NAR has been preparing the real estate industry for the changes, and the Aug. 17 implementation date is upon us. If you've been following facts.realtor, NAR's hub for settlement resources and information, you should be prepared to implement these changes in your business. Still, it never hurts to get a refresher on how the practice changes impact you and your clients. Start here.

Sales managers should focus on the future when coaching salespeople instead of relying only on performance metrics, which measure past results, advises author and sales expert David Brock. "Our jobs, as leaders, is to help maximize the performance of each person on our team," Brock writes.

Salespeople should harness the power of short-term videos to capture sales prospects, write Kipp Bodnar and Kieran Flanagan, hosts of the "Marketing Against the Grain" video podcast. Short-form videos can help capture new audiences and differentiate businesses, while providing reassurance that the video is created by human beings rather than AI.

"While there's been plenty of speculation about how the rule changes will impact the industry," writes Compass CEO Robert Reffkin in a new op-ed, "one thing is certain to me: Consumers will always want to have a skilled, dedicated professional by their side to help them fulfill their dream of owning a home and finding their place in the world."

Renting a starter home was more cost-effective than buying in all 50 major U.S. metropolitan areas last month, according to a Realtor.com report. Costs associated with buying were $1,067 higher per month than those linked to renting. However, the rent-buy cost gap has declined in some areas compared with last year.

Mortgage rates have dropped to their lowest level in over a year, but the decline is unlikely to significantly affect home affordability due to persistent high housing prices, limited inventory and economic uncertainties. The average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages dropped below 6.5% last week and is expected to fall further by the end of next year, but most of the decreases based on rate-cut expectations may already be factored in.

A recent study suggests that people may process information differently on their smartphone as compared with their laptops or other devices. "Our research describes critical attributes of a mobile mindset, in which consumers are more self-focused and less 'other-focused' on their smartphones than on their PCs," says study co-author Kristen Ferguson of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.

Missouri real estate pro Linda Brown's tiny-home villages have provided 70,000+ nights of safe, permanent housing.

Now is a time for the association to listen and respond to member feedback and evolve to continue serving their changing needs, NAR Interim CEO Nykia Wright says in a new episode of the "Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered" podcast. Hear her vision for NAR's future.

Safehold's portfolio has grown from $350 million worth of assets to $6.5 billion since going public seven years ago, and multifamily properties account for about half of its ground lease holdings. "Modern ground leases build on the idea that land itself is an asset and that it makes sense to bifurcate the land from the development on top of the land," says Chief Investment Officer Tim Doherty. The structure also can be an effective tool to support the development of affordable housing, as illustrated by the REIT's recent closure on ground leases for projects in San Jose and Concord, Calif.

Vice President Kamala Harris plans to offer up to $25,000 for first-time homeowners to tackle voter concerns over high housing costs. The proposal, part of her economic policy to be detailed in North Carolina, aims to expand a previous initiative by President Biden. Harris also seeks to boost housing construction and implement a ban on grocery price gouging. Approval from Congress would be necessary for these changes.