See what directors took action on during their Thursday meeting, which closed out the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings.

No. MLS participants and buyers will still be able to enter into any type of professional relationship permitted by state law. NAR policy does not dictate:

• What type of relationship the professional has with the potential buyer (e.g., agency, non-agency, subagency, transactional, customer).
• The term of the agreement (e.g., one day, one month, one house, one ZIP code).
• The services to be provided (e.g., ministerial acts, a certain number of showings, negotiations, presenting offers).
• The compensation charged (e.g., $0, X flat fee, X percent, X hourly rate).

Get more facts about NAR's proposed settlement agreement at facts.realtor.

You're an independent contractor, and you're in charge of our own career. Your successes and failures are largely in your hands. Here's how to go from "newbie" to "groovy."

Lori Richardson, a sales strategist at Score More Sale, said that more women should consider sales as a profession due to flexible hours and compensation based on sales outcomes. "Sales can be a roller coaster and is not for everyone—but it is a profession I think everyone—especially women should try for at least two years, because anything you learn in sales you can apply in life," Richardson said.

Preventative measures help homeowners mitigate the risks and costs of weather-related damage while increasing sustainability.

While new listings are increasing, providing some relief for homebuyers in the tough U.S. housing market, the quality of these properties is noticeably declining. Despite high demand, buyers are hesitant to commit to fixer-uppers, leading these homes to linger on the market longer and often sell at discounts due to the extensive repairs needed to make them livable.

Average multifamily rent growth could start to accelerate in the second half of the year amid positive absorption, according to CBRE. In the first quarter, there was a net absorption of 52,500 units, which was the third-strongest tally for the quarter in more than 20 years, CBRE noted.

Vacation property owners in New England are increasingly integrating smart-home technology into their homes, such as energy-efficient thermostats and advanced security systems, to enhance the utility and security of their properties. Matthew H. Cole, president and CEO of Cape Associates, highlights that these technologies are becoming essential, with a significant uptick in adoption shown by a YouGov report indicating that many Americans now own at least one smart-home device.

Four congressional representatives with real estate backgrounds have formed the Bipartisan Housing Caucus, which will focus on highlighting the nation's affordable housing needs and spurring development. A number of organizations, including Nareit, are supporting the new caucus.

Interest rates likely need to be held higher for longer to lower inflation, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins says. "The recent upward surprises to activity and inflation suggest the likely need to keep policy at its current level until we have greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2%," Collins says, noting that "the recent data lead me to believe this will take more time than previously thought."