The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed a lower court's ruling that NAR's optional "no-commingling" MLS rule does not violate antitrust law, striking down a lawsuit brought by Real Estate Exchange Inc. (REX) in 2021. The decision means MLSs can continue to decide for themselves how their data is displayed on other real estate websites.

Real estate doesn't always follow typical cycles, and it's unclear whether the upcoming spring homebuying season will be a boom or a bust. Are you prepared for whatever comes? REALTORS® Kat Barry and Lateefah Neal dish about the unpredictability of the market and sticking to your individual formula for success on the "Drive With NAR" podcast.

The U.S. housing market is experiencing stark regional differences, with some areas seeing shortages even as a handful of other areas have inventory above 2019 levels. This disparity is driven by factors such as new construction rates, zoning laws and regional migration patterns. This could lead to potential price drops in states such as Texas, while prices may continue to rise in undersupplied areas of the Northeast and Midwest.

Apartment deal volume in January increased 9% on a year-over-year basis to reach $8.1 billion, marking the first January rise in three years. Individual asset sales were up 7%, and portfolio and entity-level transactions gained 16%. Camden Property Trust CEO Ric Campo recently noted that, as headwinds recede, "there are attractive opportunities for us to continue development starts and to pursue acquisitions."

The Trump administration has rapidly expanded its initiative to terminate commercial real estate leases for federal agencies, now affecting all 50 states and most U.S. territories. The Department of Government Efficiency recently indicated that it had reached 748 lease terminations encompassing about 9.6 million square feet.

Motion-activated lights, indoor cameras and smart locks offer budget-friendly options for adding smart-home amenities.

The 1986 NAR president, who died in February, was a local and national leader who brought professionalism to the forefront.

Redlining, a federally supported practice until it was banned by the Fair Housing Act in 1968, denied loans based on neighborhood racial makeup, primarily affecting Black communities. Its legacy persists, with historically redlined areas remaining underserved, contributing to a significant racial homeownership gap and economic disparities.

Louisiana is set to implement a rule allowing insurers to cancel or not renew up to 5% of homeowners' policies per parish, provided these policies have been in force for three years. This rule aims to attract more carriers and stabilize the market by alleviating existing restrictions. Insurers can request to exceed this limit under exceptional circumstances.

Federal Reserve President Alberto Musalem indicated that his baseline scenario is for inflation to move gradually toward the 2% target. Nevertheless, Musalem cautioned that "near-term inflation expectations have risen substantially over the last few weeks, and that's something I'm watching closely."