Kama Burton provides a safe space for troubled youth in California to express themselves, build camaraderie and chart a more positive path forward in life. Kama Burton heard that girls were getting into fights at school. The fights were so frequent that they disrupted the school day for most of the students, many of whom …
Category: Real Estate Tips
Sep 03
Ohio REALTOR® Supports High School Basketball Players Living in Poverty
Kelly Whelan organized her sphere to provide clothes and food to an inner-city team struggling to find the resources to excel. When Kelly Whelan’s sons were grown and out of the house, she suddenly found herself praying for a new purpose in life. For Whelan, a sales associate with Star One Real Estate in Cincinnati, …
Sep 03
REALTOR® Shows Kids Why They Don’t Need Weapons
Ken Richardson brings at-risk youth off the streets and into local gyms to teach them martial arts—and help them turn away from gang violence. When he was a teenager in 1981, Ken Richardson’s younger brother was shot and killed in gang violence. Coming from an abusive home, Richardson and his siblings grew up on the …
Aug 26
Boston REALTOR® Memorializes Jewish Town Wiped Out in Holocaust
David Wluka has brought back to life the history of Nowy Dwór, a Polish village that was decimated by Nazis in World War II. Now he’s helping to teach local schoolchildren to honor the Jewish legacy of their area—which they never knew about. In the mid-Eastern region of Poland sits a lush, small town known …
Aug 23
REALTOR® Helps Give Homeless Families a Second Shot
Arizona agent Barbara Guy leads House of Refuge, a transitional housing facility, to get more people off the street and into a home. When Barbara Guy was growing up in Phoenix, her grandparents owned a motel in a poor neighborhood. Most of the motel’s guests were long-term residents. “That was affordable housing,” says Guy, SRES, …
Aug 22
San Francisco REALTOR® Brings Critical Lifelines to Asian Community
Mary Liu helps underserved children locally and abroad receive life-changing medical care while also giving Asian Americans a tool to combat hate. REALTOR® Mary Liu was born with a cleft palate and lip that required eight surgeries to correct. It was thanks to the help of several nonprofit organizations that she was able to receive …
Aug 22
Decade-High Rates Deeply Cut Into Contract Signings
Pending home sales are posting annual losses in the double-digits as home buyers continue to back away from the market due to surging mortgage rates. House hunters are backing away from the housing market as mortgage rates continue to rise sharply. The National Association of REALTORS®’ newly released Pending Home Sales Index—a forward-looking indicator of …
Aug 21
Next Real Estate Star on the Future of the Luxury Market
Mauricio Umansky, husband of “Real Housewives” star Kyle Richards, has his own show following his brokerage, The Agency. He offers a peek inside the occu-soap “Buying Beverly Hills” and makes predictions for high-end housing in 2023. Mauricio Umansky’s The Agency(link is external) caters to the rich and famous. As CEO and founder of the billion-dollar …
Aug 21
Why Appraisers Say ‘We Have Targets on Our Backs’
How professionals are managing the biggest obstacles to the home valuation process. From allegations of appraiser bias in the home valuation process to new controversial methods of conducting an appraisal, the profession is under intensifying scrutiny—and a new National Association of REALTORS® survey offers insights into these challenges. Many appraisers express dissatisfaction with the impact …
Aug 16
Can You Talk to an Appraiser?
Nineteen percent of real estate professionals say they avoid having any interaction with an appraiser, mostly fearing they’re not legally allowed to. Forty-seven percent of real estate professionals say they have had a transaction fall through due to a problem in the appraisal process, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2022 Appraisal Survey. The …
Aug 16
5 Ways Your Clients’ Credit Affects You
You know that client credit is critical for mortgage approval, but are you aware of the impact it can have on your real estate business? Your clients’ credit is relevant in many more ways than just getting approved for a mortgage. You may be surprised to know that their scores have implications for your business …
Aug 15
Spread the Word
At thedifference.realtor you’ll find language and assets, like social media graphics and email signature banners, that you can use every day. As president, I’ve had the privilege to meet thousands of you either in person or virtually and to experience the good work you do. I can truly say that REALTORS® bring it home for …
