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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Buyers beware: Some agreements appear to violate NAR terms
A new report calls out numerous state associations for buyer agreements that could hurt consumers or break the new rules.
August 27, 2024
Move accused of selling ‘fake leads’ in class action lawsuit
Agents from six states allege that the parent company of Realtor.com sold dubious leads, and said NAR — also a defendant — was “complicit” in the scheme.
Updated August 27, 2024
Agent sentiment dips, but buyers are gaining ground
Two new surveys provide a snapshot of what agents are seeing in the market, and while they’re slightly less optimistic, they remain “net positive.”
August 23, 2024
Anywhere encourages offers of comp, asks ‘big question’ of MLSs
Top execs discussed how the company is addressing industry practice changes, including its intention to display compensation on its listings.
August 22, 2024
Upstart association ready to collect dues, lays out road map
“We have to act as an industry. We have to do something,” Jason Haber, co-founder of the American Real Estate Association, told Real Estate News.
August 19, 2024
It’s official: Nykia Wright named NAR CEO
The transformative newspaper exec moves into the permanent CEO role at the National Association of Realtors — the U.S.’s largest trade association — this week.
August 19, 2024
Housing costs become top economic issue in presidential race
VP Kamala Harris announced a plan to provide thousands in down payment assistance and incentivize more construction at the local level.
August 16, 2024
Redfin touts ‘very competitive’ buyer agent fees
CEO Glenn Kelman laid out what changes consumers could expect when working with the company’s agents, but his message was light on fee details.
August 15, 2024
‘Buyer agency is not dead’ — but ‘the old way’ is
In a webinar for agents, Real’s president discussed rule changes and best practices, noting that more than a third of agents don’t even know about the lawsuits.
August 15, 2024
Anywhere CEO: ‘Our industry needs more leadership’
Ryan Schneider tells Real Estate News that being the “first mover and the fastest learner” helped the brokerage prepare its agents for the changes ahead.
August 14, 2024
Don’t offer buy-side compensation upfront, consumer group says
A real estate watchdog supplemented recent recommendations from the Consumer Federation of America with additional do’s and don’ts for buyers and sellers.
August 12, 2024
More agents joining NAR ahead of settlement deadline
Despite market headwinds and uncertainty around practice changes, NAR membership has remained resilient, with big gains in Washington state.
August 12, 2024
NAR: 'The free market' will determine commissions
NAR reps discussed upcoming rule changes and reiterated that it does not promote or set compensation: “NAR is agnostic as to where the commission levels are.”
Updated August 13, 2024
Negotiate dollar-amount commissions, consumer watchdog urges
The Consumer Federation of America has rolled out new guidance and is discouraging the practice of paying agents based on a percentage of a home’s sale price.
August 6, 2024
eXp toolkit prepares sellers, agents for practice changes
The brokerage, which received praise for its new buyer and seller agreements, is sharing forms and scripts related to concessions and buy-side compensation.
August 5, 2024
A closer look at the trade secrets driving the Move-CoStar lawsuit
Move Inc. lawyers said that a former employee who went to work for CoStar accessed Realtor.com’s proprietary document containing future plans for articles.
August 2, 2024
Zillow rolls out new non-exclusive touring agreement
The company said its contract — which will be available in 24 states — was designed to “help agents navigate new requirements” related to the NAR settlement.
August 1, 2024
eXp reports strong revenue in lead-up to industry transition
eXp showed growth in revenue and transactions as execs pitched the company’s value prop ahead of August 17 rules changes mandated by the NAR settlement.
August 1, 2024
Election uncertainty causing some buyers to hit pause
Many homebuyers are waiting to see who the next president will be before continuing their home search, but it’s really the Fed that they should be watching.
August 1, 2024
Consumer group is back with listing agreement guidelines
The Consumer Federation of America has shared criteria to “assist regulators … and the industry itself in evaluating the fairness of new seller contracts.”
July 31, 2024