Homeowners have only three to four minutes to evacuate in the event of a fire, research shows. Share the dangers with your clients to help them prepare and stay safe.

Two REALTORS® who have been ensnared in wire fraud schemes share the measures you and your clients should be taking so you don't wind up as victims. Listen to Drive With NAR.

Working capital loans make up a broad category of small-business financing, but they generally share flexible use, flexible payments and quick approval, financing and credit expert Gerri Detweiler writes. Real estate, automotive and retail businesses often require the most working capital, or cash on hand, notes Detweiler, who also shares five ways to shorten the capital cycle.

Sales clients appear to be gravitating toward the ends of the spectrum, making it harder for sales managers to pinpoint the skills needed on their teams, writes Alec Drake of Drake Media Group. Successful sales managers will lean toward "self-improvement" sellers who are interested in skill set growth and comprehensive solutions, Drake advises, which will require companies to invest in "marketing and prospecting support, changes in their administrative responsibility, and compensation."

Mortgage rates continued their climb, with the average contract rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rising to 6.81% in the week through Oct. 7, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Meanwhile, an index that measures the volume of mortgage applications was down 2% from the previous week.

The addition of outdoor plants can increase the sale price of a home, and interior staging should include the concept of bringing the outside in, experts say.

Two build-to-order projects in Singapore will test beamless designs, which will give residents greater latitude in designing their living spaces. Under the system, concrete slabs can be positioned directly on a column without the need for beams.

Technology is transforming the working environment for real estate professionals and will enable targeted listings, virtual tours, document processing and could streamline appraisals, writes Goodcall CEO Bob Summers.

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Promising to work harder for housing equity, the Minneapolis Area REALTORS®—which once supported racial covenants and denied membership to Blacks—issued a public apology for its historical role in perpetuating the homeownership gap in the Twin Cities. Now the association has a plan of action to help level the playing field.

Federal Reserve officials indicated that more interest rate hikes are likely on the way and that rates could remain high until inflation moderates, according to minutes from the September meeting. However, several members also indicated that "it would be important to calibrate the pace of further policy tightening with the aim of mitigating the risk of significant adverse effects on the economic outlook."