AJ LaTrace

Director, News Reporting

AJ has covered real estate for the last decade as a reporter and editor for publications including Vox Media's Curbed, Chicago magazine and Business Insider. At Business Insider, AJ led the brand's coverage of how everyday people invest in real estate as a means of gaining financial independence, and he reported on big-picture trends and pain points in the broader U.S. real estate market. AJ is based in Chicago, where he also moonlights as a small-time landlord.

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Investors stepping up amid crunch in housing supply, affordability
In many major U.S. metros, small-time mom-and-pop flippers are delivering more renovated homes to the market than new home builders, a New Western report found.
August 19, 2025
Investor sentiment bounces back from two-year slump
The shift toward a buyers market provides investors with more room to negotiate, but many remain cautious amid rising labor and insurance cost concerns.
August 18, 2025
United’s bold growth goal: ‘We will double our size’ in 3 years
United Real Estate is on a mission — and locating “the true gems in the marketplace” is key to bolstering its talent pool, President Rick Haase said.
August 14, 2025
MRED leads effort to rejuvenate national home search portal
The MLS-owned site won’t make brokers "buy their customers back," leaders with Midwest Real Estate Data and Broker Public Portal told Real Estate News.
August 12, 2025
Real Brokerage on a roll with record revenue, agent count
Despite letting 1,500 agents go, the company reported a net increase to more than 29,000, as well as its first-ever quarter of profitable operations.
August 7, 2025
Fewer younger agents holding on amid market headwinds
The typical NAR member is older and has more experience than a year ago, while median transaction volume held steady despite the slow market.
August 6, 2025
LPT Realty reaches major milestone in IPO lead-up
Aperture Global, the luxury-focused brand that LPT Realty launched in May, is “a real part of the story” in the company’s growth, CEO Robert Palmer said.
August 6, 2025
Old outpaces new in an unusual flip of home prices
The national median sale price for single-family homes dipped to $410,800 in the second quarter, while the median price of existing homes rose to $429,400.
August 4, 2025
The industry leaders dogpiling on Zillow
From the Inman Connect stage to CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” the CEOs of CoStar, Realtor.com and Compass took hits at the home search giant this week.
August 2, 2025
Redfin already funneling customers to Rocket, CEO says
In just three weeks, nearly 200,000 people clicked the new “Get Prequalified” button on Redfin listings, sending new purchase leads to the mortgage giant.
July 31, 2025
Compass reports best-ever quarter, takes aim at portals
Revenue was up 21.1%, profits nearly doubled and agent count surged in Q2. CEO Robert Reffkin also took time to blast portals and MLSs over listing policies.
July 30, 2025
The market is changing — and the industry's old rules are outdated
Buyers have more leverage now than in recent years, but economic concerns are making them cautious in their home purchase decisions, two new reports suggest.
July 30, 2025
Anywhere revenue inches up despite ‘weird’ housing market
CEO Ryan Schneider said “the talk of prices falling is a little overstated” as he highlighted gains in luxury and “near record levels” of agent retention.
July 29, 2025
Opendoor looks to entice sellers with bonus cash after resale
The iBuyer’s new Cash Plus program offers sellers an upfront payment and “potential future profits” if resale proceeds exceed acquisition and renovation costs.
July 24, 2025
Nearly half of agents say local markets favor buyers: Real survey
Real’s June survey also found that a majority of the growing brokerage’s agents are now putting AI tools to work every day to bolster their productivity.
July 23, 2025
Boomers now hold nearly 40% of US housing wealth
With $19 trillion in assets, those 65+ control more real estate equity than any other cohort, and it’s unclear if it will trickle down to younger generations.
July 22, 2025
New Hampshire the latest state to ban right-to-list agreements
AARP — one key proponent of the law — called it “a critical step forward” in protecting homeowners “from deceptive and predatory real estate practices."
July 17, 2025
CoStar CEO blasts Zillow as Homes.com faces scrutiny
Andy Florance has taken to social media to rebuke Zillow’s listing standards and “outrageous bullying.” But some agents are also unhappy with Homes.com.
Updated July 16, 2025
Compass invests in data with hiring of Altos Research’s Mike Simonsen
Simonsen, whose data company was bought by HW Media in 2022, will be the brokerage's first chief economist after getting "a very compelling offer" from its CEO.
July 14, 2025
Hoby Hanna: Zillow is ‘overstepping,’ limiting ‘creativity’
Hanna believes the portal’s new listing standards “penalize” agents and home sellers, while his brokerage — and Compass — are the real innovators.
July 12, 2025