Startup aims to bring assumable mortgages to the masses
Could a new market emerge around homebuyers taking over a seller’s existing low interest rate loan? One proptech veteran thinks so.
June 13, 2025
AJ LaTrace
Director, News Reporting
AJ has covered real estate for the last decade as a reporter and editor for publications including Vox Media's Curbed, Chicago magazine and Business Insider. At Business Insider, AJ led the brand's coverage of how everyday people invest in real estate as a means of gaining financial independence, and he reported on big-picture trends and pain points in the broader U.S. real estate market. AJ is based in Chicago, where he also moonlights as a small-time landlord.
- Investors sell off homes amid softening marketLast year saw a record-high share of investor home sales. Meanwhile, smaller investors made new gains, and the Midwest emerged as a focal point for buyers.June 11, 2025
- Baird: Chicago’s brokerage battle will be won by the ‘owner-driven’Stephen Baird of Baird & Warner has seen many brokerage giants rise and fall over the decades and believes a similar scenario may be playing out right now.June 6, 2025
- Compass CEO lambastes MLSs, NAR in fiery keynoteIn an address to Compass agents, CEO Robert Reffkin declared the debate over “choice and control” to be “the most important moment in real estate history.”June 5, 2025
- US home listings worth nearly $700 billion — a new recordOf that total, close to half — $330 billion — is tied up in stale listings as buyers remain hesitant despite rising inventory, according to a Redfin report.June 2, 2025
- The power of mortgage rates ‘cannot be overstated’Though high mortgage rates persist, a new Realtor.com survey indicates some younger potential homebuyers are growing tired of delaying their purchase plans.May 30, 2025
- Compass touts ‘transparency’ of new seller disclosure formThe 685-word document lays out possible benefits and risks — notably, less buyer interest and a lower sale price — when choosing the 3-phase marketing strategy.Updated May 30, 2025
- Where small brokerages have an edge over the giantsLeadingRE’s Jessica Edgerton explained how regional and family firms can excel by reacting to market changes quickly and building culture and trust.May 24, 2025
- How mainstream media approaches real estate reportingReporters from The Wall Street Journal and New York Times spoke to an audience of real estate execs about how they cover the industry — and contentious topics.May 24, 2025
- Anywhere ready to seize this ‘growth moment’Leaders of the company's owned and franchise brands sat down this week to discuss expansion opportunities and how women are leading the way.May 22, 2025
- eXp’s CEO has ambitious goals — and he’s ‘not going anywhere’Now that Leo Pareja holds “the keys to the battleship,” he wants to drive massive growth, and he thinks the brokerage of the future will look a lot like eXp.May 21, 2025
- MLS, association execs split on NAR’s delayed marketing policyA majority of industry execs disapprove of how the national association has handled Clear Cooperation, and some questioned NAR’s motives, a recent survey found.May 20, 2025
- Zillow soft launches ‘offer strategies’ feature on listingsThe tool shows home shoppers four different offer scenarios — and the odds of each being accepted — along with the option to connect with a partner agent.May 16, 2025
- CAR, CRMLS align on transparency, push back on private listingsPowerful residential real estate groups in California see office exclusives as a risk to consumers and the integrity of the housing market.May 15, 2025
- Homes.com aims to one-up Zillow with listings ‘boost’In response to Zillow’s ban on publicly marketed but off-MLS properties, Homes.com will provide affected agents with free premium marketing for those listings.May 9, 2025
- Compass CEO trumpets growth — and seller choiceRobert Reffkin championed the company’s listing strategy and strong Q1 numbers during an earnings call, noting that Compass continues to outpace the industry.May 8, 2025
- LPT Realty launches luxury offshoot Aperture GlobalNew brokerage brand looks to take on established luxury players and attract agents who want “cohesiveness across different states and global cities.”May 8, 2025
- A way to end private listings fight? Make Clear Cooperation the lawA draft bill in Illinois would require licensed agents to add listings to a “platform or website accessible to the general public” within a calendar day.May 7, 2025
- Redfin losses rise ahead of Rocket acquisitionDespite declines in key metrics, Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman was upbeat, saying employees were “over the moon about Rocket's vision of a home-ownership platform.”May 6, 2025
- Compass goes retro with launch of ‘Private Exclusives Book’The brokerage, which has been scaling up its private inventory, will now offer physical and digital listing books to share with agents and consumers.May 1, 2025
