National News

Rechat now integrated with Canva

Canva designs can now be added directly to Rechat with one click, Rechat said in a press release, further consolidating agent workflow.

REMAX: Houston home sales slip year over year in January

U.S. home sales declined 6% year over year and 32% month over month in January, according to the latest REMAX National Housing Report.  

Rate launches RateFi for borrowers using cryptocurrency

Rate has introduced RateFi, a new mortgage product that allows qualified borrowers to use verified cryptocurrency as part of their income and asset qualification without requiring liquidation. 

Housing trends in 2026: What builders are seeing

Affordability continues to be a challenge in housing, and a new report from the National Association of Home Builders shows how that’s influencing both buyers and builders in 2026. 

Amount buyers need to afford typical home falls for 2nd month in a row after 5 years of increases

After five years of worsening, housing affordability has finally started to improve, according to a new Redfin study. 

Pending home sales slip slightly in January despite improved affordability

With mortgage rates approaching 6%, 5.5 million additional buyers that could not qualify for a mortgage one year ago would qualify at today’s lower rates, the National Association of REALTORS® said. 

Report: Builders cutting prices faster than homeowners for first time

In a rare housing market shift, newly built homes saw price reductions more frequently than existing homes in late 2025 for the first time in recent history, according to a new report from Realtor.com.  

What home buyers want in 2026

As the housing market continues to adjust, design and community strategy have become drivers of buyer preference, according to Jenni Nichols, vice president of design at John Burns Research and Consulting.

Rate named official mortgage lending partner of Alianza to expand bilingual homeownership education

Rate has entered a multi-year partnership with Alianza, a national grassroots soccer platform serving Latino communities, to expand access to bilingual homeownership education and financial resources. 

Anywhere CEO Ryan Schneider departs as part of Compass merger

Ryan Schneider, former CEO of Anywhere Real Estate, has left the company following its acquisition by Compass, a representative from Anywhere confirmed. 

Advocus National Title Insurance Co. expands leadership team to scale underwriting platform nationwide

Advocus National Title Insurance Company, a Rate-acquired company, has appointed Kelli Fogarty as executive vice president, business development and Stan Czaja as executive vice president and general manager as part of a strategic effort to scale its underwriting platform nationwide. 

Super Bowl LX: The ‘Big Game’ could mean big home-value boosts for Boston and Seattle

Zillow’s Home Value Index shows that in 13 of the past 20 years, home values in the metro area of the Super Bowl champion grew faster than the national average.

Fed holds interest rates steady

The Fed said that while economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace, job growth has remained low, and inflation is “somewhat elevated.”  

NAR issues first Annual Report

The report covers the progress the organization has made toward its 2026-2028 Strategic Plan. 

Active-adult housing demand is outpacing supply

Middle-income seniors stand to be affected most by projected shortages — those who don’t qualify for subsidized housing but can’t afford new construction.

The Agency partners with Rechat

Agents affiliated with The Agency will now have access to Rechat’s CRM, the People Center, as well as a range of tools including a marketing center and an AI agent assistant.

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