A giveback culture at these two brokerages helps the agents remain humble and prepared to support their communities for the long haul.

Great service is your best customer retention tool, but you can cement relationships with events that make customers feel special.

When leaders express deep, specific gratitude for not just the work of their team members but for each of them as individuals, it can transform both the leader and the employees, write Karin Hurt and David Dye. "Cultivating gratitude will open daily opportunities to communicate your encouragement and genuinely thank people for their choices and contributions," they write.

Resist making cuts to marketing during economic instability, writes Chris McGugan, the CEO of Televerde, who recommends doubling down on cultivating relationships with current customers and developing career pathways for top talent. "Providing employees with tools and opportunities to succeed within the business makes it much more likely that they will be invested in the success of the business," McGugan writes.

The A-frame home design has a long history worldwide and is a popular option for those buying a vacation home, especially in cold climates.

Redfin has reported a 32.1% drop in pending home sales for October compared with 2021 as sale cancellations increased to 17.9%.

Ribbon, a company that provides buyer financing and real estate broker software, has made a second round of layoffs, bringing its headcount to fewer than 30 employees. This is the latest in a wave of layoffs hitting the brokerage and mortgage industries.

Sensible, a document orchestration technology company, has raised $6.5 million in its seed round. The company will use the new capital to grow its configuration library as well as continue work on its SenseML solution and its orchestration platform for real estate and other industries.

How getting involved in philanthropy not only helps your neighbors but also raises your business profile. Listen to Drive With NAR.

Young professionals from across the country battled flight delays and cancellations during Hurricane Nicole to make it to NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience and celebrate what YPN has accomplished in the past year.

Rising rents are motivating people to move to more affordable parts of the country, especially the South, according to an analysis by Rent.com. The Northeast, meanwhile, is seeing an outflow of renters.

In observance of Thanksgiving in the US, SmartBrief will not publish Thursday and Friday.