Top 5 REALTOR® Updates | Week of October 5th

October 7, 2015

Check out these five real estate updates to help you stay in-the-know with the latest happenings in our industry.

To aid members and REALTOR® associations in developing safety protocols, the National Association of REALTORS® has expanded its REALTOR® Safety Program resources with new classes and materials. NAR introduced a new course for REALTOR® associations to host locally for their members called Real Estate Safety Matters. The three-hour course is a critical primer on how real estate professionals can reduce and limit risk to preserve safety and deliver positive business outcomes. Read More...

2. Resources to Navigate the New Mortgage Rules

Starting on Oct. 3, the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule is to go into effect, which will merge the HUD-1 Settlement Statement, the Good Faith Estimate, and the Truth-in-Lending disclosure form into two new closing forms: a Loan Estimate and a Closing Disclosure. The new rule also aims to provide consumers with more time to review the total costs of their mortgage prior to closing. The Loan Estimate form is due to consumers three days after they apply for a loan, while the Closing Disclosure form is due three days prior to closing. Read More...

3. Facebook Revamps the Look of Your Profile

Want to grab more attention on Facebook? A video for your profile picture –such as you walking through a listing or putting up a “sold” sign -- will certainly do the trick. It’s among the changes Facebook announced this week in an overhaul to the look of users’ profiles with a slew of new mobile-friendly features and controls. Facebook soon will allow users to upload a seven-second video as a replacement for the static profile picture that tops your page. The short videos will loop as you look at profiles, and any audio on the video will only play in full-view mode after someone taps on it. Read More...

4. Apartment Boom Shows Signs of Cooling

The thriving apartment market may finally have reached its peak, according to new research by the firm Reis Inc. An increase in supply of multifamily units helped push nationwide vacancy rates up to 4.3 percent in the third quarter. About 200,000 additional rental units are expected to come onto the market this year and vacancy rates are expected to move higher in the coming quarters. But as the market cools, renters may not feel any relief with escalating rents anytime soon. Average effective rents increased 4.2 percent from the same quarter a year ago, reaching $1,166. That marks the first time since 2007 where rents have increased more than 4 percent. Read More...

5. 4 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch in 2016

Looking to gain more of an edge in your market? Being on the forefront of technology trends can certainly help, according to a new article at Forbes.com. SEO and online marketing expert Jayson DeMers recently pinpointed some of the top trends you'll see in digital marketing in the coming year. See if any of these trends could work in your real estate business. Read More...