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There’s no such thing as a Realtor tax: Here’s what they’re missing 

Benjamin Franklin famously said that nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. When I saw a recent article by Robert Bork Jr. claiming that the affordability crisis is due to some sort of “Realtor® tax,” I stopped in my tracks. The only Realtor® tax I’m aware of is the 15% self-employment tax I’m subject to as an independent contractor, above and beyond the taxes everyone else pays!

I’ve been in this business long enough to know there’s a lot of misinformation out there, but calling our profession the reason for inflated home prices? That’s not just wrong. It’s lazy. And it’s time we clear the air.

Weekly home sales look stronger than normal, but there’s a catch 

Recent housing data shows volatility due to holiday effects and an AWS outage, impacting pending sales and inventory figures.

Tech Pulse: MLS AI debate; CoStar disputes Zillow announcement 

Explore the latest real estate technology trends like Zillow’s ChatGPT integration, eXp’s AI assistant and UWM’s new broker tools.

PennyMac, Annaly Capital enter subservicing partnership 

Annaly Capital and Pennymac Financial Services, Inc. announced the subservicing relationship and agreement to purchase on Wednesday.

California MBA names Paul Gigliotti new CEO as Susan Milazzo retires 

Paul Gigliotti has been appointed CEO of the California MBA as longtime leader Susan Milazzo announces retirement.

FICO bypasses credit bureaus with new program for mortgage lenders 

Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO) has launched a program allowing tri-merge resellers to calculate and distribute its scores directly to mortgage companies.

PREMIERE Group at Real acquires North Carolina boutique firm 

Real-brokered mega team PREMIERE Group acquired Rhino Triad Realty Group, a North Carolina-based boutique brokerage.

Top Massachusetts mega team leaves Compass for eXp 

The Boston-based Denman Group is joining eXp Realty after recording over $213 million in sales volume in 2024.

Closinglock introduces FinCEN AML compliance tool for title companies 

The new anti-money laundering rule requires title and settlement companies to collect information on certain non-financed residential closings.

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Updated 10 months ago