Though the holidays are historically one of the slower seasons in real estate, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any house-hunters out there looking to ring in the New Year in a new home. To strike the right note, make sure to show prospective buyers how your home can meet their holiday needs, without a lot of distracting decorations.
Interior designer Daniel Kocu, with InterRent REIT, has identified several do-it-yourself trends for 2026, including painting shelves and ceilings to add visual interest, creating spa-like bathrooms and outdoor relaxation areas, and incorporating reading nooks. The trends reflect a shift toward minimalism and sustainability, with a focus on creating serene and uncluttered living spaces.
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Homeowners often regret certain renovations, according to interior designers and contractors. For example, marble countertops stain easily, so professionals frequently recommend more durable alternatives like sintered stone, which can mimic marble’s look while offering greater resistance to stains and daily wear. Meanwhile, open floor plans have people seeking more privacy, and designers are using solutions like hidden pocket doors and sleek glass partitions framed by steel.
One of the biggest stressors for home buyers and sellers is the prospect of being financially responsible for two homes. To avoid that possibility, many buyers make their offer contingent on the sale of their existing home. But contingencies can weaken buyers’ chances of landing the home they want. So, some buyers lean on personal loans, piggyback loans or even their 401(k) savings.
Find out why more borrowers are temporarily tapping the equity in their current home to avoid making a contingency offer on their next home.
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In the latest issue of Magnolia Journal, Joanna Gaines shares her five must-have elements for a functional and welcoming entryway: hooks for organization, mirrors to brighten the space, surfaces for convenience, catchall dishes for small items and ample storage. Gaines emphasizes that these essentials can be adapted to any space, from large foyers to small apartment entries, for style and practicality.
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When it comes time to look for ways to renovate or spruce up your house, the kitchen is an important room to prioritize. It’s the heart of your home, and it’s a space that needs to be functional above all. Fortunately, there are plenty of stylish kitchen upgrades you can do on a budget.
The home remodeling site Houzz weighed in with the home trends heating up this summer, from color-drenched palettes and wood-focused spaces, to beverage stations and more. Discover the home design styles driving the most online searches!
The home remodeling boom continues, as homeowners leverage their equity to take on a range of house projects, large and small. But are they choosing the best projects to help boost their home’s resale value?
A fancy kitchen upgrade or bathroom renovation may have a significant impact on potential buyers. But for projects that recoup most or all of their cost, owners should think smaller, according to the newly released 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, conducted by the National Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Swapping out the front door for steel, for example, is likely to get the most bang for the buck.
Check out family-friendly showers and “future-proofing,” and what the latest home trends tell us about people’s approach to bathing.
There was a time, before multiple listing services existed, that brokers marketed property only through yard signs, word of mouth and individual advertising. That one-to-one marketing system limited exposure. Using code words or not, it was easy to control who was able to purchase property when property was advertised only to certain people. A buyer who was not deemed suitable by the real estate broker and the seller would never learn of the availability of the property. With the advent of the MLS, a listed property is marketed broadly, to all potential buyers, regardless of whether the buyer is known to the listing broker and regardless of what the buyer looks like or how the buyer thinks. Most MLSs introduce property to worldwide buyers through a download to various real estate internet sites through syndication and IDX feeds. The ability to expose a seller’s property to the broadest market is the very reason MLSs were created in every corner of the country.
In Washington, most residential brokers are members of NAR and/or NWMLS and most residential brokers find value in marketing residential property through the MLS to which the broker belongs. For decades, NWMLS rules have required listing brokers to input their listings in the NWMLS database for sharing with other brokers and buyers. More recently, NAR adopted a similar policy known as the Clear Cooperation Policy. These policies undeniably further fair housing goals. The policies have some key differences but the over-arching driver for both policies is the same: when a marketed property receives broad exposure, more buyers have an opportunity to purchase the property, regardless of whether the buyer knows the listing broker or not. There are benefits to sellers when more buyers view seller’s property. In very general terms, more buyers for a property will typically improve the seller’s price and terms through competitive negotiations.
Common sense suggests and history shows that the best way to provide exposure of seller’s property to the largest number of buyers and buyers who demonstrate a diversity of background and thought, is through the MLS. The MLS is the one and only central repository for information regarding the availability of real estate in a localized area. While there are lots of websites and other real estate promotional opportunities, each MLS offers the most comprehensive database of available properties within its region. It is the only reliably viable option for buyers to view property outside the presence of seller and listing broker. Thus, an MLS policy creating an obligation on listing brokers to market residential property through the MLS is a policy that promotes the goals of fair housing.
If a broker operates outside the framework of the broker’s MLS to market property, many buyers, if not most, will never know the property is available. “Pocket listings”, or as they are sometimes called, “shadow listings” or “off-market listings”, will be seen only by the buyers who are introduced to the property by the listing broker or the seller. This begs a simple question. If a property’s availability is exposed only to acquaintances of seller or listing broker, what is the likelihood that the property will be exposed to potential buyers who look and think differently from seller and listing broker? Said differently, what is the likelihood that a property which is made available only to the acquaintances of seller and listing broker will sell to a buyer who is a member of a protected class under fair housing laws? Any chance is significantly diminished as neighborhoods retain long established consistency of race, religion and other immutable characteristics.
As is the case with seemingly all industry policies these days, there is enormous controversy and confusion swirling around these MLS mandatory listing policies. Politics, personal biases, fears and uncertainty often drive frustration and anger. Cutting through all the chaos, these MLS listing policies result in a goal that every real estate broker should be able to cheer. The policies result in a market where every buyer, regardless of color, creed, religion, sexual preference, disability or any other immutable characteristic has access to purchase residential property. There should be no confusion or controversy. That is a worthy goal and policies designed to achieve that goal should be embraced by all industry members.
(Excerpt from Washington Realtors® News & Media; written by Annie Fitzsimmons, WR Legal Hotline Lawyer)
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