Brokers have to answer for how teams at their company operate. Know how to set up teams in a way that avoids potential legal problems.

The holidays are an opportunity to nurture personal connections with customers, which have the power to bring joy and comfort to those you serve.

Newsletters and social media are good platforms to connect with potential clients on a human level, says business development consultant Terry Rice in a five-minute video on generating leads without irritating prospects. "You want to be someone who's connected to them and cares about them in a genuine way," Rice notes.

Private-sector indexes that track rents on new residential leases are "now coming in at or below their prepandemic pace," said UBS economist Alan Detmeister, who said that inflation might sink under the Federal Reserve's 2% target by 2024. "As long as new lease inflation keeps falling, we would expect housing services inflation to begin falling sometime next year," Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted during a recent speech.

Painting accent walls and the front door, updating curtains and adding area rugs are among the things owners can do to make their home more appealing ahead of listing it. Experts also caution not to spend more than 5% of the home's listing price on updates and repairs.

Southern University at New Orleans has added a program to teach students money management and social skills and boost opportunities for jobs in real estate. The university is collaborating with HomeFree-USA, which works with historically Black colleges and universities to help with job and internship opportunities.

Take these steps to balance your focus between your business and family so you can reach your year-end goals.

Soaring housing prices are adding to the struggles of transgender Americans, who already face discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. A recent survey found that nearly 75% of Americans have seen an increase in rent and 70% of landlords plan to increase rents due to inflation

Vancouver, Wash., wants to increase opportunities for affordable housing for residents with Proposition 3, which will be on the Feb. 14 special election ballot. The proposition seeks to impose a tax levy of approximately 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value for 10 years and allow the city to collect about $100 million for the Affordable Housing Fund.

Nonprofit faith groups and colleges in California may soon be able to build affordable homes on their land if a bill introduced in the state legislature is approved by lawmakers and signed by the governor. Senate Bill 4 "will unlock an enormous, and I'm not exaggerating, an enormous amount of land for 100% affordable housing," Sen. Scott Wiener said.