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Looking for a quick catch-up on the buzziest stories of the week? Here’s Inman Top 5, the most essential stories of the week, according to Inman readers.
And don’t miss The Download, our weekly column that breaks down one of the top stories of the week and equips you with what you’ll need to meet next Monday head-on.
1. What agents need to know as the complex mortgage fee hike kicks in
Loan-level pricing adjustments — a fee on mortgages — led to widespread misinformation leading up to the May 1 hike. Inman spoke to experts about what the changes mean for homeowners.
2. ‘It is a weird market’: Why ‘highest and best’ could be a deal-killer
Instead of a blanket call for the highest and best offer, listing agents and buyer agents need to get back to the basics of negotiating.
3. Zillow begins ‘critical’ year with mounting losses, falling Q1 revenue
Zillow brought in $469 million in revenue, according to an earnings call Wednesday, falling 13 percent from the $536 million it brought in a year earlier during a period that preceded the rate hikes and sluggish sales.
4. Tread carefully: 10 legal, ethical and financial situations agents face
You never want to find yourself amid an ethics violation, lawsuit or worse, but it can happen to even the most earnest of agents. Here are 10 hypothetical situations that help illustrate how you can avoid some very real problems.
5. REX gets OK to question Zillow CEO Rich Barton in antitrust suit
Judge Thomas Zilly denied Zillow’s motion for a protective order, saying CEO Rich Barton must complete three hours of questioning from REX’s counsel about the company’s “Project Bookshelf.”