NAR President Kevin Sears joined the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered podcast answering questions about the future of NAR and the recently announced settlement agreement. The podcast can be viewed here ..read more

Last week NAR President Kevin Sears checked in from Wyoming, where he met with REALTORS® from six western states at the Region 11 Conference. Kevin’s attended many member town halls across the country to answer questions about the settlement; keep up with the latest at facts.realtor .   You can watch Kevin’s video here to learn about a valuable member service we’re offering at no additional cost, as well as how members can engage with NAR committees. This video is also in the video section of our website. Stay tuned for Kevin’s next update. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Throughout 2024, NAR is ..read more

Update from Katie Johnson, NAR Chief Legal Officer and Chief Member Experience Officer We recognize that some of you have raised questions about NAR’s recent settlement agreement and what effect, if any, it will have on commercial transactions. I want to clarify that the proposed settlement agreement—like the Sitzer-Burnett lawsuit and the copycat lawsuits—is focused on residential real estate transactions. That means most commercial transactions will not be affected. Below I have included a handful of clarifying points that can be used with commercial practitioners in your associations. I’v ..read more

Enacted in 1968 as a component of the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act is a significant legislative measure that aims to promote equal opportunity in housing-related transactions and combat housing discrimination. The following are three essential facts regarding the Fair Housing Act:   Prohibitions on Discrimination The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) forbids discrimination based on seven protected characteristics (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, and familial status) in purchasing, leasing, and financing housing. Thus, landlords, sellers, lenders, and r ..read more

Earlier this week, NAR President Kevin Sears sat down with NAR’s Real Estate Today podcast to discuss the settlement agreement and what it means for NAR, our members, and the industry ..read more

A Message from Ken Fears, NAR Director of Conventional Finance and Valuation Policy NAR along with the Mortgage Bankers Association sent a  letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Housing Authority, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac seeking confirmation that homebuyers will continue to have access to mortgage credit after the proposed settlement is complete. Specifically, NAR and MBA asked the regulators and GSEs to confirm that the custom of excluding seller's payment of commissions for buyer's agents will continue to be excluded from the limits on Interested Party Contributions ..read more

Misinformation has been pervasive in the media over real estate commissions. Here are the facts you should know. Reprinted from REALTOR® magazine The national conversation around real estate commissions reached a crescendo since the National Association of REALTORS® announced a settlement agreement that would resolve litigation brought on behalf of home sellers related to broker commissions. Brokers and agents have their own questions about what comes next for their businesses, while at the same time trying to answer consumer inquiries. And many headlines aren’t separating fact from fiction ..read more

Bill Tracking Report as of 3/29/2024 Week 3 Report Real Estate Licensing HB 155, by Representative Thomas Status: Pending Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs Position: Support   This bill would clarify that a salesperson or broker who fails to renew their license by January 1st does not have to complete the pre-licensing or post-licensing education hours required of a first-time applicant to return their license status to active status. It also would clarify that a broker who fails to renew their license by January 1st could renew their broker license without ..read more

Bill Tracking Report as of 3/22/2024 Week 2 Report Real Estate Licensing HB 155, by Representative Thomas Status: Pending Senate referral Position: Support   Clarifies that a salesperson or broker who fails to renew their license by January 1 st does not have to complete the pre-licensing or post-licensing education hours required of a first-time applicant to return their license status to active status. It also clarifies that a broker who fails to renew their license by January 1st can renew their broker license without having to spend five years requalifying as a salesperson. Propert ..read more

A Message from Ken Fears, NAR Director of Conventional Finance and Valuation Policy The recently announced settlement raised several questions regarding access to mortgages and the ability to finance agent commissions. In short, under the settlement, buyers still have the same options when it comes to compensating their representative. That is, the listing brokers can compensate the buyer broker, the seller can compensate the buyer broker, or the buyer can compensate their broker directly. Based on conversations with contacts at agencies, we believe buyers should still be able to get financin ..read more