Momentum is building in the real estate market as improving economic conditions encourage home buyers to make a move. Read more from NAR's latest housing report.

Whether in front of a small group at a sales meeting or a conference audience, these tips help ease your nerves.

Marketers aiming to reach young Hispanic audiences should consider partnering with influencers who align with Hispanic experiences and values, writes Karla Fernandez Parker, managing director of Sensis. Authentic news influencers such as Dellara and Nessa, who engage deeply with their communities, are valuable partners, Fernandez Parker explains, advising marketers to focus on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, where young Hispanics are most active.

Consumers find AI-generated video ads "more annoying, boring and confusing" than traditional ads, per NielsenIQ research. Even high-quality AI ads are less memorable and create a sense of dissonance, potentially harming brand authenticity. Marketers "need to be cautious, as our study reveals that consumers are quite sensitive to the authenticity of ad creatives, both at the implicit (nonconscious) and explicit (conscious) levels," says NielsenIQ's Ramon Melgarejo.

John Blouin with LAER Realty Partners is the listing agent for the historic Farmington, Maine, home where Gov. Janet Mills grew up. Mills' brother is seeking $265,000 for the 1890 Georgian Revival-style house, which features five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a two-story barn.

Multifamily properties could be a leading segment of the market next year, according to a CBRE forecast, as vacancies decline. Several markets have already seen deliveries peak, paving the way for improved occupancy. "With continued solid fundamentals, multifamily is the most preferred asset class for commercial real estate investors in 2025," CBRE said.

Smart homes offer convenience but also pose cybersecurity risks, such as mobile banking trojans, phishing and SIM swapping. To protect against these threats, it's important to use unique passphrases, WPA2 encryption, regular software updates, firewalls, two-factor authentication and a VPN. Consider network segregation and monitoring to further enhance security.

Every leader starts out as a beginner, and those who persevere and embrace a growth mindset are more likely to succeed, an executive coach writes. "Teaching your team to embrace a growth mindset creates a culture of continuous improvement, helping everyone feel empowered to face challenges and develop new skills," he writes.

Homebuilders' outlook for the next six months has reached its highest point since April 2022, driven by optimism about potential regulatory relief under the upcoming Trump administration, according to indexes from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. Despite ongoing challenges such as elevated construction costs and a lack of buildable lots, builders anticipate future improvements in sales and construction conditions. However, industry analysts predict a challenging outlook, with mortgage rates likely to remain higher for longer due to fewer expected interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, leading to recent downgrades of major homebuilder stocks.

The Federal Reserve announced another quarter-point reduction to its benchmark interest rate, and median projections suggest there could be another two 25-basis-point rate reductions in 2025. "With today's action, we have lowered our policy rate by a full percentage point from its peak and our policy stance is now significantly less restrictive," said Fed Chair Jerome Powell.