The Gossip Report: Aug. 22, 2025
A 62nd-floor penthouse in downtown Boston’s Winthrop Center skyscraper takes the second spot in this week’s roundup of Massachusetts’ most expensive home sales.
The Gossip Report: June 27, 2025
The second home in this week’s roundup of Massachusetts’ most expensive home sales comes with the opportunity to get a new neighbor.
Real Estate Brokers Still Looking to Buy
Expect more real estate brokerage consolidations over the course of 2024 if last year’s activity is any indication. Brokerages that made acquisitions in 2023 are looking for more deals this year.
High-End Housing Markets See Softness
Some of Boston’s western suburbs and other parts of Massachusetts appear to be resisting last year’s national trend of rising luxury-home prices. And part of that could be due to the homes that were never offered for sale in the first place.
Gibson Sotheby’s Expands Again with Acquisition
Fresh off its acquisition of a Provincetown brokerage earlier this month, Boston residential real estate brokerage Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty announced it has bought Unlimited Sotheby’s International Realty.
Gibson Sotheby’s Buys Storied Provincetown Brokerage
The Boston-based brokerage is expanding its Cape Cod footprint by buying a brokerage founded by a storied figure in Provincetown home sales.
No September Inventory Bump on Cape Cod
Anecdotally, a number of industry players say they’re seeing a somewhat impressive post-Labor Day bump in the number of homes for sale on the rustic peninsula. But the latest real estate stats aren’t picking that up – at least not yet.
Housing Shortage Drowns Out Buyers’ Climate Fears
Intense competition to buy homes may be overriding any concerns buyers might have about climate-driven property risks in Massachusetts. But homes’ climate change adaptations are starting to become selling points.
With First Republic, Boston Luxury Buyers Lost Popular Source of Financing
First Republic Bank was the dominant force financing Boston’s luxury real estate scene in the last 10 years, and its sudden failure is leaving questions lingering in the air.
Condos No Shelter from Rising Prices, Agents Say
Experienced agents say there’s a number of possible reasons why more Boston-area single-family listings appear to be hanging around on the market than condos. But one thing is certain: Condos are no longer the affordable option.
MA RE Brokerages Make Ranking of Top Firms
Several Massachusetts-based residential brokerages landed spots on a list of the nation’s largest real estate firms compiled by RealTrends.
Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty Expands into New Hamsphire
In buying a five-year-old Newburyport brokerage, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty has become the latest Massachusetts brokerage working across the state line in New Hampshire.
GSIR Opens New Office in South Dartmouth
One of the biggest residential brokerages in Greater Boston and on Cape Cod is expanding its reach into the territory between the two regions.
Brokers Look Beyond Acquisitions to Boost Revenue
The chilly wind blowing through the Massachusetts housing market this fall has pushed brokers to launch a range of initiatives aimed at helping their agents survive and thrive in 2023.
More Brokerage Acquisitions on the Horizon
It’s a tough time to be a residential real estate brokerage right now. Revenue is falling along with numbers of home sales, raising the prospect that not every firm will survive next year.
In Shifting Market, Leadership and Communication Are Key
It’s time for brokers and team leaders to shine as they guide their agents through the challenging time in residential real estate. Here’s how you can do it, too.
Suburbs Gain, Downtown Lost in 2021 Market
Downtown Boston prices slumped, elite suburbs’ prices spiked, demand for second homes boomed: This is 2021 in residential real estate.
Is the Urban Market on the Rebound?
New housing data covering the first seven months of 2021 seems to suggest a shift may be underway in the urban market, while some suburban towns experienced a softening in prices.
For Mass. Remote Workers, Life’s a Beach
Homebuyers looking to retire early or work remotely from more bucolic surroundings continued to flood Cape Cod towns and some South Shore this spring, pushing median sale prices to astounding heights. These towns saw the most price growth.
Agents Thrive Amid Extreme Seller’s Market
Massachusetts’ incredibly tight market has challenged real estate agents competing for listings and clients, forcing some part-time agents to step back from the market even as others have seen their businesses grow.
