Wondering what you missed this week? Find out with Inman's Top 5 most-read stories of the week.
Virtual Staging AI ensures you’ll never market an empty room again: Tech Review
Do you hate marketing an empty house? Virtual Staging AI offers a quick and easy-to-use solution to stage the rooms of a home virtually and save you and your client hassle. Craig Rowe offers a review of the service.
Can NAR keep real estate agents safe and sound? The Download
Each week on The Download, Christy Murdock takes a deeper look at the top-read stories of the week to give you what you’ll need to meet Monday head-on. This week: NAR’s latest Realtor safety proposal and resources for taking better care of yourself IRL and online.
3 HR experts weigh in on the bad behavior reality TV shows overlook
When shows like "Selling Sunset" normalize workplace romances between brokers and agents, the dicey issues that arise from unequal power dynamics often go unspoken, experts told Inman.
5 reasons top agents don’t worry about commission lawsuits
Although the bombshell commission lawsuits are scary, Inman contributor Chase Williams writes, it's time to focus on the things you can control and move forward.
Should you follow everyone who follows you on Instagram?
Sue "Pinky" Benson tells you how to tell the difference between legit Instagram followers and those who are boosting your count without adding value.
Agents, stay off my grass and don’t knock on my door
While the conversation around door-knocking is compelling, it's not a prerequisite for success in the real estate business, writes Teresa Boardman. She offers a variety of alternatives if door-knocking just isn't your thing.
Housing counseling agency sues its founder for alleged fraud
The National Asian American Coalition said only a small percentage of the counseling sessions it billed California $12 million for was actually provided.
New tech company looks to Humaniz agent recruiting
Using automated outreach and qualification workflows, Humaniz removes the manual, repetitive tasks to shrink the process and allow business managers to merely decide from a system-delivered list of sound candidates, the company said.
Zillow appoints new CFO amid push to build ‘housing super app’
Jeremy Hofmann has played a key role in the super app push so far and also oversaw Zillow's acquisition of ShowingTime, the company said.
Florida bans Chinese citizens from buying real estate over 2 acres
On May 8, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 264. The new law restricts real estate purchases in the state by citizens of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria.
‘Innovative’ digital-ad builder Adwerx lands $3M in funding
The company set the standard for easy digital advertising campaigns for real estate agents and brokerages, using retargeting and fast onboarding to place agents across the internet.
Meet Selling Sunset’s newest agent, Bre Tiesi
You might know Bre Tiesi from headlines about her son with Nick Cannon or her ex, Johnny Manziel, but right now she's focused on shaking up the Selling Sunset cast. Get the Real Tea on Bre Tiesi and her first season at The Oppenheim Group.
Broker Spotlight: Molly Townsend, The Agency New York
Learn how this New York broker navigates the high-stakes "grit and glam" of residential real estate in the Big Apple.
Sam Zell, billionaire real estate investor, dies at 81
The founder and chairman of Equity Residential had interests spanning real estate, manufacturing, healthcare and media, among other sectors.
Your guide to mastering the luxury market and community building
Watch the new Inman Access classes and learn the essentials for breaking into the luxury market and the importance of creating community.
Q1 2023 earnings roundup: Has real estate adjusted to the new normal?
Check out the earnings-related news to see how your brokerage or favorite real estate-related investment fared in the first three months of 2023.
US existing-homes sales plunge in April as inventory climbs above 1M
Economic headwinds and booming interest rates pushed sales down by 3.4% in April as inventory soared 7.2% above March, according to National Association of Realtors data released Thursday
6 takeaways from NAR’s midyear conference
From voting to raise membership dues to requiring fair housing training to learning best practices for artificial intelligence, Realtors are steering their own fate in the industry.
Sisu claims transaction revolution is underway with portal 2.0 update
Sisu, a proptech that combines sales cycle and workflow automation with performance tracking technology, said Client Portal 2.0 aims to refine how agent teams interact with critical vendors.