A rise in Freddie Mac's Multifamily Apartment Investment Market Index in the first quarter indicates that investment conditions for the multifamily sector have improved. "The rising index across the board this quarter is especially notable and was aided by the largest quarterly decline in mortgage rates since 2010," said Sara Hoffmann of Freddie Mac.

Yes. In fact, REALTORS® must provide this information to potential buyers under NAR's Code of Ethics. Written buyer agreements, required by the NAR practice changes that will be implemented on Aug. 17, will also outline that MLS participants may not receive compensation for brokerage services from any source that exceeds the amount or rate agreed to in the agreement with the buyer.

The NAR settlement also requires that "to the extent that such a REALTOR® or participant will receive compensation from any source, the agreement must specify and conspicuously disclose the amount or rate of compensation it will receive or how this amount will be determined." Get more facts about NAR's proposed settlement agreement at facts.realtor.

Tara Baumgarten, head of PR and strategic communications at //NKST, points to conferences as an important part of a communications strategy. Conferences, when paired with media relations, offer growth pathways through thought leadership, networking and ideas.

Price concessions have led to a potential buyer for former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter's Greenwood Lake, N.Y., property known as Tiedemann Castle. The property is under contract for $6.3 million after listing for $14 million six years ago.

Researchers at England's Aberystwyth University have developed a robotic pet dragon—featuring big green eyes, a flashing tail and movable eyes and ears—designed to interact with people. This robot, which can monitor an older person's movements and encourage interaction, is part of the university's Smart Home Lab study on using robots to help older adults continue to live independently.

Small business owners are leaving hustle culture behind for soft or cozy entrepreneurship, a business methodology that emphasizes optimizing time and freedom rather than just profits. Deya Aliaga, a digital business manager and YouTuber who supports the methodology, says the hustle-at-all-costs entrepreneurship approach ruined her life before she made a change and developed four ground rules, including valuing life over work and adopting a zero-shame policy.

A Bankrate study finds that the average annual cost of owning and maintaining a single-family home in the U.S. is over $18,000, a 26% increase from four years ago. This cost includes property taxes, insurance, maintenance and utility bills. Bankrate analyst Jeff Ostrowski highlights that while homeownership is a valuable wealth-builder, it comes with significant ongoing expenses.

An increase in bond prices this month has been accompanied by a decrease in the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, and this trend, if sustained, could be good news for the housing market. After 10-year yields and mortgage rates fell at the end of 2023, sales of existing homes rose to a 4.38 million annual rate in February, the National Association of REALTORS® reported.