May 2026

U.S. existing-home sales edged higher in April 2026, signaling a modest stabilization in the housing market as easing affordability pressures and slightly lower borrowing costs offset still-tight supply conditions, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Sales of previously owned homes rose 0.2% from March 2026 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million, unchanged from a year...

There is a word being used right now to scare real estate professionals into surrendering their judgment and independence. That word is private. It’s being used like magicians use abracadabra, hoping nobody notices what the other hand is doing. We’re told private listings will harm consumers and undermine fair housing. That they are the “dark pools” of real estate. It sounds serious. But...

PropLogix has launched PropOptix, a new sales outreach platform designed to help title companies identify and connect with real estate agents based on real-time market activity. The company said the platform is intended to help title professionals move beyond broad cold outreach and generic email campaigns by using listing activity and market signals to guide more targeted engagement with...

The built-to-rent industry has been plagued by regulatory uncertainty over the past couple of months, but AMH, the nation’s premier BTR builder, with a portfolio of more than 60,000 rental homes, reported that 2026 started with strong demand and an improving supply picture.  During the company’s Q4 2025 earnings call in February, AMH executives noted that the BTR industry faced an oversupply of new...

One positive housing story that really isn’t getting any love is the inventory growth we have seen since the lows of 2022. Why is that positive? Well, more inventory means more choices, a better buyer’s market, and less price growth — all things the housing market needs to get healthy again. I believe this is one variable that has helped housing demand hold up better this year even with mortgage...

Bright MLS has launched Bright Promote, an in-platform advertising tool that lets real estate agents create and run digital and mail marketing campaigns directly from Bright Listing Management as soon as a listing goes live, the company announced Monday. The North Bethesda, Maryland-based multiple listing service said Bright Promote is its first MLS-built advertising solution and is fully integrated...

How the West Coast real estate leader integrates environmental and social value into every investment...

Across Japan's shrinking rural towns and aging suburban districts, abandoned homes are quietly reshaping the country's property market, forcing policymakers, banks, developers, and local governments to confront the unintended consequences of demographic decline. Japan now has roughly 9 million vacant homes -- known locally as "akiya" -- according to the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs and...

That first cup of coffee or tea sets the tone for the whole morning, which is reason enough to give it a dedicated spot. A beverage station keeps machines, supplies and mugs in one place, frees up the main kitchen workspace and makes the routine a little more effortless for family and...

This backyard had little in the way of plants beyond a failing lawn, but it did have one irreplaceable gem — a beautiful, mature English oak tree. “That really shaped the whole design,” says landscape designer Shelley Hugh-Jones. “I decided I wanted around two-thirds of the space to be...