Consumers are demanding increased transparency about how their personal information is being used. Watch this video for best practices when handling sensitive client data.

Discussions over the past few years have highlighted the potentially insensitive connotations associated with this once-common term in property descriptions.

Since recent bank failures, businesses now are paying better attention to protecting their cash deposited in financial institutions, writes Benjamin Verschuere, co-founder of Treasure Financial. Never keep more than what's FDIC-protected in any one bank account, spread funds among several financial institutions, stash cash in securities or other safe instruments that pay a good return, and do a regular evaluation of your deposit safety, Verschuere says.

Tapping into a potential buyer's emotions, and understanding them, can help improve sales success, and getting beyond the surface requires asking certain open-ended questions, listening so they feel heard, contextualizing and telling stories. "Sales professionals who want to stay relevant and successful in modern sales must learn how to uncover and identify buyer emotions and position their products accordingly," writes Anita Nielsen, president of LDK Advisory Services.

More than 950,000 multifamily units are under construction across the country, according to the Census Bureau, and a recent Green Street report suggests that the Sun Belt could be particularly exposed to the new supply. The wave of development could affect rental rates, although both Camden Property Trust and MAA indicated during earnings calls that they expect any negative impact to be short-lived.

A RentCafe study shows construction of single-family rental homes jumped 47% year over year in 2022 and reached a record high. The total of 14,500-plus homes is more than twice the pre-pandemic pace of homebuilding, with growth spurred by pandemic-related lifestyle changes, as well as elevated interest rates and housing prices, the study shows.

Artificial intelligence could assist with or automate certain crucial tasks, including data entry, data processing and financial analysis. Still, human expertise remains essential for putting financial data into the proper context and understanding the nuances of an industry.

American artist Edward Hopper left a lasting legacy that influenced one real estate broker to become an arts education advocate. Learn how you can stretch your community service beyond this week's REALTOR® Volunteer Days.

Brunswick, Maine, officials are considering a new housing ordinance that would require developers to make a portion of their rental units more affordable, while also offering incentives for the creation of additional affordable units.

Indermit Gill, chief economist at the World Bank, has called its latest findings on the world's economic outlook "another gloomy report." While the it has raised its estimate of GDP growth in 2023 to 2.1% from the 1.7% it projected in January, Gill said the bank expects "last year's sharp and synchronized slowdown to continue to this year into a sharp slowdown," exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war and high central bank interest rates.