Congratulations, you’ve made it to Friday again this week. But before you head out for the weekend, we’re bringing you a quick catch-up on the biggest headlines and the most helpful how-tos for your business. So, Take 5 and peruse our top editor picks for this week and why they matter to your business.
P.S. Don’t miss The Download, our weekly column that breaks down one of the week’s top stories and equips you with what you’ll need to meet next Monday head-on.
Today’s first-time buyers are waiting on an inheritance, and it’s pushing them into middle age
By Marian McPherson
Homeownership is slipping further out of reach for young Americans, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2026 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. The report, released on Thursday, revealed that the share of first-time homebuyers rose 1 percent year over year to 22 percent. Despite the small gain, first-time buyer activity remains near historic lows (21 percent) and 18 percentage points below pre-2008 trends (40 percent). Same as last year, the median age of a first-time homebuyer was 40 — roughly a decade older than the typical median age in the 1980s.
Why it matters: This annual report gives you a pulse on national real estate trends and how you might want to pivot your strategies. For example, as noted above, the median age of the first-time homebuyer is 40, and the share of single women homeowners has risen to 20 percent. A longer nurture campaign might be in order (ahem, see below), and if you’re not already marketing toward single women, perhaps you should. Read the full report for more.
EXTRA: The buyer who can’t close for a year is your best asset in 2026
7 AI tools for real estate that are actually worth your time
By Jimmy Burgess
AI has been the topic of conversation for the past couple of years. And there’s a lot of talk. So how do you suss through the noise and find what works for your business? Jimmy Burgess has created a no-nonsense list of seven AI tools that are actually worth your time.
Why it matters: Burgess shares not only his top tools but also how to use them. These tools will help you turn prompts into better questions, find the questions your future clients are asking, remember the details that matter, evaluate your AI search visibility, turn one video into multiple pieces of content, make video editing easier and use AI as a strategist rather than a writing assistant. Don’t feel overwhelmed. You don’t have to use all of them at once.
Your ‘just sold’ posts are missing the best part of the story
By Krystopher Benyamein
Krystopher Benyamein recently sold a property in San Pedro where his team hosted nine open houses, mailed 500 postcards, ran digital advertising and created a video that generated more than 1.5 million organic views. They found a buyer and opened escrow, but shortly before closing, that buyer backed out, and they had to start again.
They eventually found another buyer and successfully closed, but when they shared the case study on Instagram, they didn’t lead with the sale price or how much marketing they’d done. They opened with, “Imagine finally selling your house. Then the buyer backs out right before closing.”
That opening puts the reader in the seller’s position. Most homeowners can imagine how frustrating that experience would be, and it naturally creates curiosity about what happened next. From there, they explained how they responded, got the property back in front of buyers and ultimately closed.
Why it matters: In today’s market, there are many stories of buyers backing out of deals. This approach allows you to create content that keeps you top of mind, show sellers exactly how you work and reach a wider audience. Benyamein shows you how to do it and shares a FREE Canva template to help get the job done.
How a veteran agent gets VA offers past skeptical sellers
By Nick Pipitone
VA loans often get passed over for conventional loans. Inman’s Nick Pipitone spoke with Fathom Realty’s Lindsey Schmidt, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, about why VA financing still carries a stigma among sellers and listing agents, how she gets around it and why VA assumptions remain one of the most misunderstood tools in the market.
Why it matters: Military members often have to move. Understanding and busting myths about VA loans can help you get ahead of objections before making an offer, which will help you get more deals across the finish line and get more service members into homes.
Compass follows through on Reffkin’s threat, sues 15 MLSs
By AJ LaTrace
Compass has been busy, creating and formalizing policy around employees in association leadership positions and how Compass brokerage agents cooperate on private listings.
The company announced Thursday that it is filing 15 federal antitrust lawsuits against MLSs across eight states, accusing the organizations of illegally restricting how agents can publicly market homes outside their systems. Compass alleges that the MLSs unlawfully fine agents for publicly marketing listings outside the MLS, with penalties it says can reach $15,000.
Why it matters: Compass International Holdings is currently in litigation with 16 total MLSs across 18 federal lawsuits. Not only is this big news that’s making waves throughout the industry, but its ripple effects could impact your MLS’s rules, if they haven’t already.
EXTRA: What Compass’ leadership ban signals for agents and associations
