NAR Settlement Impact Not Felt in New England, So Far
Nearly a year after the biggest national commission settlement was approved, buyer agent commissions haven’t budged much. For real estate leaders in Massachusetts, that’s just fine.
Proper Pricing Paramount in Softening Mass. Condo Market
As inventory builds up in the state’s condominium markets, sellers are confronting the reality their homes aren’t going to fetch the inflated prices they might have achieved last year.
Compass-NAR Confrontation Could Pass Over Most of Mass.
Major residential brokerage Compass is directing its agents nationwide to ignore the National Association of Realtors’ Clear Cooperation Policy. But will it change anything in Massachusetts?
Mass. Condo Market Shows Signs of Softening Amid ‘Peak Uncertainty’
The Massachusetts condo market appears to be softening. Blame buyers’ economic worries and sellers trying to beat a potential downturn.
Compass One Reignites Fight, Fears Over Private Listings
From customer protection to the basic foundations of the real estate economy, a major brokerage’s move to grow its off-market listing business could have a big impact on the Massachusetts housing market.
New Agent Commission Rules Could Spark Confusion
Industry leaders are hoping for the best but bracing for the worst, and say it could take years to sort out real estate agent compensation issues as new rules take effect this week.
DOJ Seeks to Block Settlement in MLS PIN Commission Case
Federal antitrust prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing a lawsuit against Massachusetts’ main multiple-listings service to reject a proposed settlement in the case, arguing instead that buyers should be the only ones to pay their agents’ commissions.
Ditch the Doom and Gloom About Real Estate Commissions
Associations, brokers, agents and MLS leaders shouldn’t assume that defendants in the commission lawsuits can win on appeal – and that agent commissions will go down in the lawsuits’ wake.
Analyst Predicts 1M Fewer Realtors After Commission Lawsuits
A new report by researchers at investment firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods is warning that the real estate industry could be upended by a trio of lawsuits over agent commissions, including one involving Massachusetts’ main multiple listings service.
MLS PIN Lawsuit Deal Could Up Pressure in Other Cases
A federal judge has given her preliminary approval to a deal that would settle a lawsuit between three local home sellers and the state’s largest multiple listings service, MLS PIN.
$3M Settlement Proposed in Class Action Suit Against MLS PIN
A settlement in a class action lawsuit against Massachusetts’ main residential real estate listings service has been proposed, leaving it off the hook as plaintiffs continue their battle against several large, national brokerages.
Despite Inventory Shortage, Boston Mortgage Demand Surged Last Month
New data from real estate data firm Black Knight shows that Boston-area residents are still raring to jump into the housing market, despite huge shortages in housing inventory and record-high prices.
Homebuyer Competition Returns with Spring
Many market observers believe Massachusetts is headed for another spring of multiple offers and waived contingencies, thanks to how still-high interest rates have stabilized in recent weeks.
This Month in History: Boston’s First MLS Founded
If you wanted to buy or sell a home in Greater Boston before the summer of 1955, you were in for a struggle, “hot-footing it from one broker to another.”
DOJ-NAR Lawsuits Open Up a Can of Worms for Agents, MLS Services
It’s becoming increasingly apparent that the Department of Justice wants to force buyers to pay their own commissions. How would the real estate industry change?
MLS PIN Names New CEO
The main multiple listings service for Massachusetts announced it has chosen a new leader to replace retiring President and CEO Kathy Condon.
MLS PIN Integrates Rental Beast Tools
Users of the state’s largest MLS website now have a new tool at their disposal for real estate agents marketing apartments for rent.
Why Didn’t the Pandemic Slow Down Off-Market Sales?
As home sales have soared, off-market listings – on the rise before the pandemic – have continued unabated, despite the National Association of Realtors’ approval last November of a Clear Cooperation Policy and a near-guarantee of bidding wars for MLS-listed houses.
MLS PIN Rebrands as ‘Wicked Smart’
MLS PIN, the largest multiple-listings service in Massachusetts, has relaunched its website to better support agents accessing it via mobile devices, combining the move with rebranding itself as “wicked smart.”
Housing Market Appears Poised to Slow as COVID-19 Crisis Drags On
Massachusetts’ twin public health and economic crises are starting to slow the region’s housing market, as sellers appear to be looking to wait out both.
