The Close Staff

Immigration is shaping housing demand in key U.S. markets — but not driving national rent trends. Here’s what real estate professionals need to know.

Real Brokerage topped $2 billion in 2025, using AI, fintech and a cloud-based model to grow agents, transactions and pressure traditional rivals.

Opendoor is back in mortgages with a new in-house beta, signaling a bigger push to control more of the homebuying transaction from start to finish.

RenoFi raised a $22M Series B to scale its AI-enabled renovation lending platform, expanding access to financing based on a home’s after-renovation value rather than today’s appraisal.

SoftBank’s $4B agreement to acquire DigitalBridge spotlights growing demand for data centers, and the real estate drivers behind them, from powered land to entitlements and timelines.

reAlpha has signed a deal to acquire InstaMortgage for about $8.5M, adding direct lending and multi-state reach. Here’s what the transaction could mean for agents, timelines, and compliance.

Mortgage borrower satisfaction jumped 33 points. Here’s what’s driving the rise, and how agents can adapt with lender partners.

Looking at the five social media shifts shaping real estate marketing in 2026, and practical steps to adapt and convert attention into leads.

Zillow’s latest analysis of shopper activity ranks Rockford, Illinois, as the most popular market in the U.S. and highlights how affordability and access to job centers continue to shape demand.

Sponsored property cards have appeared on Google Search in select U.S. markets, raising questions about lead routing, listing visibility, and portal competition.

ICE Mortgage data shows servicers are keeping more refinance customers as rate-and-term activity returns.

Amid a $1.7 trillion refi wall, rapid AI adoption, and elevated agent churn, smart brokerages are redesigning their org charts around six roles that better align tech, talent, and risk.