Opinion
Legislature Has Hands Full with Housing Bill
Gov. Maura Healey’s signature piece of housing legislation got its first hearing on Beacon Hill last week, a marathon affair that suggested that many of the main battle lines are being drawn over policy, not the bill’s fiscal impacts.
ChatGPT and Python: The Dynamic Duo Redefining Real Estate Marketing
If you want to become a dominant player in your market in 2024, it’s time to leave behind many of the old-school marketing and lead-generation strategies from the past.
Four Business Lessons from the Boston Tea Party
I am a business school professor who often drives by the Tea Party site while taking his wife to work. Each time, I ponder the lessons this “party” has for people in business. Many aren’t obvious.
Trust Gap Muddies Mayor’s Message
Wu is essentially asking developers to trust her over the next year as she tries to achieve things previously considered pie-in-the-sky dreams. But it’s hard for some parts of the real estate community to do that.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: NAR Merry-Go-Round
Step right up, folks! Ride the fastest ride in real estate: The National Association of Realtors President merry-go-round.
New Year, New Housing Policy Choices on Beacon Hill
Gov. Maura Healey’s housing bill boldly proposes a huge increase in affordable housing spending and equally needed policy reforms. But one provision, a transfer tax, would set Massachusetts back.
The DEI Lesson for Leaders in Dr. Claudine Gay’s Resignation from Harvard
Corporate leaders beware. These are not one-off actions that affect only academic institutions. They are the latest salvos in an escalating war against a key tool for future corporate success.
Is a Boston Housing Tax Break Really Just a ‘Work in Progress’?
Wu’s decision not to move forward at this time disappointed housing developers with projects stalled on the drawing boards, but industry circles aren’t losing hope just yet.
You Rarely Know All Your Agent Does
Good real estate agents go to great lengths to bring a deal to fruition. And much of what they do is behind the scenes, so you’ll never see it. And you think they don’t earn their commissions?
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Dominoes Falling
With office buildings finally starting to sell in downtown Boston — often at huge discounts to pre-pandemic purchase prices — it’s not long before these falling dominoes hit city coffers.
Is Something Frightening Hiding in REIT’s Retrenchment?
Moves by the California-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities to dump a significant slice of its Boston-area life science real estate portfolio speak volumes about the state of the local lab market, none of it good.
Banks Have a Powerful Tool Many Aren’t Using
With rules around special purpose credit programs now clarified, big names in the industry are turning to this 50-year-old tool to make a big difference in the lives of New England families.
Bankers Getting Squeezed by Collective Action Problem
Anyone hoping for a big drop in commercial lending rates this year should find Nika Cataldo’s story in this week’s issue sobering. There’s only so far any one bank can lower its loan interest rates before eating too far into its already-shrinking profit margin.
Too Many Agents, Too Little Training
Most brokerages tend to hire anyone who can fog a mirror, turning them loose with hardly any training other than what they learned to pass their licensing tests. And as a result, the business is overrun with too many agents chasing too few deals.
The Transformational Opportunity in Allston
The I-90 Allston Multimodal Project is more than just a road repair project. It sets Greater Boston up for the future by unlocking billions of dollars in economic growth, new jobs and new affordable housing.
Boost Your Real Estate Game with These Hot Data Tips
The National Association of Realtors’ 2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is packed with insights that can help you take your business to the next level in 2024.
Watch Out: Real Estate Slumps Bring Recessions
On paper, the economy couldn’t look finer. But little if any attention is paid to an iceberg looming ahead – the massive and growing real estate slump – the kind of iceberg that typically prefigures a recession.
How to Get DEI Right in 2024
The year is going to be another year filled with cultural landmines for companies. But the cost of reversing DEI commitments will be far greater than most companies realize – as much as $5.4 trillion.
Communities Are Rezoning. Now What?
It’s easy to fear these welcome developments will prove to be too little, too late for rapid, transformational change to our rental and for-sale housing markets. In this context, it’s more vital than ever that state legislators pass Gov. Maura Healey’s housing bond bill quickly.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Happy (?) New Year
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