All your clients need guidance, but none more so than first-time home buyers. NAR's newest "Consumer Guide" resource helps first-timers understand buyer agreements, financing options and why it's important to work with an agent who's a REALTOR®. Share the resource with buyers and on your communication channels. Find all the guides, also available in Spanish, at facts.realtor.

Colleen Francis suggests that addressing controversial industry topics can be a strategic advantage for salespeople, pointing to an example of a salesperson dealing with new regulations in California's energy sector. "I'm sure your clients are dealing with things that are confusing and maybe controversial, but you should tackle them because no other seller is willing to," Francis writes.

Kate Rehling outlines 12 key talent management strategies for 2025, emphasizing the importance of growth guides, recruitment, onboarding and employee engagement. Each month focuses on a specific area, such as using Growth Guides to enhance manager-employee relationships in January and conducting Culture and Engagement Surveys in June to boost productivity and retention.

LinkedIn's native video, introduced in 2017 and expanded in 2024, has shown significant potential for top-of-the-funnel awareness, with videos receiving five times more engagement than text posts. Caroline Giegerich, a LinkedIn Top Voice, found her video posts reached far more people than her written posts, but written content drove more targeted engagement.

Obsolete office suites are becoming radiant residences through creative conversions.

A $5 million closing by Marcelo Violland with Prime International Associates topped Miami-Dade condo sales last week, as the average unit price dropped slightly to $770,797. The buyer's agents for the Violland property were Jose Augusto Nunes and Yorghi Abad Mitre of Algebra Realty.com.

Hispanics are projected to account for 70% of new U.S. homeowners between 2020 and 2040, according to a study by the Urban Institute. Hear from leaders at NAHREP and the Hispanic Wealth Project on the latest market trends and growth opportunities in a video at NAR's Emerging Technology blog.

When it comes to inclusion, think beyond easily identifiable groups. There's more to consider than what you can see. "True inclusion requires considering aspects that are often left in the background," says broker Heather Hasse. Find out what that means.

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has fined Townstone Financial of Chicago $105,000 over alleged racial discrimination. The case is the second action the consumer financial watchdog agency has taken against racial bias in the mortgage industry in less than three weeks.

Norwalk, Calif., is facing a lawsuit from the state for an ordinance blocking new housing projects and homeless shelters, violating multiple state housing laws. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks to compel Norwalk to repeal the moratorium, which was initially a response to a county interim housing program.