BROKER SPOTLIGHT: Corey McCloskey, President of John R. Wood Properties, shares insights on coaching agents through tech shifts, asking better questions and leveraging independent networks like LeadingRE. 🏘️☀️

AGENT STRATEGY: Target off-market seller leads—including high-equity, long-term, and absentee owners—using conversational AI search tools to stack criteria and build targeted lists faster. 🏠🔎⤵️

FLORIDA AMENDMENT 3: Recent polls show a close contest over Florida's proposed property tax amendment, which would raise the non-school homestead exemption up to $250,000 and cap non-homestead assessment increases at 5%. 🗳️🏠

#CEOX2026: Human-first strategy, tech innovation, and what’s next for consolidation. 🏛️⚡ Consolidation continues to reshape residential real estate, but not all M&A plays are built the same. During "Consolidation Up Close" at RISMedia’s CEO & Leadership Exchange, Leo Pareja and James Dwiggins sat down with John Featherston to unpack how combining cloud brokerage scale with a human-centric franchise model is opening new avenues for growth. Key Takeaways: 🤝 Human-First Acquisition: "Our thesis for acquisition is human-based—if we see really cool, smart, on-brand folks, we try to do business with them... We are a platform to empower entrepreneurs to build whatever size dream they want." — Leo Pareja 🏡 Culture & Community: Scale means nothing without protecting brand DNA. "Culture is defined by the leaders in the room... Our motto internally has been Humans Over Houses since our inception. If we continue that, it passes down to the consumer." — James Dwiggins ⚡ Leveling the Tech Playing Field: AI loop engineering is eliminating massive barriers to tech development. Small-to-midsize brokerages can now deploy custom tools at lightning speed without needing multimillion-dollar dev budgets. 📈 Bigger Sandbox for Growth: With capital backing and a global network, NextHome is expanding into larger operators while leveraging scale to lower operating costs for franchisees. Read the full panel recap in the comments below! 👇

HOUSING DATA: September existing-home sales ticked up 1.5% MoM but fell 2.2% YoY, while the median price rose 1.3% to $417,500. Rising inventory is giving buyers more room to negotiate as rates stay above 7%. 📊🏡

AGENT ADVICE: Fixed-rate mortgages lock in principal and interest, but taxes, insurance, and HOA fees inevitably rise. Help buyers model future cost increases before making an offer. 🏠💰

BREAKING NEWS: eXp Realty, parent company AGNT, and founder Glenn Sanford have reached a confidential settlement in the Anya Roberts lawsuit. The trial against two former recruiters moves forward today, while a second lawsuit remains active.👇🔗

BROKER SPOTLIGHT: Shawn O'Neill of JPAR City & Beach shares how hyper-local expertise, seller concessions, and monthly cost analysis are driving success in Northeast Florida. 🏘️☀️👇

INDUSTRY OP-ED: MoxiWorks CMO Kim Koraca shares why AI alone won't differentiate brokerages—tools must surface intent signals while keeping agents at the center of the deal. 🤖🏠⬇️

#CEOX2026: Facing industry threats, AI, and consumer trust head-on. 🏛️⚡ From consolidation and industry fragmentation to AI and fierce litigation, real estate decision-makers face an array of complex challenges. At RISMedia’s CEO & Leadership Exchange in D.C., an expert panel convened for "Next Threats: How to Identify and Prepare for Future Risks" to separate true threats from everyday noise. Key Takeaways: 🏢 Consolidation vs. Fragmentation: While consolidation squeezes smaller operators, internal fragmentation poses an equal danger. "We are losing the trust of the public because we can’t get along with each other—and it hurts our industry. We can stop fighting each other." — Donny Samson, CEO, Samson Properties 🤖 AI & Mediocrity: AI won't replace every agent, but it will expose low-value models. "AI isn't necessarily going to replace agents; it's just going to expose mediocrity." — Christopher Pfeiffer, Managing Partner, Comey & Shepherd Realtors® 🎯 Elevating Consumer Experience: In a tech-driven world, relationships alone aren't enough unless backed by exceptional service. "Get serious about experiences. Not everybody's willing to pay for relationships." — John De Souza, President, Cressy & Everett Real Estate 🛡️ Free Market & Regulation: Choice and competition will ultimately determine which business models thrive. — Dawn Pfaff, Founder & President, My State MLS Read the full panel recap and insights in the comments below. ⤵️ #CEOX2026 #RealEstateLeadership #CMLS #SamsonProperties #CressyAndEverett #ComeyAndShepherd #MyStateMLS #PropTech #BrokerageStrategy #RISMedia