Day: March 14, 2019
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Housing Ecosystem Hit by Historic Government Shutdown
At the time of this writing, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended after 35 days, lasting from Dec. 22, 2018 to Jan. 25, 2019. While the shutdown has ended, there’s always the potential for another as political unrest remains. Regardless of what the future holds, many government agencies have been affected, causing federal…
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The Future of Real Estate Investment: Opportunity Zones
According to the 2017 Distressed Communities Index by the Economic Innovation Group, one in six Americans, approximately 17 percent of the population, live in economically-distressed communities, and the average state has 15.2 percent of its population living in these struggling areas. The new Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentive was created as part of the 2017…
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How the Passing of Bill SB 826 Stands to Disrupt California Real Estate Businesses
In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the SB 826 bill into law, a landmark legislation requiring female representation on corporate boards. Specifically, the bill requires that at least one woman be on the board of publicly-held companies in California by year-end 2019. Despite concerns over its potential efficacy, the bill is an important step…
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Artificial Intelligence in Real Estate: How to Leverage the Disruption
Discussions about how artificial intelligence (AI) will alter the workforce as we know it is a hot topic among thought leaders, including those in the housing and real estate ecosystem. While some fear that improvements in machine learning and cognitive intelligence will present a threat to jobs—which is certainly an important concern—others see AI as…
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How Agents Can Better Serve Single-Women Homebuyers
Married couples might comprise the greatest share of homebuyers, but single women follow close behind, especially retired women over the age of 55, according to the Wall Street Journal. Gone are the days when women had to wait until marriage to buy a home; now, women are feeling more confident in creating their own sanctuary…
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Increasing Gender Diversity Without Quotas
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) continues to be a priority in the corporate world, especially in the housing ecosystem. To increase opportunities for women, some have advocated legislative action. One example is California’s potential SB 826 bill, a law that would require the state’s largest public companies to have at least one woman on their board…
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Building an Authentic Client Base On and Offline
When the Pew Research Center began measuring social media usage in 2005, 5 percent of U.S. adults used at least one social media platform. Today, 69 percent of the public utilizes some form of social media.
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Blockchain Won’t Make Real Estate Agents Obsolete
Blockchain is an emerging technology that’s impacting the way industries conduct business, especially real estate. Not much is known about blockchain among the general public besides its association with bitcoin. While real estate professionals should pay attention to this new trend—as it will significantly change transactions and data-sharing—it will not make their careers obsolete. Agents…
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Affordable Housing and HELOC Deductibility Under New Tax Laws
The new tax bill passed by Congress in December 2017, celebrated as the Trump Administration’s first major legislative victory, will have inadvertent consequences for potential homebuyers looking to buy homes in high-end markets, and for those with a home equity line of credit (HELOC). A decrease in home prices and caps on tax deductions, among…
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Women of Color: A Powerful Demographic for the Future
The statistics are captivating: American Express OPEN’s 7th Annual State of Women-Owned Businesses Report reveals that businesses owned by women of color have grown 467 percent since 1997. Numbering 5.4 million, minority women-owned businesses comprise 46 percent of all women-owned firms, have over 2 million employees and generate $361 billion in annual revenue. In the…