AI Voice Agents Prequalify Real Estate Leads at Scale

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⚡ Snapshot: The 7/6 SOFR ARM surged with a +0.24% jump, far outpacing all other loan types, while fixed rates climbed more modestly across the board.

Why duration mismatch is becoming a bigger banking risk link

• Banks fund long-term loans with overnight deposits, creating a duration gap that becomes riskier as customers can move money instantly through mobile banking.

• Life insurers avoid this issue because their liabilities stretch over many years, letting them hold long-duration assets that match their payout timelines.

My take: This makes the banking system more sensitive to rate shocks, any savings shift to long-term institutions like insurers could ease stress on credit markets.

Home insurance costs up 89% in a decade link

• ICE’s 10-year study shows average annual premiums rose from $1,270 in 2014 to $2,405 in 2025, driven by extreme weather losses topping $120B and a 36% jump in home values.

• Long-tenured borrowers saw the biggest hit, with insurance costs nearly doubling, while new loan cohorts paid less per $1,000 of coverage due to more active policy shopping.

My take: Rising insurance costs are becoming a core affordability risk, especially in high-hazard counties where premiums now shape mortgage eligibility. Investors should factor insurance trends into underwriting.

GAO probes FHFA chief over alleged political misuse of power link

• The GAO opened an investigation into FHFA Director Bill Pulte after Senate Democrats claimed he used agency tools to target political opponents, including Letitia James and Adam Schiff.

• A lawsuit also alleges Pulte accessed and leaked private mortgage records, raising questions about how FHFA handles fraud investigations and personal financial data.

My take: Any instability at FHFA matters for housing markets because it can slow policy decisions that affect lenders and GSE oversight. Investors should watch for spillover into regulatory timelines.

Office demand finally turns positive nationwide link

• Q3 net absorption swung to +19.8M SF from -14.9M SF, and for the first time since 2021 all four Census regions showed positive demand.

• Just 25.3M SF of new space delivered over four quarters, yet vacancy still nudged up to 11.9% as demand concentrated in Class A+ space.

My take: Encouraging breadth, but I would still treat this as an early bounce, not a full office comeback.

Buyer agent fees inch higher post-NAR rule change link

• The average U.S. buyer’s agent commission rose to 2.42% in Q3, up from 2.36% a year ago, with sub-$500k homes holding the highest rates at 2.52%.

• Commissions remain flat quarter to quarter, as slower sales give buyers enough leverage to push for steady or slightly higher agent compensation.

My take: Higher commissions show sellers are offering more to get buyers in a slow market. If sales stay weak, this trend could stick and make buying and selling slightly more expensive for everyone.

Nashville’s zoning overhaul signals a new density play for investors link

• Nashville approved two major zoning laws that open most single-family areas to townhomes, triplexes, quadplexes, and backyard cottages, directly targeting a 90,000-home supply gap and shifting the city toward “missing middle” density.

• Opposition is mounting with infrastructure strain as the core argument, but the council’s 29–11 passage means the new rules will move forward, positioning Nashville as other pro-up zoning metros like Minneapolis and parts of California.

Tool of the day: Rexera

Specialized AI agentic platform to handle real estate closing workflows, from gathering HOA documents and lien searches to sending routine updates.

AI Tools Spread Across 19 Major Real Estate Players link

Built In reports that AI now powers valuations, search, lead gen and site planning across top platforms like Zillow, Redfin, TestFit and Entera. Many tools use deep learning for pricing or natural language for search, while others automate closings and underwriting.

AI Voice Agents Prequalify Real Estate Leads at Scale link

The article explains how teams can use a VAPI-powered AI voice agent plus Twilio to call leads, ask budget and timeline questions, and push hot prospects into the CRM. It claims upto 70% drop in wasted sales calls and qualified leads routed within 2 minutes of inquiry.

New Guide Teaches Agents Fair-Housing Safe AI Prompts link

Medium reports that nearly all agents now use AI, but many risk Fair Housing violations when models generate phrases about people or demographics. The guide gives simple rules and prompt templates to keep AI outputs factual and compliant.

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Ranked: North American cities by increases in home prices (2005-2025)

The Bishop Mansion

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Vidit

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