Opinion
You Rarely Know All Your Agent Does
Good real estate agents go to great lengths to bring a deal to fruition. And much of what they do is behind the scenes, so you’ll never see it. And you think they don’t earn their commissions?
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Dominoes Falling
With office buildings finally starting to sell in downtown Boston — often at huge discounts to pre-pandemic purchase prices — it’s not long before these falling dominoes hit city coffers.
Is Something Frightening Hiding in REIT’s Retrenchment?
Moves by the California-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities to dump a significant slice of its Boston-area life science real estate portfolio speak volumes about the state of the local lab market, none of it good.
Banks Have a Powerful Tool Many Aren’t Using
With rules around special purpose credit programs now clarified, big names in the industry are turning to this 50-year-old tool to make a big difference in the lives of New England families.
Bankers Getting Squeezed by Collective Action Problem
Anyone hoping for a big drop in commercial lending rates this year should find Nika Cataldo’s story in this week’s issue sobering. There’s only so far any one bank can lower its loan interest rates before eating too far into its already-shrinking profit margin.
Too Many Agents, Too Little Training
Most brokerages tend to hire anyone who can fog a mirror, turning them loose with hardly any training other than what they learned to pass their licensing tests. And as a result, the business is overrun with too many agents chasing too few deals.
The Transformational Opportunity in Allston
The I-90 Allston Multimodal Project is more than just a road repair project. It sets Greater Boston up for the future by unlocking billions of dollars in economic growth, new jobs and new affordable housing.
Boost Your Real Estate Game with These Hot Data Tips
The National Association of Realtors’ 2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is packed with insights that can help you take your business to the next level in 2024.
Watch Out: Real Estate Slumps Bring Recessions
On paper, the economy couldn’t look finer. But little if any attention is paid to an iceberg looming ahead – the massive and growing real estate slump – the kind of iceberg that typically prefigures a recession.
How to Get DEI Right in 2024
The year is going to be another year filled with cultural landmines for companies. But the cost of reversing DEI commitments will be far greater than most companies realize – as much as $5.4 trillion.
Communities Are Rezoning. Now What?
It’s easy to fear these welcome developments will prove to be too little, too late for rapid, transformational change to our rental and for-sale housing markets. In this context, it’s more vital than ever that state legislators pass Gov. Maura Healey’s housing bond bill quickly.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Happy (?) New Year
New Entrant Wades into Listings Portal War
If you’re like most house hunters these days, you started your search online. And chances are, you overlooked Homes.com entirely. But starting in the new year, the site is planning to give the two heavyweights a run for their money.
Next Stop: Hard Transit Funding Choices
Massachusetts faces a huge question mark about how to fund the future of transportation in the commonwealth. Gov. Maura Healey gets first crack at laying out an answer next month.
The Year Massachusetts Got Serious About Housing Production
2023 ushered in new policy initiatives to tackle the housing crisis. Is 2024 the year we get production back on track, as all levels of government signal they are prioritizing big solutions?
Serial ADA Plaintiff Makes a Hasty Retreat
The Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss an activist’s case, however, leaves the question unsettled of who can sue over Americans with Disabilities Act violations.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Sagamore Bridge, 1 Mile
The federal government just gave MassDOT $372 million to rebuild the Sagamore Bridge. But how’s the money going to get there?
A Win for Affordable Housing in the Fenway
A religious order’s disposition of a 140-unit building was the perfect example of an opportunity to preserve this critical housing in a neighborhood with excellent access to public transit and amenities.
Boring Predictions? Not with 2024 Around the Corner
Writing a column about the big stories to watch for the year ahead is typically a fairly tame exercise. Not this time. Here are my bets for the big stories are likely to make 2024 a memorable year.
Home Listings Now an Endangered Species
It’s time to place the for-sale existing house on the endangered species list, right alongside the African forest elephant, the Yangtze finless porpoise and other critically threatened varieties.
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