NAR's Legal Action Program has quietly supported major litigation that is critical to real estate—including two recent victories at the Supreme Court.

NAR has updated its FAQs about the proposed settlement agreement to include additional information and clarity about written buyer agreements. As part of the settlement, NAR has agreed to require MLS participants working with buyers to enter into written agreements with their buyers before touring a home.

What exactly does it mean to be "working with" a buyer or to "tour a home," and do state laws affect this practice change? Find answers in questions 46 through 62 in NAR's regularly updated FAQs page at facts.realtor. Each new FAQ will appear in this newsletter over the coming days. Additional guidance about the timing of the practice changes required under the settlement is forthcoming, NAR says.

Read about the preliminary approval of the settlement, which NAR received April 24. The settlement agreement is still subject to final court approval. The final approval hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26.

Small businesses often can do more to increase sales by connecting with current customers than by working to find new ones, writes Syed Balkhi, founder of WPBeginner. It's helpful to search for upselling opportunities, keep in contact via emails or phone calls, be open to feedback and leverage the fear of missing out to create urgency.

Americans say they long for a career as a luxury real estate agent even more than as a social media influencer, according to a new survey.

Home prices were up 6.4% from the prior year in February, marking the fastest annual gain since November 2022, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index. "For the third consecutive month, all cities reported increases in annual prices, with four currently at all-time highs: San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York," said Brian Luke of S&P Dow Jones Indices. Separately, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that prices were up 1.2% in February compared with the prior month.

No business is fully immune to these types of attacks and their consequences. The prevalence of ransomware is driven by low prosecution rates and the willingness of many victims under extreme duress to pay ransoms. NAR's Emerging Technology blog tells you what you need to consider.

The Salvation Army and Wakeland Housing and Development Corp. are progressing with the development of a $119 million complex in downtown San Diego to offer housing solutions for homeless individuals and families. "What we're building is a combination of everything from short-term housing through permanent affordable housing," said Col. Lee Lescano of the Salvation Army.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has continued its campaign against what it calls "junk fees" with a new report that focuses on how mortgage and auto loan prices are structured, arguing that they are frequently overly complex, which can lead to consumers paying more than they have to. The report claims customers tend to pay more when prices are broken down into sub-parts than when they are presented with a single, bottom-line price.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index, which reflects Americans' outlook on the next six months, fell to a reading of 97 in April from 103.1 in March. An index gauging short-term expectations on income and the job market fell to 66.4, from 74 the previous month.