Help customers reduce waste and their energy footprint by using these NAR REALTOR Benefits® offers.

No. The settlement and the practice changes it requires are focused on residential transactions, not commercial transactions or leases. And if a commercial broker who is a REALTOR® has access to an MLS, but is showing a property on CIE or another platform that is not associated with an MLS, the requirement to use a written agreement does not apply for that property. Get more facts about NAR's proposed settlement agreement at facts.realtor.

Real estate professionals can use tools to lower the costs and effort it takes to stage properties.

John Daniel McCourt, vice president of social impact at Weber Shandwick, offers five tips on how brands and agencies can show true corporate allyship to the LGBTQ+ community that goes beyond Pride Month. Among those tips, McCourt writes, "Start with the goal of addressing the real issues facing LGBTQ+ people today, identify creative ways to help, and apply that to your organization's unique positioning and ability to drive impact."

The spring home-selling season turned out to be a disappointment as the average rate on a 30-year home loan rose, prices remained historically high and inventory low. Sales of previously occupied homes declined in March, April and May, and it looks as though they dropped in June as well.

Commercial real estate deal volume was about 60% below the 2022 peak in the first quarter, but the current situation differs in significant ways from the Global Financial Crisis, according to CBRE. It noted that the low levels of transactions are due to elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty, while fundamentals are close to historical norms. "We expect deal volume will stabilize further now that the worst of inflation is behind us, and the Fed appears to be done hiking rates," CBRE said.

The apartment sector could face challenges as a result of elevated interest rates and stalled rent growth in parts of the country, as well as slowing demand in certain regions. CRED iQ indicates that one-fifth of multifamily loans could be at risk of delinquency. However, Trepp's Lonnie Hendry notes that people will always need a place to live, and the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council reports that only about 1.7% of multifamily loans are 30 or more days delinquent.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows cities and states to criminalize sleeping outdoors has prompted action against homeless encampments across the country, although advocates warn arresting or fining people experiencing homelessness does not address the root causes of the problem. Not all cities have embraced their new authority under the ruling: Los Angeles has pledged to continue investments in eviction protections, affordable housing and voluntary treatment programs.

With June's unemployment rate rising to 4.1%, the case for the Federal Reserve to trim interest rates in September may be gaining some momentum. Another significant indicator could be average hourly earnings, which were up 3.9% in June on a year-over-year basis, the smallest increase since 2021.

A Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey found that consumers' inflation expectations for the near term declined in June. However, the median three-year inflation outlook increased slightly.