People across the country need help every day, and you can fill the void in your area. Find out how volunteer work not only improves others' lives but also gives your business more visibility from two REALTORS® who lead local philanthropic efforts. Listen to the new episode of the Drive With NAR podcast.

Use these talking points to explain to prospects and clients that your specific knowledge is worth the money they'll pay for your services.

Using a professional template, describing connections in the community and an emphasis on the value provided to clients are key aspects of a high quality real estate bio. Sales statistics, experience and awards are also helpful.

Slashing marketing budgets to cope with an economic downturn is not the answer, writes Fulya Uygun, co-founder and CEO of Bowery Boost, a digital marketing company. Uygun explains why marketing investments during a recession can win customers and offers advice on the right kind of campaigns, writing, "Focus on ads that grab attention, possess strong imagery or visuals and a message that connects with people and creates engagement."

Greenery is in, especially for younger buyers, and this type of outdoor oasis offers a unique and aesthetically pleasing way to add a pop of plants.

Rising mortgage rates and home prices will continue to keep some prospective buyers on the sidelines, writes Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow. "For now, there are enough people who are still able to afford a home that prices continue to rise, but there are clear signs the market is starting to rebalance," Divounguy writes.

The practicalities of a utility room are something to consider during the design stage, and though they may be dedicated to function, it doesn't mean a utility room can't look great too. Discover the key considerations for a beautiful, functional utility room with this guide.

Inflation may be easing in some parts of the U.S. economy, but not in construction. An analysis by construction consultancy Rider Levett Bucknall reveals the pace of cost growth continues to pick up from a baseline in 2001 extending to the middle of this year's second quarter.

Largely untouched by market turmoil during the year's first half, financial technology startups raised $53.5 billion from venture capital investors, less than during the comparable period in 2021 but well ahead of the half-year total for 2020, according to PitchBook. "While some areas of fintech—such as neobanks and real estate lending platforms—are maturing and attracting more late-stage capital, other areas—such as decentralized finance and autonomous finance—have just begun raising early-stage institutional capital," writes Priyamvada Mathur of PitchBook.

Many families struggling to meet rising monthly living expenses are reporting higher rates of eviction and threat of eviction, according to a survey by National Public Radio, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard. Some 14% of all households are considered severely burdened by the cost of housing, and the survey found that the rate of evictions is reaching pre-pandemic levels.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Justice Department have jointly fined non-depository mortgage firm Trident Mortgage $22 million for alleged discrimination against minority families. The allegation states the firm engaged in redlining by deliberately giving unfair preference to majority over minority neighborhoods in the greater Philadelphia area, prompting Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke to comment: "Trident's unlawful redlining activity denied communities of color equal access to residential mortgages, stripped them of the opportunity to build wealth and devalued properties in their neighborhoods."