Major brokerages launch shared listing platform

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1. Major brokerages launch shared listing platform

AGNT Inc., HomeServices of America, Keller Williams and REMAX are launching Open Real Estate, a shared listing platform expected to debut in about six months. The platform aims to counter the growth of private listings by improving transparency and expanding buyers’ access to homes for sale.

Agents will enter listings once, and the platform will distribute them across participating multiple listing services (MLSs), real estate portals, and other platforms. The founders say the platform will complement existing MLSs rather than replace them, and brokerages can participate for free.

The founders have not yet announced which MLSs will participate, but say no single company should control access to housing information.

2. Austin land deal fraudster sentenced to 41 months

John Robison was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for defrauding University of Austin founder Joe Lonsdale in a proposed campus land deal. He was also ordered to repay Lonsdale $1 million after being convicted of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering in July.

In 2022, Lonsdale sent $1 million to Robison’s company to hold in escrow for a planned campus along the Colorado River. Robison agreed to leave the funds untouched until he raised another $1 million, but transferred $250,000 to his personal account the day after receiving the money. Prosecutors said he spent the funds on personal expenses and debts.

The University of Austin currently operates from downtown Austin and is developing an applied engineering lab in Bastrop County, near the Boring Company’s headquarters.

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3. Catch up quick

😬 Consumer sentiment falls to a five-month low. (UniversityOfMichigan)

🏰 Luxury home prices rise faster than starter-home prices. (NMP)

📈 Texas ranks among states with the highest property tax rates. (Realtor.com)

⚠️ Home affordability worsens in 98% of counties. (ATTOM)

🎃 Texas pumpkin porch decorator charges up to $2,000 per display. (MoneyWise)

4. Trump order targets mortgage insurance and refinancing costs

President Trump signed an executive order on Oct. 22 directing federal agencies to pursue measures aimed at lowering mortgage and homeownership costs. The order includes a pilot program to automatically cancel mortgage insurance for eligible borrowers who meet equity requirements based on current home values.

It also directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency to make its title insurance waiver pilot permanent to reduce refinancing costs and calls on the Agriculture and Veterans Affairs departments to lower interest rates on their single-family home loans.

The order establishes a task force led by the Housing and Urban Development secretary and Federal Housing Finance Agency director to promote modern construction methods and reduce manufactured housing costs. The White House says the measures aim to reduce regulatory burdens and expand access to homeownership.

5. Foreclosure auctions hit highest level since early 2020

Completed foreclosure auctions rose 25% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, reaching their highest level since early 2020, according to an Auction.com report. FHA-insured loans drove much of the increase, with auction volume up 73% and accounting for 43% of all activity. Loans originated in 2022 or later made up 46% of foreclosure auctions.

Texas recorded a 54% annual increase in completed foreclosure auctions, accounting for 15% of the national total, the largest share of any state. Auction activity in Texas was also 38% above its pre-pandemic level, while 31 states recorded year-over-year increases nationwide.

The trend could continue into the fourth quarter, with scheduled foreclosure auctions up 11% year over year in October, 31% in November and 15% in December. The foreclosure auction sales rate was 45.5% in Q3, and buyers paid an average of 65.3% of estimated retail market value.

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