Now is a window of opportunity for REALTORS® to adjust the way they do business, educate their clients and move forward with transactions before new practice changes take effect on Aug. 17. This prep time is also a crucial period for you to get your mind and emotions aligned and build confidence in your skills. Three new episodes of the "Drive With NAR" podcast aim to help you do just that. Listen for tips on:

• Answering buyers who have questions about the settlement.
• How to accept and adapt to change.
• Educating home sellers on cooperative compensation.

Yes. MLS participants may augment MLS data or data feeds with offers of compensation to buyer brokers or other buyer representatives for only listings of their own brokerage. Get more facts about NAR's proposed settlement agreement at facts.realtor.

With more home buyers prioritizing sustainability, real estate pros are seizing the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise by focusing on energy efficiency during showings.

Get yourself into a productive flow state by blocking off time for deep work during your peak energy hours, setting up in a location that is conducive for inspiration, delegating tasks to free up your attention and letting others know you'll be unavailable, writes Bernard Coleman, the VP of people at Swing Education. "Blocking head-down time on your Google calendar or in Outlook helps set clear boundaries and can minimize interruptions," Coleman notes.

Cara, an anti-AI social platform led by artists as an antidote to Instagram's increasing reliance on generative AI, has increased its user base from 40,000 to 650,000 since the end of May, reaching the top spot on the App Store chart. The platform, available for mobile and desktop, acts like a mix of social platform X and Instagram where artists can showcase their portfolios and share posts.

Not all cracks are the same. Learn how to separate minor cosmetic imperfections from more significant structural problems.

After intense interest, Michigan's McCartney House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, has found a buyer. "That house had 15 people tour it who were all set to make offers until they found out they can't Airbnb it," said listing agent Fred Taber of Jaqua Realtors.

Apple is rumored to be developing an AI-driven smart home robot, aimed at revolutionizing household automation. However, a successful product could be decades away, Wes Davis writes.

The town of Hamden, Conn., has received an $8.69 million state grant for a new housing development project. This funding aims to support the creation of affordable housing, enhancing the community and providing more housing options for residents.

Household net worth climbed 3.2% in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2024, spurred on by stock market gains and real estate, according to the Federal Reserve. Household net worth exceeded $160 trillion in the quarter, and it has almost doubled during the past decade.