For brokers setting up their offices for the first time, thinking about all the options might seem overwhelming. Keep in mind your business's mission and needs when deciding on space.

Successful sales organizations require a cohesive team where individual development aligns with the company's sales strategy, writes Stephanie Stoll. Strategies for achieving alignment include defining clear sales objectives, identifying key skills, creating personalized development plans, offering continuous feedback and promoting a culture of ongoing learning.

Building a lead list is crucial for sales reps to meet productivity goals and track prospect interactions, writes Mark Burdon, a former sales representative. Burdon provides a step-by-step guide to building a lead list, from capturing data in a spreadsheet to enriching profiles with tools such as ChatSpot and Sales Navigator.

The Red Basket Project, a nonprofit launched by Gilbreath, an Iowa real estate pro, provides free menstrual products to those in need. Who is your favorite of the 10 Good Neighbor Awards finalists? Your votes throughout September will help the top three vote-getters earn bonus grant money for their cause. Vote for your Web Choice Favorite by Oct. 2.

Borrowing costs fell ahead of the Federal Reserve's anticipated rate cut next week. But economists say home buyers may not want to wait to see if rates go lower.

Today's housing market presents a mixed picture: while investors and recent homeowners benefit from rising home-builder stocks and significant home-equity gains, prospective buyers face high prices, low supply, and steep mortgage rates. Despite anticipated Federal Reserve rate cuts and political proposals from Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, significant relief remains uncertain. The market needs up to seven million new housing units, but builders are hesitant due to economic concerns and cost pressures, and a nalysts predict that affordability issues will persist until at least 2026.

Asteroom.com is among tech companies that offer agents and homeowners the ability to create immersive 360-degree virtual tours with a smartphone, while Matterport and 3DVista are established names when it comes to virtual tours for real estate.

The association demonstrates its commitment to sustainability by reforesting areas in 10 states that faced environmental challenges.

Both renters and homeowners saw median housing costs rise last year, according to the Census Bureau. However, renters continued to spend a median of 31% of their income on rent and utilities, level with the prior year, the Census Bureau reported.

Increases in real estate values and the stock market pushed U.S. household wealth to $163.8 trillion in the second quarter, according to the Federal Reserve. Households' real estate holdings gained $1.75 trillion, and equity holdings climbed $662 billion.