What the FinCEN Real Estate Rule Fight Means After the 2026 Court Vacatur

FinCEN’s residential real estate reporting rule is in legal limbo after a federal district court vacated the rule in 2026. The rule was designed to require reporting on certain non-financed residential real estate transfers to legal entities and trusts. In practical terms, it would have affected many all-cash or privately financed residential real estate transfers … Read more

Fair Housing Guide for Listing Descriptions, Tenant Screening and Lead Handling

Fair housing compliance is not limited to closing documents or lease applications. It begins with the first listing description, online ad, phone call, showing request or rental inquiry. For real estate agents, brokers, property managers, landlords and leasing teams, the risk is often practical: a listing phrase that suggests a preferred buyer, a tenant-screening policy … Read more

AI Listing Descriptions and Fair Housing: Words Agents Should Avoid

AI can write a listing description in seconds, but it can also create fair housing problems in seconds. The risk is not that AI writes badly. The risk is that it may write confidently about the wrong things: ideal buyers, neighborhood demographics, schools, safety, religious institutions, family status, disability, age or other protected-class issues. Once … Read more

Buyer-Agent Compensation After the Commission Changes: What Sellers Can Still Do

Sellers can still offer compensation to a buyer’s agent after the real estate commission rule changes, but the process is different from the old MLS-based system. The key distinction is simple: sellers still have choices, but offers of compensation cannot be listed on the Multiple Listing Service. Sellers can also offer buyer concessions, such as … Read more

Real Estate Commission Negotiation in 2026: What Consumers Should Understand

Real estate commission negotiation is now a front-end consumer conversation, not a last-minute closing detail. Buyers may be asked to sign written agreements before touring homes with an agent. Sellers negotiate listing agreements before going on the market. Both sides should understand what services they are getting, how compensation is structured and what choices are … Read more

Open Houses After Buyer Agreement Changes: What Buyers and Agents Should Know

Open houses remain one of the simplest ways for buyers to see a home, but the buyer-agreement changes have created confusion about what must be signed and when. The key rule is straightforward: a buyer who is simply visiting an open house on their own does not need to sign a written buyer agreement just … Read more

Foreign Buyers in U.S. Real Estate: Where International Demand Is Showing Up

Foreign buyers are returning to the U.S. residential real estate market, but international demand remains far below the peak years. NAR reported that foreign buyers purchased $56 billion worth of U.S. existing homes from April 2024 through March 2025, up 33.2% from $42 billion in the prior period. International buyers purchased 78,100 existing homes, up … Read more