Catch up on all the news you need to know!

Invest in Your Agents First
If brokerages wish to remain profitable in the future, it is important they return to the proven basics of agent recruitment and retention. Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, shares her insights into agent training and creating a company culture in which every agent will thrive.

7 Text Messages That Will Revive Those Dying Real Estate Leads
Barry Jenkins, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Native American Group broker, discusses seven essential text messages that can revive dying real estate leads.

Millennial Home Buyers Send a Chill Through Rental Markets
The rate of homeownership is now rising as millennials reach the age when they are forming families, settling down and buying homes. The Census Bureau recently reported that ownership increased to 63.9 percent in the third quarter of last year, reaching its highest level since 2014.

The 3 W’s of Personal Branding in Real Estate
For real estate agents, branding is a personal thing. Adding effective personal brand content and social media marketing creates a winning strategy for agents who are trying to differentiate themselves. Agents should keep in mind the three W’s when developing a personal branding strategy: “What’s in it for me?”, “Who Cares?” and “Wow!”.

Cities Where Home Prices Rise Fastest
Realtor.com®’s research team analyzed 300 of the nation’s largest metros between September 2014 and September 2017 to find which markets have seen the greatest increases in median list prices over that period. Omaha, Neb.; Santa Maria, Calif; Charlotte, N.C.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; College Station, Texas; Lexington, Ky. and New Orleans, La. are the reported cities with the highest home appreciation.