United States
The United States: the market, agents and brokerages, commission rules and the cases that reshape them.
California's law on digitally altered listing photos, explained
Since 1 January 2026, California licensees must flag listing images edited to change what a property shows and link to the originals. What the final text says and what stays open.
Who holds the money in a California home sale? Escrow holders explained
California lets three kinds of business hold a home sale's money and papers. Each answers to a different state regulator, and the licence, bond and reporting rules differ.
California home sale disclosures: the main rules, checked in 2026
The transfer disclosure statement, the three and five day exit, six natural hazard zones, the agent's inspection, association papers and withholding, read on 2026 texts.
Who the agent works for: California, New York and Texas forms
Buyer's agent, seller's agent, dual agent, designated agent, intermediary: what the agency disclosure papers of New York, Texas and California tell a home buyer, state by state.
Colorado's automated decision law and housing: what applies from 2027
Colorado repealed and reenacted its 2024 AI Act in May 2026. What the new law asks of those who use scoring tools in decisions to lease or buy a home, and from when.
Colorado buyers and brokers: transaction-broker, agent or customer
Colorado law makes a broker a transaction-broker unless a written agreement says otherwise, and bans dual agency. What each status means for a buyer, and how the state buyer contract sets pay.
Florida commission law: escrow disputes, referral fees and lien acts
How chapter 475 of the Florida Statutes decides who may be paid a real estate commission, what a broker does with a disputed deposit, and how the commercial lien works.
Florida foreclosure sales: how the clerk's auction works for bidders
Florida's judicial sale statute sets a 5% deposit, a 10-day objection window and a one-year surplus rule. A bidder's path from notice to certificate of title, step by step.
Becoming a Florida real estate sales associate, and staying licensed
How Florida licenses a sales associate: the 63-hour course, fingerprints, the state exam, work under a broker, 45 hours before the first renewal, then 14 hours each cycle.
Florida and Texas limits on foreign buyers: who is covered and how
Florida since 2023 and Texas since 2025 bar some foreign buyers from property. Who is covered, the one-home exceptions, the closing affidavit, penalties and the court rulings.
Florida: who a real estate licensee works for, and what they owe
Florida law presumes every licensee is a transaction broker. What that means, how a single agent differs, which notices a buyer or seller receives, and why dual agency is barred.
Illinois buyer representation: clients, customers and dual agency
What the Illinois Real Estate License Act says about written brokerage agreements, designated agents, the duties owed to clients and customers, and consent to dual agency.
Illinois: Serhant opens in Chicago as The Agency adds a Vail office
Serhant entered Chicago and the North Shore on 6 October with more than 40 agents, and The Agency announced a seventh Colorado office in Vail the same day.
Minneapolis apartment permits fell to 300 units as rents hit a high
A Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis review published on 7 October finds multifamily permitting in the city down 91.6% from 2022, while median rent reached US$1,469.
New York City's FARE Act: who pays the rental broker, and state rules
Local Law 119 of 2024 bars a landlord's agent from charging the tenant in New York City. What it says, its penalties, and the State rules on fees and shared commissions.
New York's property condition disclosure statement: a seller's guide
New York sellers of one to four family homes owe buyers a 56-question condition statement before contract. What it asks, who is exempt and what liability follows.
New York real estate salesperson licence: course, exam, fees, renewal
How New York licenses a real estate salesperson: the 77-hour course, the US$15 state exam, the US$65 application, the two-year term, 22.5 hours of continuing education and the broker step.
Texas broker responsibility: what TREC rule 535.2 asks of a brokerage
Texas makes the sponsoring broker answerable for sales agents. A guide to rule 535.2: written policies, delegated supervisors, records, names in advertising, trust money and penalties.
Texas and California: what an unlicensed brokerage assistant may do
Texas bars unlicensed assistants from open houses and cold calls; California lets them greet visitors and canvass. A task-by-task guide to both regulators' guidance, pay and penalties.
Texas and Florida property tax: exemptions, caps, appeals and bills
How a homeowner's property tax is valued, reduced, capped, challenged and paid in Texas and in Florida, and what a sale does to the assessed value, as the two states publish it.