In the inaugural episode of REALTOR® Magazine's podcast Drive With NAR: The Safety Series, Indiana real estate pro Nina Wiseman shares how she changed her professional practices after being attacked by two men whom she was showing an empty property.

Brokers who use the .realtor domain say it instantly communicates their real estate expertise, making them more searchable online. Here's how two pros are building brand identity and capturing referrals.

Social media marketers must evolve from views-focused campaigns to campaigns that speak directly to identities, given the rise of "a bazillion algorithmically curated subcultures" on social platforms, write Wieden+Kennedy Bodega's John Dempsey and Dom Tunon. "By engaging with particular subcultures ... marketers can build genuine connections, foster brand loyalty, drive valuable relationships that contribute to long-term business objectives and achieve more effective marketing results," they write.

A variety of factors may make employees hesitant to speak up about mental health issues, but a wise leader will create an atmosphere that makes conversations easier, writes Alana Warburton-Whitehead, the well-being lead at Lanes Group. Build an empathetic management culture, offer easy-to-access resources and remind employees frequently that their well-being is important.

Security expert Tracey Hawkins, host of REALTOR® Magazine's new real estate safety podcast, deconstructs a recent article from The New York Times that calls out lack of protections for agents and brokers.

Experts say that buying a house with a swimming pool may come with unintended consequences, including high cost for maintenance, safety risks and insurance requirements.

Residential housing prices are primed for gains once the Federal Reserve stops raising interest rates, although affordability issues will remain, according to Susan Wachter, a professor at Wharton. However, the office market could remain troubled amid increased vacancies and remote work, and the situation could affect small banks, according to Wachter.

A survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows loan applicants were turned down at a rate of 21.8% over the 12 months ending in June, marking the highest rate in five years, while the number of applications was the lowest since October 2020. Applicants' expectations that they would be rejected for a mortgage or refinancing, an auto loan, or an extension of a credit card limit also have climbed sharply, according to the survey.

U.S. bank regulators are expected to announce their comprehensive blueprint for overhauling capital rules next week, surpassing international standards with additional requirements for major lenders' residential mortgages. The forthcoming plans, a part of the domestic version of Basel III, will be disclosed July 27 by the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, sources say.