to Comprehensive Property History Reports
BOISE, Idaho, Sept. 17, 2019 -- HouseFax is helping the real estate community "know before you buy," enhancing the company's comprehensive property history reports with the addition of Radon risk data. This new information, which is not typically found on property listing websites, is helping to offer the most detailed look into the history and true condition of a home and ensure that real estate clients can make the most informed decisions about a home transaction. "Very few home buyers are aware that significant radon exposure in residential real estate is the second leading cause of lung cancer," says Dr. Chris Apfel, President and CEO of SageMedic Corporation, a noted cancer diagnostic expert and member of the National HouseCheck Board of Directors. "According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), radon is estimated to account for 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States annually. Having this information in the HouseFax report is critically important for any home buyer to ensure they are sufficiently informed of potential health risks." Radon is an odorless, colorless and radioactive gas and a byproduct of natural soil decay that can be found in low and harmless doses almost everywhere. However, at critically high doses, radon is a dangerous carcinogen that causes lung cancer. "HouseFax is a critical tool within the National HouseCheck family, providing the most detailed home data available for our clients," says Dennis Conforto, HouseCheck Chairman and CEO. "HouseCheck is built on a commitment to protect the value, health and safety of the home and those within it. Helping to identify any potential risk within a home is our obligation and this addition is a small but significant extension of that commitment." HouseCheck COO, Bill Klehm, adds, "HouseFax continues to break new ground, identifying critical information gaps and filling in the blanks for the benefit and protection of all real estate consumers." Factors that can determine the levels of Radon found within a home can include the type of structure, condition of the foundation, climate, how often windows are open, and even the type of appliances. Higher radon levels are often easily remedied with a few simple steps. However, without the data, many are unaware of their risks and level of exposure. To learn more about HouseFax Property History reports, Radon risk and other important information, please visit https://housefax.com. About HouseCheck National HouseCheck Corporation is transforming the real estate industry for home sellers, buyers and Real Estate professionals. HouseCheck is your Real Estate service, technology and data source for unmatched transparency and the most comprehensive, detailed look at the history of a home. Through its expanding family of services – HouseCheck Home Inspection, HouseFax, HouseTrack, HouseCheck Home Warranty, and more – HouseCheck delivers total protection and peace of mind for all involved in real estate transactions. Learn more about how HouseCheck is changing the way homes are bought and sold for the better at https://HouseCheck.com or by calling 844-94-CHECK (24325).

Ryan O'Hara to Depart Post at Move, Inc.
Tracey Fellows Named Acting CEO New York, NY (June 6, 2019) -- News Corp announced today that Mr. Ryan O'Hara will be departing as Chief Executive Officer of Move, Inc., effective June 18. Mr. O'Hara is taking on a new chief executive position in another industry. Ms. Tracey Fellows has been named Acting CEO of Move, operator of realtor.com®, while a search for a new chief executive is underway. Ms. Fellows will continue to serve as News Corp's President of Global Digital Real Estate and lead the development of the fastest growing sector in the company. News Corp is a global leader in digital real estate. Since the creation of the new News Corp in 2013, Digital Real Estate Services revenues have more than tripled, with the segment generating over $1.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2018. Segment EBITDA has more than doubled during that time, accounting for 37% of reported Total Segment EBITDA for News Corp in Fiscal Year 2018, which made it the largest contributor to the company's profitability. "Ryan has transformed realtor.com®, overseeing a period of remarkable growth, with revenues more than doubling during his tenure," said Robert Thomson, Chief Executive of News Corp. "Ryan and the talented team have helped realtor.com® more than triple the number of unique users since our acquisition less than five years ago, reaching an all-time record of more than 73 million in May." "I wish Ryan all the very best with his next challenge and have no doubt that Tracey will be a brilliant leader at realtor.com® while she is at the helm. Tracey's impact on our digital real estate operations has already been profoundly positive as she has brought extra verve and vision to the businesses." "I am grateful to Rupert Murdoch, Robert Thomson and News Corp for affording me the opportunity to lead five different businesses on two continents over two stints with this great company," said Mr. O'Hara. "My time at Move has been especially rewarding both professionally and personally. I am proud of the business results and the many great professionals I worked with who helped achieve them. There is no doubt that realtor.com® is smartly positioned for an even brighter future." "From the expansion of revenues, audiences and engagement, to the launch of new products and the acquisition of Opcity, Ryan and everyone at Move have done so much to put realtor.com® on a path to ever greater accomplishment in the future," said Ms. Fellows. "We wish Ryan every success in his next venture, and it will be an honor to work so closely with the great team he's assembled." In October, 2018, Move completed its acquisition of Opcity, a leading real estate technology platform that matches qualified home buyers and sellers with real estate professionals in real time. The acquisition broadens realtor.com®'s lead generation product portfolio to include Opcity's concierge-based model. Before taking on the position of President of Global Digital Real Estate in January, Ms. Fellows served as Chief Executive Officer of REA Group, where she oversaw a rapid expansion of the digital real estate business in Australia and Asia, while also leading the company's investments in India and North America. Ms. Fellows continues to serve as a director on REA Group's board. REA Group, in which News Corp owns a 61.6% interest, has a 20% stake in Move. Mr. O'Hara became CEO of Move in January, 2015. Earlier in his career, he worked in several News Corporation businesses. News Corp acquired Move in November, 2014. About News Corp News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content. The company comprises businesses across a range of media, including: news and information services, subscription video services in Australia, book publishing, and digital real estate services. Headquartered in New York, News Corp operates primarily in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and its content is distributed and consumed worldwide. More information is available at: http://www.newscorp.com

NAR Helps Secure FEMA Reversal on New Flood Policies During Shutdown
WASHINGTON (December 28, 2018) – In a critical win for home sales while the partial shutdown of the federal government is ongoing, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will issue and renew flood insurance policies, reversing an unexpected and controversial ruling the agency released earlier this week. "FEMA and the Administration deserve credit for hearing our concerns and acting swiftly to address them," says NAR President John Smaby. "This new decision means thousands of home sale transactions in communities across the country can go forward without interruption, as Congress intended when it renewed the flood insurance program earlier this week. Our research has shown that 40,000 home sales are lost every month that flood insurance is not available." Congress on Dec. 21 passed legislation that extends the National Flood Insurance Program until May 31, 2019. In an unexpected policy decision, though, FEMA on Dec. 26 said it couldn't allow insurers to issue and renew federal policies while the partial government shutdown was ongoing. That ruling was unexpected because in past government shutdowns, FEMA continued to operate the program as authorized. NAR, along with other organizations, including the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, urged policy makers to reevaluate the decision. Congress expressed concern as well. "We thank the Administration and Congress for stepping up so quickly to ensure the smooth continuation of flood insurance at a time when market disruption would be extremely hard-felt," says Shannon McGahn, NAR senior vice president of government affairs.

RealBiz Media Group Announces Spin-Off Plans for NestBuilder Real Estate Division
Gaithersburg, MD, July 02, 2018 -- RealBiz Media Group, Inc. (RBIZ) has set new dates and provisions for the spin-off of the NestBuilder Real Estate Division. Shareholders of record as of July 2, 2018 will now be eligible to receive shares in NestBuilder, with the distribution date on July 12, 2018 (pending FINRA approval). In addition, the new conversion ratio will be 900 RBIZ shares for each (1) share of NestBuilder. As a result of this revised date, a greater number of shareholders will be eligible to participate in the spin-off. Subsequent to the spin-off, RealBiz will file with the SEC for a name change to "Verus Foods, Inc." along with a symbol change (to be determined). Shareholders will see these changes reflected in their account statements and are not required to take any action. While the spin-off will become effective July 12, 2018 (pending FINRA approval), the name and symbol change will be filed separately. "This brings us one step closer to complete autonomy with our own name and identity," said Verus CEO Anshu Bhatnagar. "This is more than just a symbolic move, as the two divisions' financials will become separate, simplifying our quarterly financials and reducing the ongoing legal and accounting expenses that have accompanied this long process. Just as importantly, the name change will remove some of the confusion among lenders, customers, and shareholders concerning the nature of our business." About RealBiz Media Group, Inc. RealBiz Media Group, Inc. consists of two business segments: an international food subsidiary (Verus Foods) that sells products to customers worldwide; and a real estate digital media and technology company. RealBiz Media Group, Inc. (OTC: RBIZ) trades on the OTC.

Ben Caballero Sets a New World Record With $1.9 Billion in Home Sales
Guinness World Record Holder Smashes His Own Record, Sells Over 4,700 Homes in 2017 DALLAS, June 11, 2018 -- Guinness World Record holder Ben Caballero of HomesUSA.com in Addison, Texas, set a new world record for home sales in a single year. Caballero sold more than 4,700 homes worth in excess of $1.9 billion in 2017, smashing the world record he set in 2016. Caballero sold 4,799 homes last year totaling $1.906 billion in the state of Texas. In 2016, he sold 3,556 homes totaling $1.444 billion. It was his 2016 production that recently landed him the title of real estate's first Guinness World Record holder. Caballero lists homes for more than 60 builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. As published in The Wall Street Journal, and independently confirmed by REAL Trends, Ben Caballero is the top-ranked real estate professional in the U.S. in both total number of home sales and total annual dollar volume. To put Caballero's 2017 numbers in perspective, he sold an average of 92 homes a week – more than one dozen homes per day, every day of the year. That's more than one-and-a-half home sales every business hour. "Texas is my not-so-secret sauce," said Caballero. "It's the nation's most vibrant home-building market, with Dallas-Fort Worth being the highest-ranked market for builders in the country. When one factors Houston's recovering from Hurricane Harvey, Austin's continuing its burgeoning pace and the unique qualities that make San Antonio attractive, Texas continues to prove itself a winner for home builders." He added, "Because these markets have remained strong and stable in 2018, I'm on pace this year to break my 2017 record." First Billion Dollar Agent Recently, Guinness World Records (GWR) recognized Caballero as the world's most productive real estate agent. He holds the official GWR title for "Most annual home sales transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent." Unlike most top-producing agents who work in major cities on the East and West Coasts, Caballero's home sales are all in Texas. His business serves communities throughout Austin, Houston and San Antonio as well as his hometown market of Dallas-Fort Worth. By the numbers, market-by-market Last year, Caballero was also the first individual agent ever to sell more than $1 billion in home sales within a single market. In 2017, Caballero sold 3,035 homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, with sales totaling $1,200,477,303. The average home price in Dallas-Fort Worth of homes Caballero sold was $395,544. In Houston, he sold 836 homes in 2017, with sales totaling $328,425,587. The average home price in Houston of homes Caballero sold was $392,854. In Austin, Caballero sold 733 homes, with sales totaling $304,443,584. The average home price in Austin of homes Caballero sold was $416,475. In San Antonio, he sold 165 homes, with sales totaling $66,358,873. The average home price in San Antonio of homes Caballero sold was $402,175. What is not included in Caballero's final tally are the inside sales he handled for two large volume builders. He listed and sold an additional 597 new homes for these two builders with a sale volume that totaled $213,715,517. How does Caballero do it? By using the HomesUSA.com platform he created, Caballero leverages online technology to achieve his unprecedented sales volume. Nearly all his transactions are for home builders, which is different than those of most other top-producing agents. HomesUSA.com's cloud-based listing management and marketing platform streamlines the MLS listing process and speeds up sales for home builders. Agents receive data with improved accuracy, which increases their ability to sell new homes to consumers. Faster sales increase builder profitability. About Ben Caballero and HomesUSA.com Ben Caballero is the world's most productive real estate agent, as recognized by Guinness World Records. Top-ranked in the U.S. by REAL Trends since 2013, as advertised in The Wall Street Journal, he is the only agent to exceed the $1 billion in residential sales transactions, a feat first achieved in 2015 and repeated each year since. An award-winning innovator, Caballero is the founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com® Inc., working with more than 60 home builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Learn more at HomesUSA.com.

Real Estate Agent Ben Caballero Named Guinness World Record Holder
DENVER, May 16, 2018 -- America's number one ranked real estate agent, Ben Caballero of Addison, Texas, just became the number one real estate agent in the world, according to Guinness World Records. At the REAL Trends "Gathering of Eagles" conference in Denver today, Caballero was recognized as the first real estate agent ever to be recognized by Guinness World Records (GWR) for home sales, for having sold 3,556 verified homes in a single year. "Being named a Guinness World Record holder is truly the highlight of my professional career," said Ben Caballero, who continues year-after-year to exceed his own record-setting home sales performance. "It's incredible that, until now, no real estate agent has ever been recognized for setting a world record for home sales. I am honored" he said. The record – listed on the Guinness website – reads: "Most annual home sales transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent" The most annual home sales transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent in a single year is 3,556 and was achieved by Ben Caballero (USA) in Dallas, Texas, in 2016. The research was conducted by REAL Trends, based on annual home sale transactions from the year ending 2016. MLS stands for multiple listing services." A sell-side real estate agent is defined as the listing agent. Record-breaking firsts In 2016, the most recent year all transaction data was available from REAL Trends, Caballero sold 3,556 homes, which was seven times more homes than his closest competitor (467 homes). His home sales that year totaled a new individual real estate agent sales record of $1.444 billion, breaking Caballero's previous record of $1.022 billion; set in 2015 for 2,491 sales when he became the world's first "Billion Dollar Real Estate Agent." "For years, our rankings have recognized the accomplishments of thousands of real estate professionals, but no one came close to achieving what Ben has," said Steve Murray, president of REAL Trends. "Recognition of Ben's achievements by Guinness World Records is truly amazing," he added. REAL Trends ranks the top sales professionals in the United States by transaction sides and sales volume. Caballero has appeared at the top of both REAL Trends "The Thousand" lists for both Individuals by Transaction Sides and Individuals by Sales Volume for since 2013. This ranking is published midyear, annually in The Wall Street Journal and requires independent third-party verification. How Caballero does it Caballero does not cater to Wall Street titans of Manhattan or housewives of Beverly Hills. He is the broker/owner of HomesUSA.com, based in Addison, Texas, and specializes in new homes sales (even non-Texans) for 65 builders in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Caballero invented the HomesUSA.com platform, an innovative online technology for builders that allows him to achieve these remarkable numbers. "Ben is a customer service specialist," said Chris Hartley, VP of Sales and Marketing with Dunhill Homes, a leading homebuilder based in Dallas. "His unique contributions to our Realtor sales and marketing efforts are a tremendous asset to the company. Dunhill Homes is honored to be a part of this historic Guinness World Record!" HomesUSA.com's cloud-based MLS listing management and marketing platform deliver many direct and indirect benefits to builders by streamlining and speeding up many important activities for homebuilders. Builders can quickly provide accurate data, dramatically increasing their credibility in the marketplace. Billions in sales From 2010 to 2016, Caballero's total home sales volume totaled $7.2 billion. To put his 2016 new home sales numbers in perspective, Caballero sold an average of more than 68 homes per week; nearly 10 homes/ day, every day of the week -or more than one-and-a-half sales every business hour. Caballero was a builder for 18 years and became a real estate agent at the age of 21. He developed his online platform in 2007. Builders interested in learning about Caballero's services can contact HomesUSA.com directly at (800) 856-2132 x300 or email [email protected]. About Guinness World Records GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS (GWR) is the global authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the iconic annual Guinness World Records books have sold over 138 million copies in over 20 languages and in more than 100 countries. Additionally, the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition, first published in 2007, has sold more than 5 million copies to date. Guinness World Records' worldwide television programs reach over 750 million viewers annually and more than one million people subscribe to the GWR YouTube channel, which enjoys more than 300 million views per year. The GWR website receives 21 million visitors annually, and over 12 million fans on Facebook. About Ben Caballero and HomesUSA.com Ben Caballero is the world's most productive real estate agent, ranked No. 1 in America for the since 2013, according to REAL Trends as published in the Wall Street Journal. He is the first and only agent in U.S. history ever to exceed the $1 billion mark for residential sales transaction volume in a single year, accomplished in both 2015 and 2016. An award-winning innovator, Caballero is the founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com®, Inc., working with more than 65 home builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Learn more at HomesUSA.com.

ATTOM Data Solutions Acquires Onboard Informatics, Adding Best-In-Class Nationwide Neighborhood Data
New Data Features Neighborhood Boundaries, Schools, Crime, Amenities, Commuter Times; Combined with ATTOM Tax, Deed, Mortgage & Foreclosure Records in One-Stop Data Shop IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2018 -- ATTOM Data Solutions, curator of the nation's premier property database, today announced it has acquired Onboard Informatics, the leading provider of neighborhood data and data-enabled turnkey products to the real estate industry. "Onboard has a long and accomplished track record as an innovator in enhancing and democratizing neighborhood data assets, paralleling our own mission of powering real estate transparency," said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM Data Solutions. "This acquisition will benefit existing customers of both companies — and the entire marketplace — by providing complementary datasets in a one-stop data shop." Onboard's neighborhood data is being integrated into the ATTOM Data Warehouse, which blends property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties. A persistent, unique ID assigned to every property record in the ATTOM Data Warehouse — the ATTOM ID — will be used to link the new Onboard neighborhood data with all other datasets, and the combined data will be available through ATTOM's flexible delivery solutions, including bulk file license, APIs and customized reports. "This acquisition by ATTOM will enable Onboard's customers to conveniently access robust tax, deed and mortgage data, that, when combined with Onboard's neighborhood data, completes the full property data picture needed to improve decision-making, increase lead generation and grow revenue," said Marc Siden, CEO and Co-founder of Onboard Informatics. Founded 15 years ago, Onboard Informatics fuels sales and feeds decision-making for some of the largest U.S. brands, including Century 21, Coldwell Banker and Weichert. Its data products include area data (neighborhood, metro and residential boundaries along with school attendance zones), point of interest data (restaurants, banks, shopping and more), and community data (crime, population, education, weather and commuter times). "Not only will our customers now be able to access a broader set of property-related data from one vendor, they'll also have more flexible options for consuming that data through the various ATTOM data delivery solutions including the ability to consume neighborhood data as bulk files," said Jonathan Bednarsh, president and co-founder of Onboard Informatics. About ATTOM Data Solutions ATTOM Data Solutions blends property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties multi-sourced from more than 3,000 U.S. counties. A rigorous data management process involving more than 20 steps validates, standardizes and enhances the data collected by ATTOM, assigning each property record with a persistent, unique ID — the ATTOM ID. With more than 29.6 billion rows of transactional-level data and more than 7,200 discrete data attributes, the 9TB ATTOM data warehouse powers real estate transparency for innovators, entrepreneurs, disrupters, developers, marketers, policymakers, and analysts through flexible delivery solutions, including bulk file licenses, APIs and customized reports. About Onboard Informatics Onboard Informatics helps clients increase sales by engaging customers with local content. Since 2001, top real estate, media, financial and technology companies have used the intelligent local information aggregated by Onboard to improve their business, enhance their websites, build better applications, and engage their customers. Businesses from nearly every sector with a need for quality, consolidated, intelligent local information turn to Onboard.

Constellation Software Real Estate Group Acquires Real Estate Digital LLC from Xome Holdings LLC
The acquisition further expands CSRE's market present in the real estate industry, now providing sales, marketing, and transaction solutions for over half a million agents, brokerages, and franchises across U.S. and Canada. BELLEVUE, WASH. (FEBRUARY 01, 2018) - Constellation Software Real Estate Group (CSRE), a leading provider of scalable SaaS products in the real estate industry, announced today that it has acquired Real Estate Digital from Xome Holdings LLC, excluding its reDataVault product of which Xome will retain ownership. Real Estate Digital, an integrated technology provider of real estate business management and marketing software, provides solutions for franchises, brokers, agents and Multiple Listing Services. The acquisition further expands CSRE's market presence in the real estate industry, now providing sales, marketing, and transaction solutions for over half of a million real estate agents, brokerages, and franchises across the U.S. and Canada. The purchase of Real Estate Digital fits into CSRE's strategy of investing in proven vertical market software solutions with a focus on strong products and long-term customer relationships. "Real Estate Digital is a great fit within our portfolio of real estate software and marketing offerings," states Scott Smith, President of Constellation Software Real Estate Group. "They have a demonstrated commitment to their customers through products and service and have a proven track record in delivering for their clients. As we continue to grow our real estate software portfolio and focus on more long-term customer relationships, we're excited to welcome Real Estate Digital to the Constellation Software Real Estate Group." "Constellation has a proven history of supporting and growing its many software companies, and the Real Estate Digital team looks forward to leveraging that experience to increase service levels to our customers," said Rich Lull, General Manager of Real Estate Digital. "We see this as an opportunity to refine our focus on our business of helping real estate franchises, brokers, agents, MLSs and the consumers they touch." Following the purchase of the Relocation Specialist (ReloSpec) business in November 2017, the purchase of Real Estate Digital marks CSRE's second acquisition in the past six months. Real Estate Digital brings some of the industry's largest enterprises to the CSRE family; serving hundreds of brokers, over 200,000 agents, and touches millions of consumers every month. About Constellation Software Real Estate Group Constellation Software Real Estate Group acquires and invests in real estate software brands that are committed to providing long-term solutions and partnerships with franchises, brokers, agents, MLSs, and associations. Today, CSRE provides a suite of market-leading technology solutions designed specifically for the real estate industry through its brands: Market Leader, Constellation Web Solutions, Sharper Agent, Zurple, Z57, Diverse Solutions, Birdview, ReloSpec, and now Real Estate Digital. Over half of a million real estate agents, teams, and brokerages across North America rely on CSRE's products and services to power, manage, and grow their businesses. http://csiregroup.com About Real Estate Digital Real Estate Digital, based out of Aliso Viejo, CA, is a provider of integrated technology, media, and data solutions for real estate franchisors, brokerages, agents and MLS associations. Real Estate Digital products improve profitability, increase efficiency, and manage risk at every stage of the sales cycle, specializing in transaction and data management, customer relationship management, and website solutions. https://realestatedigital.com v

Redfin Real Estate Agents Earned More than Double that of Traditional Agents in 2017
Redfin Agents Also Received Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits, Paid Time Off, Parental Leave and Growth Opportunities SEATTLE, Jan. 25, 2018 -- Redfin, the next-generation real estate brokerage, today issued a report detailing how much its real estate agents earn compared to the rest of the real estate industry, and compared to other professions. The report also outlines the other benefits of working at the company, including comprehensive benefits and opportunities for advancement. Redfin agents also share the mission of all company employees--to redefine real estate in the consumer's favor. "The only way to deliver the best service is to employ the best agents," said Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman. "At every Redfin board meeting, the first issue we address is what Redfin is doing to be the best employer in real estate. Every year we try to get better, through investments in technology, support staff and culture, but also by paying people well." The report finds that Redfin agents who worked nine months or more in 2017 earned a median income of $90,166, including salary, bonuses and stock-based compensation. This is compared to $43,625 for traditional real estate agents who closed between three and 150 deals in 2017, in the same markets Redfin serves. Redfin agents in the 85th percentile earned a median income of $153,017, compared to a median of $119,986 for the 85th percentile of traditional agents in the same markets. In addition, Redfin pays an average of just under $20,000 per agent per year on benefits and other expenses. Traditional real estate agents pay for all of this out of their own pockets, as well as self-employment taxes. *Includes Redfin agents who worked at least nine months between January and December 2017, and traditional agents who closed between three and 150 transactions during the same time period. The report also includes details about the work experience at Redfin and examples of how people have built their careers at the company. For example, Redfin agents work directly with software developers to create tools and technology that make their jobs easier and more efficient. Redfin agents are also supported by professional teams within the company that field customer inquiries, coordinate logistics and manage paperwork of a sale. To read the full report, which also shows how Redfin-agent pay compares to other professions, and the education levels of Redfin agents, click here. About Redfin Redfin is the next-generation real estate brokerage, combining its own full-service agents with modern technology to redefine real estate in the consumer's favor. Founded by software engineers, Redfin has the country's #1 brokerage website and offers a host of online tools to consumers, including the Redfin Estimate, the automated home-value estimate with the industry's lowest published error rate for listed homes. Homebuyers and sellers enjoy a full-service, technology-powered experience from Redfin real estate agents, while saving thousands in commissions. Redfin serves more than 80 major metro areas across the U.S. The company has closed more than $50 billion in home sales.

Realogy Makes Key Organizational Changes
Realogy Enters 2018 Focused on Transforming the Company MADISON, N.J., Jan. 5, 2018 -- Realogy Holdings Corp., the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States, today made several key organizational and executive leadership changes across its business units. "We begin 2018 with an industry-leading market position, great brands, and technology/data scale," said Ryan Schneider, Realogy's Chief Executive Officer and President. "The organizational changes we are making today are designed to accelerate our transformation and position our company for stronger business performance."Schneider continued: "Our immediate focus is on the highest points of leverage within the company to drive better business results, develop talent and operate the company on a more integrated basis. We expect to drive our business forward and enhance shareholder value with an aggressive strategy serving and supporting agents, increasingly leveraging technology and data, and utilizing the power of our great brands." Toward those objectives, the Company has made the following organizational changes: Ryan Gorman was named President and Chief Executive Officer of NRT LLC, and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of NRT's company-owned brokerages doing business under the Coldwell Banker® brand. Gorman has served as Chief Strategy & Operating Officer of NRT for the past 16 months and as its Senior Vice President, Strategic Operations for the previous four years. Bruce Zipf, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of NRT, has transitioned to the role of Executive Advisor to Realogy's CEO. John Peyton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Realogy Franchise Group, the Company's real estate franchise services segment, will expand his responsibilities to include oversight of two NRT businesses: the Corcoran® businesses and the company-owned Sotheby's International Realty® brokerages. Realogy expects to announce the appointment of an Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer in the next week, replacing Stephen Fraser, who previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Realogy has launched a search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer of Cartus Corporation, the Company's relocation and affinity services segment. Kevin Kelleher, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Cartus, has transitioned to the role of Executive Advisor to Realogy's CEO. Scott Becker, who currently leads Cartus' affinity business, will serve as the interim leader for Cartus. "I am incredibly confident Ryan Gorman and John Peyton are well-positioned to assume expanded leadership roles," said Schneider. "In addition, I am equally excited about the leadership our new Chief Technology Officer will bring to Realogy." "Bruce Zipf and Kevin Kelleher helped build NRT and Cartus into the companies they are today," added Schneider. "We thank them for their decades of leadership within our company. Likewise, we thank Stephen Fraser for strengthening our information technology resources and infrastructure over the past three years." Schneider concluded: "The intent of these organizational changes is to drive better results while accelerating the pace of change required to transform our company. We are moving forward quickly." About Realogy Holdings Corp. Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a leading provider of residential real estate services that is focused on empowering independent sales agents to best serve today's consumers. Realogy delivers its services through its well-known industry brands including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, Corcoran®, ERA®, Sotheby's International Realty® as well as NRT, Cartus, Title Resource Group and ZapLabsSM, an in-house innovation and technology development lab. Realogy's fully integrated business model includes brokerage, franchising, relocation, mortgage and, title and settlement services. Realogy provides independent sales agents access to leading technology, best-in-class marketing and learning programs, and support services to help them become more productive and build stronger businesses. Realogy's affiliated brokerages operate around the world with approximately 192,600 independent sales agents in the United States and approximately 94,000 independent sales agents in more than 100 other countries and territories. Realogy is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey. Realogy Enters 2018 Focused on Transforming the Company MADISON, N.J., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States, today made several key organizational and executive leadership changes across its business units. "We begin 2018 with an industry-leading market position, great brands, and technology/data scale," said Ryan Schneider, Realogy's Chief Executive Officer and President. "The organizational changes we are making today are designed to accelerate our transformation and position our company for stronger business performance." Schneider continued: "Our immediate focus is on the highest points of leverage within the company to drive better business results, develop talent and operate the company on a more integrated basis. We expect to drive our business forward and enhance shareholder value with an aggressive strategy serving and supporting agents, increasingly leveraging technology and data, and utilizing the power of our great brands." Toward those objectives, the Company has made the following organizational changes: Ryan Gorman was named President and Chief Executive Officer of NRT LLC, and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of NRT's company-owned brokerages doing business under the Coldwell Banker® brand. Gorman has served as Chief Strategy & Operating Officer of NRT for the past 16 months and as its Senior Vice President, Strategic Operations for the previous four years. Bruce Zipf, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of NRT, has transitioned to the role of Executive Advisor to Realogy's CEO. John Peyton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Realogy Franchise Group, the Company's real estate franchise services segment, will expand his responsibilities to include oversight of two NRT businesses: the Corcoran® businesses and the company-owned Sotheby's International Realty® brokerages. Realogy expects to announce the appointment of an Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer in the next week, replacing Stephen Fraser, who previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Realogy has launched a search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer of Cartus Corporation, the Company's relocation and affinity services segment. Kevin Kelleher, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Cartus, has transitioned to the role of Executive Advisor to Realogy's CEO. Scott Becker, who currently leads Cartus' affinity business, will serve as the interim leader for Cartus. "I am incredibly confident Ryan Gorman and John Peyton are well-positioned to assume expanded leadership roles," said Schneider. "In addition, I am equally excited about the leadership our new Chief Technology Officer will bring to Realogy." "Bruce Zipf and Kevin Kelleher helped build NRT and Cartus into the companies they are today," added Schneider. "We thank them for their decades of leadership within our company. Likewise, we thank Stephen Fraser for strengthening our information technology resources and infrastructure over the past three years." Schneider concluded: "The intent of these organizational changes is to drive better results while accelerating the pace of change required to transform our company. We are moving forward quickly." About Realogy Holdings Corp.Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a leading provider of residential real estate services that is focused on empowering independent sales agents to best serve today's consumers. Realogy delivers its services through its well-known industry brands including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, Corcoran®, ERA®, Sotheby's International Realty® as well as NRT, Cartus, Title Resource Group and ZapLabsSM, an in-house innovation and technology development lab. Realogy's fully integrated business model includes brokerage, franchising, relocation, mortgage and, title and settlement services. Realogy provides independent sales agents access to leading technology, best-in-class marketing and learning programs, and support services to help them become more productive and build stronger businesses. Realogy's affiliated brokerages operate around the world with approximately 192,600 independent sales agents in the United States and approximately 94,000 independent sales agents in more than 100 other countries and territories. Realogy is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey.

eXp Realty Surpasses 6,000 Real Estate Agents Across North America
Now Largest Residential Real Estate Brokerage by Geography in U.S. BELLINGHAM, WASH. — Dec. 5, 2017 — eXp Realty, LLC, the agent-owned cloud brokerageⓇ and a subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc., today announced that the company surpassed 6,000 real estate agents across North America. This important company milestone represents 172 percent growth from the same time last year. Since the beginning of the year, the number of agents who joined the eXp Realty family more than doubled. During November, the company launched two additional markets — Mississippi and North Dakota, making eXp Realty the largest residential real estate brokerage by geography in the United States. "This has been an outstanding year so far for eXp Realty. We reported three quarters of record revenue growth, more than doubled our agent count and expanded to cover 45 U.S. states, which catapulted us to the single largest residential real estate brokerage by geography in the United States," said Glenn Sanford, eXp World Holdings CEO, chairman and founder. "None of these achievements would be possible without our fantastic agents, brokers and staff who share their enthusiasm about this great company every day." With a focus on innovation, eXp Realty is changing the way that agents, brokers and consumers work together. eXp Realty's virtual office environment, compared to the traditional real estate office, allows agents to collaborate and learn together — no matter where they might be located. The company's family of agents build their own businesses while having the opportunity to also establish a direct ownership in the company. About eXp Realty eXp Realty, LLC, the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage®, is a subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI). eXp Realty (exprealty.com) is changing the way that agents, brokers and consumers work together in an adaptive, sustainable environment. It is an agent-designed and agent-owned company. As the leading, international, cloud-based real estate brokerage, eXp Realty provides 24/7 access to collaborative tools, training and socialization for real estate brokers and agents through its virtual campus environment. It is one of the fastest growing real estate brokerage firms in North America with more than 6,000 agents in 45 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the provinces of Alberta and Ontario, Canada. As a publicly traded company, eXp World Holdings, Inc. uniquely offers real estate professionals within its ranks opportunities to earn company stock for production and contributions to overall company growth. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.eXpRealty.com.

With National Flood Insurance Program Expiring Soon, Realtors® Sound the Alarm
WASHINGTON (September 5, 2017) – The National Flood Insurance Program is now less than one month away from expiration, raising concerns that homeowners, consumers, and commercial property owners could soon find themselves either unprotected or unable to get a mortgage. In July, the National Association of Realtors® announced it had reached an agreement with the U.S. House Financial Services Committee on key legislation to reauthorize and reform the NFIP with important modifications to retain grandfathering and reduce rate increases. The move offered hope that reauthorization could win swift approval, but with less than a month left before the program expires, real estate professionals say time is running short. NAR President William E. Brown, a second-generation Realtor® from Alamo, California and founder of Investment Properties, believes that Congress needs to take swift action on a short-term extension of the program so they can continue work on the 21st Century Flood Reform Act. He issued the following statement: "The country has been here before, and we know what happens if the National Flood Insurance Program expires. Homebuying activity grinds to a halt, to the tune of 40,000 lost or interrupted sales every month. Meanwhile, existing homeowners as well as commercial entities may find their largest asset unprotected if the Federal Emergency Management Administration can't renew NFIP policies that expire. "Consumers and homeowners alike deserve certainty. With Congress returning from August recess today, extending the NFIP to avoid a lapse should be a top priority. "Doing so will afford Congress the time necessary to finish work reforming and reauthorizing the program. The House Financial Services Committee has passed vital, long-term reauthorization legislation, which would strengthen the NFIP. These critical reforms are a long time coming, and we look forward to working with the House and Senate pass the 21st Century Flood Reform Act once the threat of a lapse has been addressed." The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Clareity Security Solutions Now Part of CoreLogic Real Estate Solutions Suite
Technology Provides Seamless Authentication Across Multiple Platforms IRVINE, Calif., August 2, 2017—CoreLogic®, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, announced today that the company has added Clareity Security software solutions to its suite of Real Estate Solutions products. This addition expands the range of CoreLogic technology services to Multiple Listing Organizations and Associations in North America as well as product offerings for brokerages and their agents. Clareity® is identified as an industry leader in secure identity and access management. Serving over eight hundred fifty thousand real estate professionals daily delivering over two hundred fifty application and service integrations. Clareity's flagship product, SAFEMLS®, has been serving multiple listing organizations for a dozen years and its popular, custom-branded dashboard platforms serve hundreds of multiple listing organizations, associations, and brokerages across North America and will now do so using the CoreLogic solutions. All Clareity products and services are now part of CoreLogic, including their software solutions for secure authentication; single-sign-on (SSO); integration and workflow automations; secure messaging and communication; content management and business intelligence. "The Real Estate industry is full of visionary tech companies driving all of us forward," said Chris Bennett, executive leader of Real Estate Solutions for CoreLogic. "Every day, a cutting-edge app or web service is introduced to agents and brokers to help them find and serve customers. The addition of Clareity solutions to the CoreLogic Real Estate Solutions suite helps tech companies deliver those innovative tools to users more transparently. We think our mutual cultures of commitment to moving our industry forward through innovation is a terrific catalyst for the benefit of our customers." Gregg Larson, founder and CEO of Clareity, who will be joining the CoreLogic executive team states, "We're thankful for our employees, customers, and integration partners for their continued trust in Clareity. We're confident that CoreLogic's dedication to customer centered innovation will help fuel the growth and enhancement of the Clareity line of solutions." About CoreLogic CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX) is a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider. The company's combined data from public, contributory and proprietary sources includes over 4.5 billion records spanning more than 50 years, providing detailed coverage of property, mortgages and other encumbrances, consumer credit, tenancy, location, hazard risk and related performance information. The markets CoreLogic serves include real estate and mortgage finance, insurance, capital markets, and the public sector. CoreLogic delivers value to clients through unique data, analytics, workflow technology, advisory and managed services. Clients rely on CoreLogic to help identify and manage growth opportunities, improve performance and mitigate risk. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., CoreLogic operates in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com.

Realtor.com® Appoints Danielle Hale as Chief Economist
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 25, 2017 -- Realtor.com®, a leading online real estate destination operated by News Corp subsidiary Move, Inc., today announced the appointment of veteran housing economist Danielle Hale as its chief economist. "We are incredibly proud to welcome Danielle to the realtor.com® family," said Nate Johnson, chief marketing officer for realtor.com®. "Danielle's in-depth housing market knowledge and research experience will help us hone and grow our research capabilities so we can leverage realtor.com®'s vast housing database to provide even more insights to homebuyers, sellers and dreamers, and professionals." As chief economist, Hale is responsible for developing and translating real estate trend data into consumer and industry insights. She also is tasked with leading a team of the industry's best analysts and economists with the goal of providing deeper and broader housing insights to people throughout the home journey. "Realtor.com®'s economics and research operation has emerged as a leading resource for valuable, actionable, and reliable housing market information," said Hale. "I look forward to working with the tremendously talented team to provide consumers and industry professionals with the tools and expertise they need to navigate the real estate world during this period of unprecedented competition and demand." Hale joins realtor.com® after nearly a decade as an economist and policy researcher at the National Association of REALTORS®. As managing director of housing research, Hale oversaw the production of closely followed housing market data, including NAR's monthly pending and existing home sales indices and quarterly home price reports. Hale previously served as manager of tax policy research, leading research projects on topics including how federal, state and local policies impact the real estate market. "Danielle possesses a rare talent for applying rigorous statistical analysis in all her work along with the ability to communicate the results to everyday people," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS®. "She will be a valuable asset to realtor.com® and for consumers." Before joining the National Association of REALTORS® as an economist in 2008, Hale spent three years at the American Enterprise Institute, where she produced research and managed its executive office's communications. Her work during that time included research contributions to Dr. Allan Meltzer's A History of the Federal Reserve, Volume II (University of Chicago Press, 2010). Hale earned a bachelor's degree in International Affairs and Economics and a master's degree in Applied Economics from Florida State University. To read a Home Made post featuring a Q&A with Danielle Hale, click here. About realtor.com® Realtor.com® is the trusted resource for home buyers, sellers and dreamers, offering the most comprehensive source of for-sale properties, among competing national sites, and the information, tools and professional expertise to help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. It pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today helps make all things home simple, efficient and enjoyable. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS®. For more information, visit realtor.com®.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Announces 26 New Members For 2017 Midyear
Global real estate community continues to see strong network growth CHICAGO – (7/17/17) – For the first half of 2017, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) continued to see expansion with the addition of 26 market-leading real estate firms in nine countries, increasing the network’s coverage to more than 565 firms across six continents with a total of over 130,000 associates. Top-performing firms were added in the Republic of Korea, Russia, Italy, Portugal, Canada, Central America and the United States. These firms were selected for membership in LeadingRE’s invitation-only real estate community based on their market leadership and commitment to quality. As members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, they have access to an international referral network that generates over 30,000 referrals annually, award-winning professional development programs, robust marketing programs, unique events and exposure to opportunities worldwide. “Our network continues to expand as we bring on noteworthy firms representing the highest levels of knowledge, sales volume, and independent spirit that characterize members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®,” said LeadingRE President and CEO Pam O’Connor. “We look forward to welcoming many of these members at our Global Symposium in Vienna September 24-26.” Companies joining from the EMEA region of Europe/Middle East/Africa include: ADVECS Real Estate Corporation, St. Petersburg, Russia; Formicola Servizi Immobiliari, Napoli, Italy; Inmobiliaria ASTEN Tenerife, SL, Tenerife, Spain; Mallorca Gold, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; One Select Properties, Almancil, Portugal; and VOC International, Amsterdam, Netherlands. In the Asia Pacific region, LeadingRE welcomed Korea Global Realty. Ltd, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Additions in the Latin and Central American region include Keys Bahamas realty Ltd, Freeport, Grand Bahamas and Costa Luxury Properties, Cancun, Mexico. New U.S. firms include: Amherst Madison Legacy Real Estate, Boise, Idaho; Bluebird Real Estate, Crested Butte, Colo.; CBSHome, Omaha, Neb.; Home Advantage Realty, Columbia S.C.; Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates, Jackson, Wyo.; Kinlin Grover Real Estate, Osterville, Mass.; Ming Tree Realtors, Eureka, Calif.; Pacific Union, San Francisco, Calif.; Page Taft Real Estate, Guilford, Conn.; Premier Homes & Properties, Kingsport, Tenn.; Ramus Realty, Pottsville, Penn.; Randall Realtors, Charlestown, R.I.; Southern Properties Agency, Fort Payne, Ala.; Strand Hill Properties, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Weichert Realtors – First Tier, Columbia, Mo.; and Woods Bro Realty Inc./HOME Real Estate, Lincoln, Neb. Joining the network from Canada is TrilliumWest Real Estate Brokerage in Guelph, Ontario. To learn more about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, visit www.LeadingRE.com. About Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a selective global community of the highest quality independent real estate companies, with over 565 companies and 130,000 sales associates in 65 countries. Network members generate over 1.1 million transactions annually, with $368 billion in home sales. LeadingRE exists to make its members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with an international referral network, professional development programs, unique events and connections to people and opportunities worldwide.

Century 21 Ranks Highest in Total Brand Awareness in Real Estate for 19th Consecutive Year
Madison, N.J. 07-13-2017 — The results are in and the CENTURY 21® brand is once again the top real estate brand for consumers, exceeding its competitors on total brand awareness for the 19th consecutive year and boasting the most established brand image, according to a recently released 2017 Millward Brown consumer survey. When presented with a list of real estate agencies, total awareness of the iconic CENTURY 21 brand was 94%, notably higher than the nearest competitor at 89%. Consumers also selected the CENTURY 21 System as the most recognized name in real estate (32%), easily besting the nearest competitor at 27%. Consumers rated trust, knowledge and effectiveness of agents, and recommendation as the most influential factors in choosing an agent or agency. "These results from a third-party global market research firm cement our status as the leading real estate brand and speak to the success of our broker franchise network in helping consumers realize the dream of homeownership," said Greg Sexton, chief operating officer, Century 21 Real Estate LLC. "We are extremely proud to once again receive this recognition, which validates our System's dynamic growth and the success of our independently owned and operated offices and their brokers and sales associates." As online communications and awareness of online real estate competitors continue to grow and offer consumers more sources and options in selecting a real estate agency, the CENTURY 21 brand has followed suit in raising brand awareness through digital and TV advertising, the survey found. The CENTURY 21 brand's "Not An App" ad connected more strongly with consumers to drive more appeal for the brand whereas "Good Luck Robots" was perceived as a more entertaining ad. The survey also found that the CENTURY 21 brand is the leader in being recognized as the official sponsor of the U.S. Soccer Team and received top recognition for advertising in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and as a national philanthropic partner of Easterseals. "This recognition comes during an exciting time as we continue to leverage our agent-centric platform, national marketing programs, proprietary online tools and key sponsorships to raise System member awareness, "added Sexton. "What we do is maximize new business opportunities in an effort to assist our System members help home buyers and sellers make informed real estate decisions that in turn instill trust and loyalty in our professionals and our brand." About the 2017 Millward Brown Demographic Ad Tracking Study The survey results are based on online interviews with 1,200 consumers with a national random sample of adults (ages 18+) who are equal decision makers in real estate transactions and active in the real estate market (bought or sold a home within the past two years or, plan to purchase or sell a home within the next two years). Brand awareness question based on a sample of 1,200 respondents. Recognition question based on consumers aware of brand. Results are significant at a 90% confidence level, with a margin of error of +/-2.4%. The study was conducted by Millward Brown, a leading global market research organization, from April 12- April 26, 2017. About Century 21 Real Estate LLC Century 21 Real Estate LLC is comprised of approximately 7,400 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 78 countries and territories worldwide with more than 111,000 independent sales professionals. Century 21 Real Estate has numerous websites to help answer specific consumer needs.

America's Favorite Home Inspector Dylan Chalk Wins National Book Award
"The Confident House Hunter" Earns Silver from National Association of Real Estate Editors Seattle, WA – July 11, 2017 – Seattle area home inspector and first-time author Dylan Chalk has won America's top contest for real estate authors, receiving the Silver Award from the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) 11th Annual Robert Buss Real Estate Book Awards for The Confident House Hunter: A Home Inspector's Tips for Finding Your Perfect House (Cedar Fort, Inc. Publishers, July 2016). The affable, story-telling Chalk, who has completed more than 6,000 home inspections, was honored during NAREE's annual conference at its Robert Bruss Real Estate Book Awards luncheon in Denver. "I believe I have written a breakthrough book that transforms the way people look at houses; it can really help people get prepared for home buying and selling in today's fast paced market," said Chalk. "Having The Confident House Hunter win a top award from the oldest and most reputable real estate journalist group in the nation – while being surrounded by the who's' who of real estate journalists – that is an affirmation of this work that is truly priceless," he added. The awards luncheon was packed with real estate journalists, including writers for the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, MarketWatch, Dallas Morning News, Newsday, Boston Globe, Houston Chronicle, Denver Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Orlando Sentinel, Atlanta Journal Constitution, US News & World Report, and many more. In awarding Chalk and The Confident House Hunter, the team of professional judges said, "Chalk used an innovative approach to evaluate and organize home systems. The judges also noted that the book offers clear and helpful advice for anyone examining a home," said NAREE President, Michelle Jarobe of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, when presenting Chalk with the Silver Award at the lunch. It is the second highest honor NAREE awards real estate authors annually. Chalk describes The Confident House Hunter as "an essential guide, especially for today's buyers searching for a home in today's intense real estate market. With high prices and short time frames to make critical decisions, this book provides detailed information on the way to look at a house and evaluate if this is the right house for you - and help you do that very quickly." Published by Cedar Fort, Inc., The Confident House Hunter is available on Amazon and available in local bookstores everywhere.

REAL Trends Announces 2017 The Thousand
DENVER, June 23, 2017 -- Today, REAL Trends Inc., in conjunction with The Wall Street Journal, published the 12th annual The Thousand list of America's top 1,000 real estate sales professionals and teams. An abridged list of the designees is published in today's edition of The Wall Street Journal and a complete listing is available online at www.realtrends.com/rankings/rt1000. REAL Trends The Thousand, as advertised in The Wall Street Journal, is an annual, national awards ranking sponsored by REAL Trends — the Trusted Source — and advertised in The Wall Street Journal. Designees are recognized as the top one-half of one percent of more than 1.25 million licensed real estate professionals nationwide. The Thousand is divided into four categories, each listing the top 250 designees: Individual Agent — Sales Volume; Individual Agent — Transaction Sides; Agent Team — Sales Volume and Agent Team — Transaction Sides. For the second year, REAL Trends has provided an additional ranking of the top 50 by average sales price for both individual agents and agent teams. These two categories offer an additional way to look at some of the top real estate professionals across the United States. "The real estate sales professionals ranked in The Thousand have proven that they have the skills to grow their businesses year after year," said Steve Murray, president of REAL Trends and publisher of The Thousand. "The average U.S. real estate professional sold 8.6 homes in 2016. The average agent ranked in The Thousand sold 192 homes and the average team sold over 470 homes. These kinds of results show that those who commit to being full-time professionals can build meaningful businesses and succeed beyond expectations. Achieving this level of results is simply incredible." The top five designees in each category of the 2017 REAL Trends The Thousand are: Individual Agent—Sales Volume Ben Caballero, HomesUSA.com, Inc., Addison, Texas Efi Luzon, Intero Real Estate Services, Los Altos, Calif. Alexa Lambert, Stribling & Associates, New York, N.Y. Erin Aries, Brown Harris Stevens, New York, N.Y. Mauricio Umansky, The Agency, Beverly Hills, Calif. Individual Agent—Transaction Sides Ben Caballero, HomesUSA, Inc., Addison, Texas Brian Bair, Bair Group/Liberty Properties, Gilbert, Ariz. Amy Wienands, Amy Wienands Real Estate, Waterloo, Iowa Monica Breckenridge, Pink Realty, Colorado Springs, Colo. Larry Magguilli, Hunt Real Estate ERA, Rochester, N.Y. Individual Agent—Average Sales Price Adam Kessner, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty, White Plains, N.Y. Ann Dashiell, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Beverly Hills, Calif. Nancy Chan, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Pasadena, Calif. Becky Lee, Realogics Sotheby's International Realty, Kirkland, Wash. Jeremy Hu, Compass, New York, N.Y. Agent Team—Sales Volume The Creig Northrop Team, Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Clarksville, Md. The DeLeon Team, DeLeon Realty, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif. The Eklund Gomes Team, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, New York, N.Y. Halton Pardee + Partners, Inc., Halton Pardee + Partners, Inc., Venice, Calif. Ryan Serhant, Nest Seekers International, New York, N.Y. Agent Team—Transaction Sides Rhonda Duffy, Duffy Realty of Atlanta, Alpharetta, Ga. Mark Spain Real Estate, Mark Spain Real Estate, Alpharetta, Ga. The Creig Northrop Team, Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Clarksville, Md. Ryan O'Neill & The Minnesota Real Estate Team, RE/MAX Advantage Plus, Lakeville, Minn. Lucido Agency, Keller Williams Realty, Ellicott City, Md. Agent Team—Average Sales Price Samira Gores, Tiffany Martin & Christine Martin, The Agency, Beverly Hills, Calif. Petrie Team, Compass, East Hampton, N.Y. Zachary and Cody Vichinsky, Bespoke Real Estate, Water Mill, N.Y. Mary and Brent Gullixson, Alain Pinel Realtors, Menlo Park, Calif. Katherine Gauthier Team, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, New York, N.Y. "In total, this year's professionals in The Thousand closed 167,688 sides and sold more than $79 billion in 2016 — a new record for sales volume with a 9 percent increase over last year," said Murray. "It is incredible to consider that 1,000 sales professionals and teams could accomplish so much." METHODOLOGY REAL Trends The Thousand awards program was developed jointly by WSJ. Custom Studios and REAL Trends, a leading source of analysis and information for the residential real estate brokerage industry. The Thousand honors America's finest real estate professionals and their companies and is compiled and analyzed by REAL Trends. Rankings are compiled based on surveys from virtually every national branded network, state and local associations of Realtors®, multiple listing services, all applicants from past years' rankings, and the 900 largest brokerage firms in the United States. Verification from an independent source is required for all submissions. In addition, REAL Trends senior staff reviews every submission for completeness and accuracy. ABOUT REAL TRENDS REAL Trends has been The Trusted Source of news, analysis and information on the residential brokerage industry since 1987. The privately held publishing, consulting and communications company is based in Castle Rock, Colorado. Residential real estate leaders look to REAL Trends for timely and trusted information and analysis through its monthly newsletter, news updates, conferences and publications. In addition to creating research studies, REAL Trends is a leading provider of high-level business consulting services to the residential real estate industry. The firm provides a wide range of advisory services to local, regional and national real estate organizations. Areas of expertise include operational analysis, valuations, merger and acquisition advisory services, consumer and business research and strategic planning. For more information, visit www.realtrends.com or call 303-741-1000.

Moderne Passport Announces Spring 2017 Class
Moderne Ventures™ announced the admission of nine new companies into the latest class of its Moderne Passport™ program. The class was selected from a pool of more than 200 applicants based on their potential to impact the residential and multi-family spaces. CHICAGO, IL (JUNE 15, 2017) - Moderne Ventures™ announced the admission of nine new companies into the latest class of its Moderne Passport™ program. The class was selected from a pool of more than 200 applicants based on their potential to impact the residential and multi-family spaces. The companies in the Moderne Passport™ Spring 2017 class are: abode: The single platform for a truly connected and protected smart home Agentology: Lead engagement service that qualifies and refers leads 24/7 Baroo: Premium pet concierge for building owners, property managers, and their tenants CubiCasa: Digitally optimized 2D floor plans and 3D models for any property from any source Hello Alfred: Changing the way we live with a service that gives us back something we all need more of: time HelloTech: The most efficient, cost effective on-demand and in-home technology support service Hippo Insurance: Finally, home insurance done right. Smarter coverage, better prices, delivered instantly online. Homebot: The dynamic financial dashboard that transforms homeowners into wealth builders Preclose: Take the chaos out of the closing process with real-time visibility for everyone The immersive program helps companies to execute their go-to-market strategies and facilitates engagement with the Moderne Network™ – a group of over 400 investors and executives from market leading companies that are looking for innovative solutions to gain a competitive advantage for their businesses – to provide mentorship, pilot opportunities, and even acquisition potential for participants. Companies meet with Mentors approximately once per month at industry events across the country to showcase their products and services. The program kicked off last week at Realogy’s headquarters, where executives from the largest real estate company in the world provided guidance and mentorship to the new class. The program’s next event will take place at the National Apartment Association Education Conference in Atlanta later this month. About Moderne Ventures Moderne Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on early stage investments in the real estate, insurance, mortgage, home services, and finance industries. The firm also runs the Moderne Passport™, a seven-month long industry immersion program that provides participants direct engagement with the Moderne Network™, a group of 400+ tightly aligned LP's, executives, and influential leaders from the most notable businesses within our targeted industries. Learn more at http://www.ModerneVentures.com.

HUD Kicks Off National Homeownership Month
"Find Your Place in a New Era of Homeownership" is theme for month-long recognition WASHINGTON - The Trump Administration proclaimed June as National Homeownership Month, a time to reflect upon the impact owning a home has on household wealth, neighborhood stability and the nation’s broader economic health. The theme of National Homeownership Month 2017 is “Find Your Place in a New Era of Homeownership.” Read the President’s Homeownership Month Proclamation. Today, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson kicked off the month-long recognition by hosting an academic forum on the state of homeownership in the U.S. following the housing crisis, specifically the challenges Millennials face as they enter the market in greater numbers. “After all we’ve been through, homeownership remains an American value and the cornerstone of our economy,” said Secretary Carson. “Today, we recognize the abiding value of owning a home, and rededicate ourselves toward ensuring that every hardworking and credit-worthy American enjoys a fair chance at becoming a homeowner.” President Trump is committed to growing America’s middle class and strengthening the national housing market. The 2018 Budget continues to support homeownership through the Federal Housing Administration’s mortgage insurance programs, providing up to $400 billion in new loan guarantee authority. In addition, the Budget seeks $500 billion in new guarantee authority for Ginnie Mae, a part of HUD. Ginnie Mae makes affordable housing a reality for millions of low- and moderate-income households by channeling global capital into the nation's housing markets. Specifically, Ginnie Mae provides significant liquidity, allowing lenders to obtain a better price for their mortgage loans in the secondary mortgage market. The lenders can then use this liquidity to fund new mortgage loans. Since its creation in 1934, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has helped more than 46 million Americans purchase or refinance their homes. Last year alone, FHA insured more than 1.2 million home loans, totaling $245 billion. An estimated 40 percent of all first-time homebuyers use FHA; 47 percent of home purchases by African American households are FHA-insured borrowers; and nearly half of Hispanic homebuyers rely upon an FHA-insured mortgage to purchase their homes. Throughout Homeownership Month, HUD will host several social media events. Follow National Homeownership Month activities on Twitter at #FindYourPlace.

Elm Street Technology Announces Strategic Acquisition of Consolidated Knowledge
GREENSBORO, NC--(May 23, 2017) - Today, Elm Street Technology (EST) announced the acquisition of Consolidated Knowledge, a technology platform provider to the residential real estate and multi-family industries. This acquisition is the next step in EST's ongoing efforts to consolidate the real estate industry's leading technology and marketing service providers. Today's announcement is the latest in a series of strategic moves EST has made in recent months to create a portfolio of marketing and technology products and services that, when integrated, offer a single technology solution providing lead generation to client retention services for agents, teams, brokers and others. Over the past several months, the company has acquired Listingbook, a leading MLS data powered CRM platform and RLS2000, a premier provider of IDX websites and social media marketing services. "The products that Consolidated Knowledge has developed have enabled the company to assemble a respectable portfolio of customers, including SRE Matrix in a short period of time" said Prem Luthra, President and CEO of EST. "We're excited about adding their customers, team and technologies to our rapidly growing enterprise." "Our team is excited to join the portfolio of EST's companies and I'm personally looking forward to joining such an experienced and well respected leadership team," said Lucas Haldeman, Founder and CEO of Consolidated Knowledge. "The current vendor landscape in the real estate industry is way too fragmented, causing extra work and unnecessary time investments from real estate professionals. EST is devoted to developing or acquiring all products and services under one roof that today's real state professional needs to grow their business." "Consolidated Knowledge has assembled a 'world-class' team of software and database engineers that have developed several platforms we're excited to introduce to our rapidly growing customer base," said Randall Kaplan, Chairman of EST. "By combining their engineering talent with our sales and marketing capabilities, we plan to rapidly expand the solutions we're offering to the real estate community." Among the customers currently utilizing Consolidated Knowledge's solutions is SRE Matrix, the nationwide brokerage firm founded by acclaimed business mogul Takeshi Sekiguchi. "As a customer of Consolidated Knowledge, we're excited about how the best-in-class portfolio of marketing and productivity solutions that EST is building will benefit SRE, its agents and our customers."

Homeownership in the Crosshairs of Latest Tax Plan, Say Realtors®
  WASHINGTON (April 26, 2017) – Major reforms are needed to lower tax rates and simplify the tax code, but that shouldn't come at the expense of current and prospective homeowners. That's according to National Association of Realtors® President William E. Brown, a second-generation Realtor® from Alamo, California and founder of Investment Properties. Brown said that while the President's tax proposal released today is well-intentioned, it's a non-starter for homeowners and real estate professionals who see the benefits of housing and real estate investment at work every day.  By doubling the standard deduction and repealing the state and local tax deduction, the plan would effectively nullify the current tax benefits of owning a home for the vast majority of tax filers. In light of the plan's release, Brown issued the following statement: "For over a century, America has committed itself to homeownership with targeted tax incentives that help lower- and middle-class families purchase what is likely their largest asset. No surprise, real estate now accounts for over 19 percent of America's gross domestic product, or more than $3 trillion in investment. "But for roughly 75 million homeowners across the country, their home is more than just a number. It represents their ambitions, their nest egg, and the place where memories are made with family and friends. "Targeted tax incentives are in place to help people get there. The mortgage interest deduction and the state and local tax deduction make homeownership more affordable, while 1031 like-kind exchanges help investors keep inventory on the market and money flowing to local communities. "Those tax incentives are at risk in the tax plan released today. Current homeowners could very well see their home's value plummet and their equity evaporate if tax reform nullifies or eliminates the tax incentives they depend upon, while prospective homebuyers will see that dream pushed further out of reach. As it stands, homeowners already pay between 80 and 90 percent of U.S. federal income tax. Without tax incentives for homeownership, those numbers could rise even further. And while we appreciate the Administration's stated commitment to protecting homeownership, this plan does anything but." "Homeowners put their hard-earned money on the line to make an investment in themselves and their communities, and it's on them to protect that investment. Common sense says owning a home isn't the same as renting one, and American's tax code shouldn't treat those activities the same either. "Realtors® support tax reform, and it's encouraging to see leaders in Washington doing their part to get there. We believe tax rates should come down to the degree that sound fiscal policy allows, and simplifying the tax code will help ensure fairness and transparency for individual taxpayers. It's a goal we share with the authors of this tax plan, but getting there by eliminating the incentives for homeownership is the wrong approach. We look forward to working with leaders in Congress and the administration to reform the tax code, while preserving America's long-held commitment to homeownership." The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

eXp Realty Supports Accelerated Growth with the Addition of Four Industry Veterans to Management Team
BELLINGHAM, WA--(April 17, 2017) - eXp World Holdings, Inc., the holding company for eXp Realty LLC, The Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage®, today announced the addition of industry veterans Kee Wah Chung, Kathy Gordon, Scott Petronis and Mitch Robinson to its management team. "Our daily objective is to be the most agent-centric brokerage firm in the world," said Russ Cofano, President and General Counsel of eXp World Holdings. "Adding Kee Wah, Kathy, Scott and Mitch to our stellar team will allow us to provide new and exciting services for both current and future agents on the eXp platform. Our ability to attract top talent is further enabled by our accelerating growth, as evidenced by our year-over-year agent growth of over 200 percent when we surpassed the 3,000 agent mark in mid-March." The four industry veterans joining eXp Realty's management team include: KEE WAH CHUNG Kee Wah Chung joins eXp Realty as Vice President of Agent Experience. Kee Wah will lead the continued buildout of an exceptional end-to-end Agent Experience though a robust service-delivery model for onboarding new agents, providing transaction management services, and supporting agents via eXp tools and systems. Kee Wah previously worked as Director of the Real Estate Customer Success Program for DocuSign. There, he created the first real estate-focused team to drive a world-class customer experience for onboarding brokers, agents, and staff. KATHY GORDON Kathy Gordon, who has nearly two decades of experience in the industry, joins eXp Realty as Vice President, Brokerage Operations. In this position, she will deliver value to eXp agents through the support of eXp's state administrative brokers, the administration of eXp's brokerage policies and procedures, and license law and regulatory compliance. She also will serve as liaison with eXp's legal resources and risk management programs. Kathy previously was Broker of Record at one of Keller Williams' largest firms, with nearly 3000 agents. She also served as the Director of Compliance and Risk Mitigation for her region, while coaching/consulting multiple offices in areas of compliance, risk mitigation, operations, and leadership. SCOTT PETRONIS As eXp Realty's new Chief Product and Technology Officer, Scott Petronis will lead the delivery of strategic agent-centric solutions that power the business and its rapidly growing agent base. Scott has more than 20 years of experience in delivering software and SaaS products for businesses and consumers. Most recently, Scott headed up products and technology for Onboard Informatics, a leading provider of data and technology solutions to U.S. real estate brokerage firms. For the past five years, Scott has been a fixture in industry technology initiatives through his work with the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO), including leading the Web API initiative as the Chair of the Transport Workgroup. In that role, he drove agreement on a new standard that allows companies to more rapidly innovate solutions for the real estate industry. MITCH ROBINSON In his new role as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications for eXp Realty, Mitch Robinson is responsible for branding, external and internal communications, digital and social media, events (both live and within eXp World, the company's fully immersive 3D Cloud Campus). Robinson was an early employee at Expedia before joining the online real estate marketplace Zillow. As the leader of Zillow's trade marketing team, Mitch spearheaded marketing initiatives working with real estate agents, brokers, MLSs, rental professionals, and builders. In this role, he blended technology innovation with a deep appreciation for the ways in which agents can be successful in an industry ripe for disruption. About eXp World Holdings, Inc.eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI) is the holding company for eXp Realty LLC, the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage® as a full-service real estate brokerage providing 24/7 access to collaborative tools, training, and socialization for real estate brokers and agents through its 3-D, fully-immersive, cloud office environment. eXp Realty, LLC and eXp Realty of Canada, Inc. also feature an attractive revenue sharing program that pays agents a percentage of gross commission income earned by fellow real estate professionals who they attract into the Company. As a publicly-traded company, eXp World Holdings, Inc. uniquely offers real estate professionals within its ranks opportunities to earn company stock for production and contributions to overall company growth. For more information, please visit www.eXpRealty.com.

NAREE Real Estate Journalism Conference to Draw Journalists and Industry Experts to Denver in June
DENVER--The National Association of Real Estate Editors has opened registration for its 51st Annual Real Estate Journalism Conference in Denver, June 14-17, 2017. NAREE's conference, which begins Wednesday morning June 14 at the Brown Palace Hotel, will attract scores of journalists from major newspapers and prestigious publications from around the nation and Europe. The conference features newsworthy speakers covering commercial and residential real estate topics, green building, architecture, hotels, mortgage lending, mixed-use development, single-family investing and vacation properties. Insightful speakers will include Douglas Yearley, chief executive officer of Toll Brothers; Marilyn Wilson of the WAV Group; Rohit Anand of KTGY Architecture and Scott Muldavin, chair of the Counselors of Real Estate. NAREE's newsworthy conference programming will feature several chief economists including: Kevin Thorpe, Cushman & Wakefield; Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors, Nela Richardson, Redfin; Brad Hunter, HomeAdvisor and Ralph McLaughlin, Trulia. The real estate trends, economic forecasts and real estate market analysis sessions are delivered on timely topics. The conference content typically generates hundreds of news articles, blog posts and social media mentions from some of the nation's most prominent publications. Outstanding mid-career journalism training is offered at NAREE University's peer-to-peer professional development program for journalists, which will run twice daily during the conference. NAREE University equips journalists to deal with new reporting tools and techniques in the rapidly changing media industry. Journalists and industry communicators may register for the affordable conference online at NAREE.org. Conference registrants may choose to stay at the historic Brown Palace, which opened in 1892, or the adjoining Holiday Inn Express. Both hotels are located in exciting downtown Denver, which is a very active real estate market. Other highlights of the conference include NAREE's Meet the Press, the awards program for NAREE's 67th Annual Journalism Competition and the Bruss Real Estate Book Awards luncheon. Founded in 1929, NAREE is a non-profit professional association of journalists, writers, columnists, editors and authors covering residential, commercial and financial real estate, urban planning and home design.

With National Flood Insurance Program Expiring in Six Months, Realtors® Sound the Alarm
  WASHINGTON (March 30, 2017) — On September 30, just six months from today, the National Flood Insurance Program will expire. The National Association of Realtors® is working closely with federal regulators and members of Congress to strengthen the program and clear the way for a private market to take hold; NAR has also issued a series of principles to improve access and affordability for consumers. But Realtors® warn the program's September 30 reauthorization deadline is a threat to consumers. NAR President William E. Brown, a second-generation Realtor® from Alamo, California and founder of Investment Properties, believes that expiration would deal significant damage to current policy-holding property owners, as well as threaten property sales and the broader housing market. Brown said that Realtors® see the NFIP's importance every day in their lives and in their business and made the following statement: "When the NFIP expired in 2010, over 1,300 home sales were disrupted every day as a result. That's over 40,000 every month. Flood insurance is required for a mortgage in the 100-year floodplain, but without access to the NFIP, buyers simply couldn't get a mortgage or vital protection from the No. 1 cause of loss of property and life: flooding. "This problem affects far more than coastal communities, and prospective homeowners aren't the only ones at risk. Policyholders in over 22,000 communities across the country depend on the NFIP to protect homes and businesses from torrential rain, swollen rivers and lakes, snowmelt, failing infrastructure, as well as storm surges and hurricanes. When that lifeline is cut off, the NFIP can't issue new policies or renew existing residential or commercial policies that expire. That means current home and business owners may find their most important asset unprotected. "Last year was the third largest claims payout year in NFIP's history, costing more than $4 billion. While there were five billion-dollar floods, including Hurricane Matthew, four of the five were inland, and the largest single event was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in August, just one year out from the NFIP's expiration date. "The NFIP isn't perfect, and reforms are needed. We will continue working closely with everyone involved to achieve those reforms. "Good work has been done in Congress, at FEMA and elsewhere to clear the way for those efforts. We thank leaders on both sides of the aisle for all they've done up to this point. Now, it's time for action. Congress has six months to do the right thing and pass a long-term reauthorization of the program. We're hoping they do just that." The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Placester Raises $50M in Series D Funding to Simplify Marketing for Real Estate Professionals
BOSTON, MA--(Mar 24, 2017) - Placester, the all-in-one marketing toolkit for real estate professionals with beautiful lead capturing websites, lead management, email marketing, marketing automation, analytics, free education and 24/7 support, today announced it has raised a $50M Series D round led by existing investor New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the global venture firm whose notable investments include SalesForce.com, MuleSoft and Box, among others. This investment brings Placester's total funding to $100 million. The real estate market is remarkably different than it was a decade ago when listings were just finding their way online. The evolution is showing no signs of slowing down. Today's real estate market relies on both digital and human touchpoints to engage the consumer in real time. Placester has seen more than 300 percent year-over-year revenue growth for the last three years by building the unified operating system to help real estate professionals run their businesses. From websites and CRM, to email marketing, data driven insights and mobile applications, Placester addresses agents' digital needs. More than four hundred thousand users look to Placester for superior solutions to power their businesses. This includes agents in 95 percent of U.S.-based real estate brands as well as independent brokerages. Including notable industry partnerships with Keller Williams, REMAX/Integra and The National Association of REALTORS®. "I'm excited for this next step in Placester's journey empowering real estate professionals and the industry as a whole," said Matt Barba, co-founder and CEO, Placester. "Across industries, leading brands realize that the screen is the most consistent touchpoint for connecting with consumers. As a result, successful digital marketing has evolved from a patchwork of tools and tactics into a unified operating system reaching far beyond the walls of the marketing department. Placester is bringing this fundamental change to real estate. This latest funding will support our aggressive product roadmap and address the full breadth of challenges and opportunities that define the future of digital for real estate professionals." In 2016, Placester made two acquisitions, welcoming RealSatisfied and OpenHomePro to the team. The company employs more than 170 team members working in Boston and Chicago. "Digital marketing has become integral to the business of real estate and will shape how real estate professionals succeed in the future," said Chetan Puttagunta, General Partner, NEA. "As software plays an increasing role in the world around us, verticalized software solutions tuned to specific customer needs will increasingly drive competitive advantage, there is a large and growing opportunity ahead." To date, Placester serves more than four hundred thousand real estate professionals in the United States and Canada, and has raised $100 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Romulus Capital and Techstars, among other investors. To learn more about Placester, visit https://www.placester.com. About PlacesterPlacester is an all-in-one marketing toolkit for real estate professionals with beautiful lead capturing websites, lead management, email marketing, marketing automation, analytics, free education and 24/7 support. Founded in 2011 by Matthew Barba, a former real estate agent, and Frederick Townes, a seasoned technologist, the Placester platform enables real estate professionals to grow their businesses online and via mobile through seamless MLS integration, natural language search and eye-catching visuals. In addition, Placester offers a wide range of apps and add-ons for high-impact email marketing, digital advertising campaigns, lead management and streamlining of everyday tasks. Currently serving two in five real estate professionals in the U.S., Placester is a proud technology partner to leading real estate brands across North America, and the sole website provider for the REALTOR Benefits® Program, the official member benefits program of the National Association of REALTORS®. To date, Placester has raised $100 million in funding, backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Romulus Capital and Techstars. For more information, please visit placester.com.

Baird & Warner's Jo Lay Named to Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Advisory Council
CHICAGO – March 14, 2017 – Jo Lay, vice president, Relocation Services for Baird & Warner in Chicago, Ill., has been elected to the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Advisory Council, a leadership group comprised of business development and relocation professionals who provide guidance on key initiatives for the global real estate community, which is comprised of 550 market-leading firms spanning six continents. The Advisory Council works closely with the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® management team on integral business development and lead generation programs. Council members also mentor other affiliates and serve as ambassadors for the organization's diverse program offerings. Members are elected by fellow council members to serve a three-year term, and are chosen based on the merits of their professional experience and reputation, as well as their willingness to share their expertise for the benefit of the network. "Our Advisory Council is comprised of some of the most talented and accomplished relocation professionals in the industry. Their willingness to provide guidance on critical network initiatives is instrumental in helping us deliver the most relevant, impactful programs for our members worldwide," said LeadingRE director of Member Services Brent Williams, CRP, who serves as the staff liaison to the group. "I am very excited to serve on this council with the top Relocation Director leaders of the most respected independent brokerages around the country.  I plan to bring my past experience as president of the Relocation Directors' Council and position on the Board of Directors of the Worldwide ERC to the table to help this network continue being a leader in the world of relocation," said Jo, SCRP, SGMS. Baird & Warner is the only Chicago representative of LeadingRE who has received the prestigious RELO Quality Certification.  With its expansive global membership, LeadingRE connects more than 550 firms and 130,000 sales associates who produce over 1.2 million real estate transactions each year. For more information about Baird & Warner, please visit www.BairdWarner.com. About Baird & Warner Real Estate, Inc.Established in 1855, Baird & Warner is Chicagoland's largest locally owned independent residential real estate services company. The Baird & Warner brand has been synonymous with experience, innovation and integrity for more than 160 years. Steve Baird, the firm's fifth-generation owner, has been consistently recognized among the industry's most influential leaders. Baird & Warner was named the No. 2 Top Workplace in Chicagoland by the Chicago Tribune in 2016, and No. 1 in real estate for the fifth consecutive year. With more than 2,200 broker associates in 27 offices and comprehensive mortgage, title and relocation services, Baird & Warner consistently ranks among the nation's top real estate firms. Learn more at www.BairdWarner.com.

Ben Kinney Companies Acquires Real Estate Technology Companies Blueroof360 and RealVolution
Ben Kinney Companies-Tech Division, owner of ActiveRain, Brivity, Blossor, and Kwkly, today announced the acquisition of Blueroof360 and RealVolution, two companies that specialize in providing real estate software solutions to brokerages, teams, and agents nationwide. "Blueroof360 has developed one of the coolest, easiest to use, fully customizable IDX website builders around, while also providing full-featured CRM, CMAs, Area Reports and Community tools to over 10,000 real estate agents, brokerages and franchises across the nation," says Ben Kinney, CEO of Ben Kinney Companies. "Combining Blueroof360 technology with our existing, ever-expanding Brivity Platform gives agents a complete toolset that guarantees success in real estate—with one bill, one log-in, and one location for all agent and brokerage data." "We are excited to become a member of the Ben Kinney family," says Jarad Hull, CEO of Blueroof360. "Ben and I found that our companies have similar goals, vision and an approach to building best-in-class products. Becoming part of the Ben Kinney family of companies, gives Blueroof the ability to be part of a platform that will continue to disrupt the real estate industry." The Blueroof360 team will remain headquartered in Utah, where it was founded in 2008, with all existing employees and the current leadership team. CEO Jarad Hull will continue to lead and grow the company, with additional investments in staff, sales, marketing and development to come. ABOUT BEN KINNEY TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES The Ben Kinney Companies Tech Division brands include ActiveRain, the nation's largest real estate network, Kwkly, an SMS lead generation company , the Brivity Platform, an IDX - CRM - Transaction Management System, and Blossor, the national search portal. The company's brands focus on diverse real estate tools, technology, training and systems to maximize growth opportunities for agents, teams and brokers. Ben Kinney Companies is headquartered in Bellingham Washington.

Houlihan Lawrence Announces Agreement to Join HomeServices of America, Inc.
Minneapolis, Minn. (January 17, 2017) – HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, today announced the acquisition of Houlihan Lawrence, one of the leading real estate firms serving New York City's northern suburbs. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Headquartered in the northern suburbs of New York City, Houlihan Lawrence serves the Westchester, Fairfield, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties of New York and Connecticut with 1,300 sales associates operating in 30 sales offices. In 2016, Houlihan Lawrence closed $6.7 billion of sales volume. Established in 1888, Houlihan Lawrence has been known to generations of buyers and sellers for its leadership in luxury representation and local expertise delivered by a team of knowledgeable agents coupled with the firm's renowned advanced technologies and data driven insights. Nancy Seaman will step aside as chairman while her brothers Stephen Meyers, president and CEO, and Chris Meyers, managing principal, will continue to lead the firm's strategic growth initiatives and manage day-to-day operations together with their sales management teams. Houlihan Lawrence, like other locally-branded brokerage companies under the HomeServices umbrella, will retain its name. "We are joining an organization known for its strength and stability, said Stephen Meyers. "Our partnership secures the future of the firm without changing the exceptional culture that is core to our storied brand. We are thrilled with this announcement and the many benefits it brings to our clients and agents." "When you combine the incredible strength of our people and the remarkable history of our success with the unsurpassed financial stability of HomeServices, there is no limit to what we can accomplish," added Chris Meyers. "Nancy, Stephen and Chris, together with their team of sales managers and agents, have built an extraordinary organization and exemplify a level of expertise and leadership that is second-to-none in the real estate business today," said Ron Peltier, chairman and CEO, HomeServices. "Their culture of integrity and innovation closely aligns with our corporate vision and our emphasis on customer value and results." With this transaction, HomeServices has nearly 29,500 real estate professionals operating in nearly 570 offices across 28 states. In 2016, the company's associates facilitated more than $93 billion in residential real estate sales. "This is an important transaction to HomeServices," concluded Peltier. "And we are very proud to welcome Houlihan Lawrence to the HomeServices family."

NAR CEO Dale Stinton to Retire, Search Firm Retained
  WASHINGTON (December 28, 2016) –  After 36 years of service, National Association of Realtors® CEO Dale Stinton will retire from the association in 2017. Chicago-based executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles has been retained to find Stinton's replacement. Stinton took over as CEO in November 2005. Previously, he served as chief financial officer and chief information officer since 1998 and was named acting CEO and executive vice president in 1996. Stinton demonstrated exceptional leadership and business savvy in bringing continued success to the association and its members through one of the worst economic downturns in decades. His achievements include guiding the creation of Realtor® University; directing the growth of the Realtors® Property Resource, a national database of real property; implementing high-value partnerships and investments as president of Second Century Ventures, NAR's investment arm; and spearheading efforts to drive member participation in the association's Realtor® Party to advocate issues and advance legislation at all levels of government. He has been recognized broadly as an industry leader and innovator. "It was an honor to lead the nation's largest and most influential trade association in partnership with NAR's elected leaders, and I'm incredibly proud of what we have helped the association and our members achieve over the past decade as CEO," said Stinton. "My 36 years at NAR have been challenging but always rewarding; the time is now for a new leader to take the reins." A diverse member search committee has been appointed to work with Heidrick & Struggles, a premier provider of executive search, leadership consulting and culture shaping worldwide, to recruit candidates for the CEO position; NAR 2015 president Chris Polychron is serving as chair and 2003 president Cathy Whatley is vice chair. "Dale Stinton has had a long and distinguished career at NAR and has made immense contributions to the association, and we thank him for his service," said Polychron. "This continues to be a dynamic time for the association and the industry, and I am confident that we will find and hire the best candidate to position NAR for long-term success as it continues the important role of advocating for Realtor® members, consumers and the industry." Stinton will continue to serve as CEO until a successor is named, which is expected before the end of 2017, to ensure a smooth and successful transition. Heidrick & Struggles will begin the search for a new CEO immediately. "We look forward to serving NAR as partner for this critical leadership transition," said Bill Hudson, partner at Heidrick & Struggles based in the Washington D.C. office. "Recognizing that NAR is one of the largest and most respected trade associations in the nation, we're honored to be selected to lead the search for the new CEO." The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

RE Technology's Top 10 Articles of 2016
  Over the past two weeks, we've been counting down our top 10 most popular of the year. Have you been following? If not, we've compiled the full list below for easy reference. We noticed an interesting phenomenon with our list this year--it's bookended by posts that aren't just our most read, but also our most controversial. Numbers 1 and 10 ignited some heated discussion when they were originally published. Months later, do they still incite strong feelings? Decide for yourselves--take a look at both posts on our list below, and check out the rest of our most read articles of the year! Why Agents Should Never Use Personal Email 7 Google Chrome Extensions for Real Estate Agents 5 Things You Didn't Know Your Lockbox Could Do 22 of the Absolute Best Real Estate Closing Gift Ideas 5 Basic Tips for Taking Great Photos With Your iPhone 184 Things You Do for Real Estate Clients (and they don't even know it) What to Do When Your Buyer Leaves You for Another Agent 4 Lead Generating Scripts for Listing Agents How to Educate Buyers to Make Good Offers I Didn't Hire FOUR Listing Agents!

NAR Installs 2017 Officers
  ORLANDO, Fla. (November 7, 2016) – Bill Brown, a second generation Realtor® from Alamo, California was installed today as 2017 president of the National Association of Realtors® at the association's Board of Directors meeting during the 2016 REALTORS® Conference & Expo. Brown has been active in real estate for 36 years and is the founder of Investment Properties, a division of the family real estate business started by his father, William H. Brown, in 1964, which focuses on the sale of apartment buildings to both institutional and private capital investors. Brown was NAR's 2016 president-elect and 2015 first vice president. He has served in numerous positions at the local, state and national levels, including as an NAR director since 1991, the 2004 chairman of the Realtors® Political Action Committee Trustees, a committee liaison in 2006 and 2011, and 2012 vice president for Region 13, comprised of California, Hawaii and Guam. In 2008, he served as the California Association of Realtors® president and was honored as Realtor® of the Year; he served on CAR's Executive Committee six times. Brown was elected president of the Oakland Association of Realtors® in 1984. Elizabeth Mendenhall is 2017 NAR president-elect. She has been a Realtor® for 20 years and is CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty in Columbia, Missouri. Mendenhall is a sixth-generation Realtor® and holds numerous real estate designations. On the national level, Mendenhall currently serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. She chaired NAR's Strategic Planning Committee in 2012, served as vice president of committees in 2011 and was the NAR liaison to association leadership in 2008. In 2010, Mendenhall served as president of the Missouri Association of Realtors®, and in 2003, she served as president of the Columbia Board of Realtors® and was named their Realtor® of the Year. Thomas Riley, a Realtor® from Bedford, New Hampshire is the 2017 NAR treasurer. He has been a Realtor® for more than 35 years and is president of Riley Enterprises Inc., specializing in residential and commercial real estate and property management. In 2015, Tom served as NAR's vice president for Region 1, serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. He previously served on the NAR Board of Directors from 2007 to 2008 and 2010 to 2013 and served multiple times on the Finance Committee, including as vice chair in 2014. Riley served as president of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors® in 2011 and president of the Greater Manchester/Nashua Board of Realtors® in 1998. John Smaby is 2017 NAR first vice president. Smaby is a second-generation Realtor® and has been in the industry for 37 years; he is a broker at Edina Realty, where he specializes in residential real estate. Smaby has held numerous positions nationally and with the Minnesota Association of Realtors®, where he served as president in 2015, treasurer in 2013 and a member of the Board of Directors since 2013. He was MNAR's Realtor® Political Action Committee chair from 2013 to 2015 and the RPAC Trustees and Public Advocacy Committee chair in 2014. In 2013, Smaby received the Ed Anderson Political Achievement Award and in 2014, was named Realtor® of the Year. Mabél Guzmán is 2017 NAR vice president. Guzmán, a Realtor® for more than 20 years, is a broker with @properties in Chicago. At the national level, she served as the 2014 chair for NAR's Conventional Finance & Policy Committee and in 2015 as the liaison for Global Committees. She chaired the Student Loan Debt Working Group from 2014 to 2016. Guzmán served as a member of the Illinois Realtors® Board of Directors from 2009 to 2011. In 2014 and 2015, she received their President's Medallion for Outstanding Service. Guzmán was elected treasurer in 2009 and president in 2011 of the Chicago Association of Realtors® and was a member of the board of directors from 2007 to 2009. In 2012, she was named their Realtor® of the Year. Kevin Sears is also 2017 NAR vice president. Sears, a Realtor® for over 20 years from Springfield, Massachusetts, is broker/partner of Sears Real Estate, specializing in single-family brokerage and property management. Sears has served NAR in numerous capacities, including as NAR's 2016 vice president for Region 1, comprised of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. He has served on the NAR Board of Directors since 2008 and as a federal political coordinator for over 15 years. In 2016, Sears chaired the Realtor® Party of the Future Strategic Planning Work Group. The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® elected him President in 2010 and he has been a member of their Board of Directors since 2000. In 2006, MAR named Sears Realtor® of the Year. He was elected president of the Realtor® Association of Pioneer Valley in 2005. NAR's 2017 regional vice presidents are: Jamie Diane Moore, Warwick, Rhode Island, Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont); Allan H. Dechert, Avalon, New Jersey, Region 2 (New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania); Mary Dykstra, Roanoke, Virginia, Region 3 (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia); Ann McDonald, Winchester, Kentucky, Region 4 (Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee); Sherri Meadows, Ocala, Florida, Region 5 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands); William G. Milliken Jr., Ann Arbor, Michigan, Region 6 (Michigan and Ohio); Patrick Dalessandro, Prospect Heights, Illinois, Region 7 (Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin); Donald R. Marple, Davenport, Iowa, Region 8 (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota); Karen Crowson, Benton, Arkansas, Region 9 (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma); Leslie Rouda Smith, Plano, Texas, Region 10 (Louisiana and Texas); George Harvey, Telluride, Colorado, Region 11 (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming); Julie DeLorenzo, Boise, Idaho, Region 12 (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington); and Leil Koch, Kula, Hawaii, Region 13 (California, Hawaii and Guam). The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Realogy Franchise Group Appoints John Peyton as President and Chief Operating Officer
09-26-2016 — Realogy Holdings Corp., the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States, today announced the appointment ofJohn Peyton to the newly created role of president and chief operating officer (COO) for its subsidiary, Realogy Franchise Group (RFG). Peyton, formerly the senior vice president of brands and shared services for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., will begin at RFG on Oct. 13. Alex Perriello, CEO of the Realogy Franchise Group, will now focus primarily on strategic growth while Peyton will be responsible for the operational management of Realogy's franchise brands.Peyton is a recognized global branding leader in a multi-brand environment. He is adept at leading large, complex global structures to maximize the benefits of scale while enabling innovation and flexibility. During his 17-year tenure with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, he combined his expertise in global operations and brand building to drive innovation and ensure the market positioning of the company's leading hotel brands, which include: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton, Tribute Portfolio, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, Element and Design Hotels. "John Peyton brings extensive strategic leadership experience with world-class brands from his time at Starwood as both an operator and a franchisor in a multi-brand organization," said Alex Perriello, Chief Executive Officer, Realogy Franchise Group. "We are excited about the fresh perspective and valuable insights he will bring from the luxury hotel and leisure industry to our franchisees and their affiliated agents." "Realogy has a tremendous portfolio of brands that is unrivaled in the real estate industry," said John Peyton, President and Chief Operating Officer, Realogy Franchise Group. "The Realogy Franchise Group is well-positioned for continued growth and innovation, and I look forward to helping accelerate its growth trajectory." Previously at Starwood, Peyton led the company's Global Initiatives team from 2012 to 2014, where he directed the implementation of key strategic company priorities around the world, including supply chain and revenue management initiatives. He has held a number of senior operations and marketing positions for Starwood, including chief marketing officer. In 2005 he was responsible for implementing a significant brand repositioning strategy for the company. In 2001, Peyton led Starwood in the launch of implementing Six Sigma practices in the business and became the first company in the hospitality industry to adopt this methodology as a way of improving business processes and driving innovative change. Prior to joining Starwood, he had a 10-year career with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, serving in both its accounting and management consulting practices. Peyton holds an MBA in accounting and marketing from New York University and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania. Peyton is active in the community with several organizations supporting the health and welfare of children. He is a member of the board of directors for Child Advocates of Southern Connecticut and Full Court Peace, and also serves as a senior adviser to the A.J. Cina Foundation. About Realogy Holdings Corp.Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage with many of the best-known industry brands including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, Corcoran®, ERA®, Sotheby's International Realty® and ZipRealty®.  Collectively, Realogy's franchise system members operate approximately 13,600 offices with more than 261,000 independent sales associates conducting business in 109 countries and territories around the world.  NRT LLC, Realogy's company-owned real estate brokerage, is the largest residential brokerage company in the United States, operates under several of Realogy's brands and also provides related residential real estate services.  Realogy also owns Cartus, a prominent worldwide provider of relocation services to corporate and affinity clients, Title Resource Group (TRG), a leading provider of title, settlement and underwriting services, and ZapLabs LLC, its innovation and technology development subsidiary.  Realogy is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey.

Lone Wolf Announces Reorganization and Appoints New Heads of Product & Development
  CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO (September 08, 2016) – On the heels of the appointment of Patrick Arkeveld as its new Chief Executive Officer, Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies Inc. ("Lone Wolf"), the North American leader in residential real estate software, announces a reorganization that will align the company's business operations with its core growth strategies. These changes are designed to improve the speed and delivery of new product innovation & customer support while simplifying the product portfolios to focus on the company's fundamental strengths. "These organizational changes will drive needed focus to the business, further enabling us to meet the needs of our core customer base: real estate brokers. Our main goal is to accelerate our product development efforts to create next generation solutions and provide a nimble and more responsive customer experience," said Patrick Arkeveld, CEO, Lone Wolf. At the centre of this organizational change, is the addition of three new key players: Executive Vice President of Development, Scott Gowdish; Vice President of Product Management, Matt Goddard, and Vice President of Marketing, Kate Annis. With an extensive background in product development, most recently in the role of Senior Director of Software Development for Sabre Inc. and prior to that as VP, Software Development at Micros Systems, Scott's efforts will be focused on expanding the current enterprise platforms and utilizing next generation technologies. "I am thrilled to join such a talented team as we embark on this next phase of our growth as a market leader in real estate technology," says Scott Gowdish. "With strong support from our current customer base, and a focus on the development of the premiere end-to-end real estate software solution, I believe we are poised to reach beyond our expectations." The tech company has placed high importance on understanding customer challenges to improve current products and to identify opportunities for both current and new solutions. With over 15 years of experience in Product Management, Matt Goddard will lead this charge. "Lone Wolf has experienced immense growth over the last several years and has an enviable position as a leader in the real estate technology space," says Matt Goddard. "I am excited by the opportunity to work with our clients towards building the next generation solutions to successfully run their business." Matt spent 15 years with The Trapeze Group, a division of Constellation Software Inc., in a variety of roles including Product Manager and most recently, VP of New Markets & Product Management Programs. Kate Annis joins Lone Wolf with an extensive background in brand management and marketing in the enterprise software industry. Prior to joining Lone Wolf, Kate spent 6 years as the Global Director of Marketing at Dow Jones & Company in New York City and was most recently the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Bluesun, a financial services software provider. "While Lone Wolf's passion for building relationships and innovative technology has propelled us to a dominant position in the real estate marketplace, there is still a lot of runway for continued growth and success," explains Kate Annis. "I am excited to join this team and look forward to where we will head together." "We believe these changes to our organizational structure and management team will fuel our growth in the US market through a more focused strategy, development of next generation solutions and a best in class client experience," says Patrick Arkeveld. About Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies offers an ecosystem of seamlessly integrated real estate technology, services and partnerships. Each element of the eco-system enables brokerages and agents to operate more efficiently to increase opportunities for profitability. Lone Wolf serves the residential real estate industry throughout North America.

Alain Pinel Realtors Executive Accepts Respected Appointment with California Association of Realtors
SAN JOSE, CA (AUGUST 22, 2016)--Jim Pojda, regional director of career development for Alain Pinel Realtors, has accepted an appointment to the California Association of Realtors' (CAR) Strategic Planning and Finance Committee. Pojda will begin his three-year term in January 2017. The committee works to forecast changes, opportunities and challenges faced by the real estate industry for the benefit of consumers and Realtors within the state. Currently the committee is examining issues related to mortgage interest deductions, rent control, Multiple Listing Service consolidation, the future of Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) and a variety of emerging technologies impacting the practice of real estate. "I'm excited and honored to have been asked to serve on the Strategic Planning & Finance Committee. I'll be assuming this role in addition to my role as a 2017 member of the board of directors for CAR where I represent the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors," said Pojda. "I'm grateful for the support and encouragement Alain Pinel Realtors has provided as I take on this new role." Pojda joined Alain Pinel Realtors in 2004 as a Realtor before becoming a regional director for career development in 2010. He is also a licensed broker. Immediately prior to joining Alain Pinel Realtors he served as vice president of business operations for TechPointer Inc., having held a variety of marketing and business technology development positions previous to that role. Pojda is also a long-time volunteer and officer with Kiwanis International. "Jim commits himself 100 percent to every endeavor he undertakes," noted Rainy Hake, COO of Alain Pinel Realtors. "He cares deeply about the real estate profession and those he helps guide, both within our company and the industry at large. He'll do an outstanding job for CAR, and we're proud to have him serve as a representative of Alain Pinel Realtors." Alain Pinel Realtors (APR) is the sixth largest residential real estate firm in the United States and the largest privately-owned residential real estate company in Northern California based on its closed-sales volume. The firm has 1,400 agents in more than 30 offices throughout Northern California. APR was founded in 1990 by CEO and President Paul L. Hulme, and is based in Saratoga, Calif. Visit us at apr.com.

ATTOM Data Solutions Hires Technology Veteran Todd Teta
IRVINE, Calif. – Aug. 16, 2016 — ATTOM Data Solutions, the nation's leading source for comprehensive property data, today announced the hiring of Todd Teta as chief technology officer. In this role, Teta will leverage his two decades of experience in technology and product innovation to lead ATTOM's technology and product teams, including ATTOM's three consumer websites: RealtyTrac.com, Homefacts.com and HomeDisclosure.com. "Todd brings the kind of customer-focused technological and real estate data management experience that will enable us to provide our clients with competitive advantage by leveraging our vast data, analytics, people and processes," said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM Data Solutions. "His expertise in growing and scaling new technologies will guide us as we take additional steps to drive market growth and product innovation, leveraging the immense resources of the ATTOM Data Warehouse." Prior to joining ATTOM Data Solutions, Teta was the chief technology officer at Meyers Research, a Kennedy Wilson Company, where he led new product initiatives like Zonda, the first mobile-based real estate data and analytics platform targeting the new home building industry. Prior to his tenure at Meyers, Teta was vice president of technology at CoreLogic, where he launched the company's first mobile application. Teta was also president and co-founder of VisionCore, Inc., a technology product and services firm focused on the real estate and financial services industries, where he led sales, business development, client relations and project management. "I'm thrilled to be working with ATTOM Data Solutions," said Teta. "This is a unique opportunity to use ATTOM Data Solutions' comprehensive housing market data to create new products and services and drive innovation in the real estate marketplace." Teta earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering and computer science from the University of Southern California. He is a Member of the Computer Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association of Computing Machinery. About ATTOM Data Solutions ATTOM Data Solutions is the curator of the ATTOM Data Warehouse, a multi-sourced national property database that aggregates property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, health hazards, neighborhood characteristics and other property characteristic data for more than 150 million U.S. properties. The ATTOM Data Warehouse delivers actionable data to businesses, consumers, government agencies, universities, policymakers and the media in multiple ways, including bulk file licenses, APIs and customized reports. ATTOM Data Solutions also powers consumer websites designed to promote real estate transparency: RealtyTrac.com is a property search and research portal for foreclosures and other off-market properties; Homefacts.com is a neighborhood research portal providing hyperlocal risks and amenities information; HomeDisclosure.com produces detailed property pre-diligence reports. ATTOM Data and its associated brands are cited by thousands of media outlets each month, including frequent mentions on CBS Evening News, The Today Show, CNBC, CNN, FOX News, PBS NewsHour and in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and USA TODAY.

Susan Yannaccone Promoted to President and CEO of ERA Real Estate
07-18-2016 — ERA Real Estate, a global franchising leader, today announced the promotion of Susan Yannaccone to president and CEO of ERA Franchise Systems LLC, effective September 1, 2016. Yannaccone, who currently serves as ERA's chief operating officer, brings two decades of experience in real estate franchising and sales and is widely respected in the industry."Sue Yannaccone is a dynamic real estate leader who has distinguished herself since joining ERA Real Estate," said Alex Perriello, president and CEO of the Realogy Franchise Group, the parent company of ERA. "Her strategic thinking capabilities, strong business acumen and outstanding relationship skills will be tremendous assets in this role. The time has come for Sue to take the next step forward in her career, and I couldn't be more pleased and supportive. The leadership succession plan we have executed also speaks to the management talent we have assembled within the Realogy Franchise Group." Charlie Young, who has served as ERA Real Estate's president and CEO since 2009, is leaving to take a new senior leadership role within the Realogy Franchise Group, also effective September 1, 2016. "I am honored to be appointed to lead the ERA Real Estate brand network, and I look forward to continuing to build upon ERA's unique 'family' culture and the value proposition we provide to our affiliated brokers and agents as well as homebuyers and sellers around the world," said Yannaccone. "Our strategic direction is clear. We are charting a course for growth with innovation as the cornerstone of our plan." Since joining ERA Real Estate in July 2015, Yannaccone has helped move the organization forward with her laser-focus on growth and innovation. Earlier this year, ERA reached a significant industry milestone by being the first real estate franchise to connect its entire network on the innovative Zap® technology platform, developed by another Realogy subsidiary, ZapLabs. By connecting thousands of ERA-affiliated brokers and agent websites into a seamless, integrated network that is relevant to search engines both nationally and locally, ERA has created a unique, competitive positioning for its network. Yannaccone also has been instrumental in creating an enhanced service model that has increased broker satisfaction with the ERA brand, and she has fostered an internal culture of transparency, collaboration, execution and accountability. With a focus on franchisee engagement, satisfaction and growth, Yannaccone has overseen the addition of a number of newly affiliated companies, notably in Houston, Beverly Hills and the Greater Boston markets, as well as several strategic mergers and acquisitions for existing ERA brokers in Florida, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio. Prior to joining ERA, Yannaccone served in a number of senior executive leadership roles at competing national and international real estate franchise brands with responsibilities ranging from network servicing to operations. She began her career in commercial real estate sales before moving into residential real estate. Recently, Yannaccone earned recognition as a 2016 Woman Worth Watching by the Profiles in Diversity Journal, and in 2015 was named as a Woman of Influence by Housing Wire. She is a graduate of Clemson University, with a bachelor's degree in financial management. About ERA Real Estate ERA Real Estate is an innovative franchising leader in the residential real estate industry with nearly 45 years of experience in developing consumer-oriented products and services. The ERA network includes approximately 37,000 affiliated brokers and sales associates and approximately 2,350 offices throughout the United States and 33 countries and territories. Each office is independently owned and operated. ERA Real Estate is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global provider of real estate services. ERA Real Estate information is available at: ERA.com.

Realogy Franchise Group Appoints Carter Murdoch as Senior Vice President of Operations
MADISON, N.J., July 13, 2016 -- The Realogy Franchise Group (RFG), a global leader in real estate franchising, today announced the recent appointment of Carter Murdoch, Ph.D. to the newly created role of senior vice president of operations. Murdoch will oversee RFG's Centers of Excellence, which provide expertise, support and solutions for Realogy-affiliated brokers across all of its brands in the specific areas of business development, data, learning and technology deployment. Murdoch most recently held the role of senior vice president, strategic growth and industry relations at Century 21 Real Estate LLC, which is part of the Realogy Franchise Group. He also has more than 20 years of operational management experience in the mortgage and banking industries. "Carter Murdoch has gained a deep knowledge of our brands, the Realogy Franchise Group as a whole and he understands the business needs of our franchisees," said Alex Perriello, president and chief executive officer, Realogy Franchise Group. "He is a seasoned professional with a proven track record, and I have tremendous confidence in his ability to lead our Centers of Excellence." "The RFG Centers of Excellence are comprised of integrated teams and strong resources that taken together provide a level of service and specialty consulting currently unmatched in our industry," said Murdoch. "I am eager to oversee the leadership of these Centers and leverage our strategy to bring a whole new level of service to our affiliated brokers and independent sales associates." Murdoch was previously with Bank of America for 11 years, during which he most recently served as senior vice president of business operations. Previously, he served as managing director and principal economist for the National Association of REALTORS®. He completed his Ph.D. in Economics from Drexel University's LeBow College of Business, an M.A. in Administration from Villanova University and a B.A. in Economics from Syracuse University. About Realogy Holdings Corp. Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage with many of the best-known industry brands including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, The Corcoran Group®, ERA®, Sotheby's International Realty® and ZipRealty®. Collectively, Realogy's franchise system members operate approximately 13,600 offices with more than 257,200 independent sales associates conducting business in 110 countries and territories around the world.  NRT LLC, Realogy's company-owned real estate brokerage, is the largest residential brokerage company in the United States, operates under several of Realogy's brands and also provides related residential real estate services. Realogy also owns Cartus, a prominent worldwide provider of relocation services to corporate and affinity clients; Title Resource Group (TRG), a leading provider of title, settlement and underwriting services; and ZapLabsSM, its innovation and technology development subsidiary.  Realogy is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey.

REAL Trends Announces America's Best Real Estate Agents List
  DENVER, July 7, 2016 -- REAL Trends, the Trusted Source in residential brokerage, released today the 2016 REAL Trends America's Best Real Estate Agents list. This is REAL Trends' fourth year producing the ranking and it is sponsored by Zillow Group. The list ranks the most productive agents by state and metropolitan area based on closed transaction sides and closed volume. Agents and brokers selected for the 2016 REAL Trends America's Best Real Estate Agents list receive additional exposure on Trulia® and Zillow® to help them grow their business. "With today's release of the 2016 America's Best Real Estate Agents list, an elite group of real estate agents across the country are receiving well-deserved recognition. These sales associates are far above average and have built enormously successful small businesses in an extremely competitive field," said Steve Murray, president of REAL Trends. More than 12,000 real estate professionals from every state are featured. To be included in the ranking, agents must have closed at least 50 transactions, compared with the industry average of seven, or $20 million in closed sales volume. Teams must have closed 75 transaction sides or $30 million in closed sales volume in 2015 to be included. This ensures that only the best of the best are included on the prestigious list. "Less than 1 percent of the agents and teams in America account for 5 percent of all sales," said Murray. "It is amazing to think about how hard they have worked and how focused they are on their clients. They have to be in order to be listed on this report. We are pleased to congratulate this year's members of Americas Best Real Estate Agents." Click on www.AmericasBestRE.com to see the 2016 REAL Trends America's Best Real Estate Agents list. The 2016 REAL Trends America's Best Real Estate Agents list is sponsored by Zillow Group, which houses a portfolio of the largest real estate and home-related brands on the Web and mobile. METHODOLOGY REAL Trends America's Best Real Estate Agents honors America's finest real estate agents and their companies and is compiled and analyzed by REAL Trends. The rankings are compiled based on surveys from virtually every national branded network, many state and local associations of Realtors®, multiple listing services, all applicants from past years' rankings, and the 1,600 largest brokerage firms in the United States. Verification from an independent source is required for all submissions. In addition, REAL Trends senior staff reviews every submission for completeness and accuracy. ABOUT REAL Trends REAL Trends is a privately-held publishing, consulting and communications company specializing in the residential brokerage and housing industries. REAL Trends provides a wide range of advisory services to a clientele of local, regional, national and international real estate organizations. REAL Trends' areas of expertise include operational analysis, valuations, merger and acquisition advisory services, technology consulting, consumer and business research and strategic planning. Visit REAL Trends at www.realtrends.com.