An Indiana real estate agent tells her harrowing story of being attacked at a vacant property. Thought leaders assess the real estate industry’s effectiveness at highlighting workplace safety issues and discuss how real estate agents and brokers can consistently avoid becoming a victim of crime. Plus, an honest take on the threat level for women versus men.

When Jenean Watson was searching for an avenue to give back to her community, she tapped her local REALTOR® association in Sacramento, Calif., for ideas. That opened doors leading to the creation of a homebuyer expo, which now educates hundreds of underserved would-be owners. Watson joins 2020 Good Neighbor Linda Brown—who builds tiny home villages for people experiencing homelessness—and host Marki Lemons Ryhal to discuss how to build a plan of action for your philanthropic passion....

Many of your clients want to upgrade their home or commercial space to be more energy efficient. But the question is: What do they need to invest in to achieve that goal? Should they replace all their windows? Purchase all-new Energy Star appliances? Install a new HVAC system? Location is a determining factor when deciding which green upgrades will earn the greatest return on investment. But there isn’t universal agreement. For example, while 36% of REALTORS® say solar panels increase the...

You and your clients feel it every day: the inventory crunch. Your clients are frustrated with too few options on the market, and you might be feeling stuck, wondering what you can do to make the situation better. You’ll find that your voice as a REALTOR® is one of the most important tools you have to create change for your clients. Drive With NAR host Marki Lemons Ryhal talks to two REALTORS® on both the residential and commercial sides of the business about the inventory issues in their...

A lot has been happening in America’s schools lately. Battles over the appropriateness of classroom curriculum and books in school libraries have captured the national conversation. This may lead to more questions from your clients about the suitability of local schools for their children. You must remember that it’s a violation of fair housing law to give customers your opinion about school quality and steer them toward or away from certain schools. But what can you discuss with clients, and...

Potentially the most contentious part of a real estate transaction, the appraisal can cause angst for both agents and their clients. Buyers and sellers want reassurance that the value of the home will hold up, but you, as the real estate pro, may think it’s completely out of your hands. Not so, say two appraisers who also have experience working as agents. In this episode, listen to their advice on how agents can work ethically with appraisers to ensure a fair and accurate property valuation.

You’re excluding a lot of potential customers by not serving different types of communities. Two REALTORS® explain why DEI is a business decision.

New agents may find it challenging to win over potential clients’ trust when they don’t have a track record in real estate to point to. Even experienced agents who are entering a new niche may have trouble articulating their competence in a market that’s unfamiliar to them. This is when you can amplify your status as a REALTOR®. Two pros who are in the early stages of their career explain how they used the REALTOR® brand, among other tools, to assuage prospects’ concerns about their...

As you prepare for the year ahead, are you creating a business plan for 2023 that not only supports your professional growth but also your work-life balance? Two REALTORS® who lead agent development at their companies discuss how to use your annual business “roadmap” to set expectations for both your job and your life.

You may think of professionalism in terms of how you’re dressed for client appointments, whether you respond to calls and emails in a timely manner, or what you say out loud when you’re touring a home. But your interactions with clients aren’t the only consideration when thinking about your level of professionalism. What about how you work with cooperating agents or take advice from brokers and mentors? Two REALTORS® who have helped develop the Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) platform, which...

  Evolving wire fraud schemes and ransomware attacks are putting you and your clients at risk every day. Randy Hatada, CRS, broker-owner of Xpand Realty in Las Vegas, had his company’s phone line—which was in operation for 13 years—taken down and held for ransom. Bill Soffel, president and CEO of ERA Team VP Real Estate in Chautauqua, N.Y., has helped his agents and their clients recover from wire fraud schemes. They share their difficult experiences bouncing back from these scams and impart...

Jen Stanbrough lost her close friend and fellow real estate agent Ashley Okland, who was shot and killed at an open house in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2011. Kitty Wallace was stalked for months, finding notes on her windshield from a man who had three years’ worth of her real estate ads in his trunk. These two REALTORS® say practitioners can’t ignore the inherent risks of their job and must adjust how they interact with clients to put safety top of mind. Listen to their stories for yourself.

People in countless communities across the country need help every day, and REALTORS® are stepping up to fill the void. Whether it’s providing holiday meals to neighbors or giving a local high school band new instruments, REALTORS® are showing up for their communities. We spoke to two community development advocates, Maria Landmesser, managing broker of the RE/MAX Concepts office in Ankeny, Iowa, and Ryan Gable, CEO of StartingPoint Realty in Palatine, Ill., about how they got started in...

Energy efficiency and sustainable home features may have seemed trendy a couple of decades ago, but now they’re becoming must-haves for today’s buyers. Two REALTORS® who have built their businesses in green real estate—Jan Green, an EcoBroker in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Christopher Matos-Rogers, founder of the sustainability-focused Matos-Rogers Group in Atlanta—share steps they took to break into the sustainability market, how green homes are changing and what other pros need to know about...

First-time homebuyers today have more access to information than ever before. Thanks to reality television and the ubiquity of social media, first-time buyers often come to transactions knowing exactly what they want and what they don’t. But the current market—complete with rising prices,multiple-offer situations, and slim inventory—poses new challenges for this group. Two REALTORS®, Bethany Nolan and Blair Myers, share their experiences with first-time homebuyers in their respective areas,...

From flood insurance to transportation and infrastructure, it’s critical for real estate professionals to understand and advocate for policy initiatives that build strong communities on the federal, state, and local levels. We speak with two REALTORS® who've walked the halls on Capitol Hill and in their home state of Illinois to push initiatives protecting property rights and promoting a vibrant business environment. Dan Wagner is senior vice president of government relations at the Inland...

Issues of equality, including fair housing, are often viewed through the prism of the struggle between Blacks and whites. But that vantage point excludes many other people of different backgrounds who may continue to feel invisible. Three REALTORS® who identify with underrepresented minorities—Lorraine Arora, ABR, GRI, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Alexandria, Va.; Stephen Beard of Keller Williams Advisors in Oakland, Calif.; and Tim Hur, CRS, SRS, of Point Honors and Associates,...

Women who serve the high-end market are showing up and showing out with major multimillion-dollar deals in residential and commercial. Two powerhouses in the luxury space, Tiffany Curry of Houston and Deena Zimmerman of Chicago share how they forged their own leadership paths and provide tips for how other women in the industry can take aim at the glass ceiling.

There’s been a renewed focus on greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the real estate industry, but how can individual agents and brokers be change-makers? Minneapolis broker Paul Ekstrom and Greenwood, CO, broker Natalie Davis talk about the steps they’ve taken to build a safe space for honest conversations in their companies. Plus, what grade does the industry deserve for its DEI efforts?

Ultra-low housing inventory and super-fast home sales mean buyers and sellers must make quicker decisions. So, consumers are turning to you for technology that can help them speed up the transaction. Do you have the right tools? REALTORS® Sam Medvene of Washington, D.C., and Kristy Hairston of Nashville, TN discuss the innovations that are helping their clients become more competitive in a challenging market.