The Swanepoel Power 200, or SP 200, annual ranking of the most-powerful and influential leaders in residential real estate has been released.

Despite the record low number of homes for sale, prices and pending sales continue to rise.

Homeownership remains a cheaper option than renting in the majority of areas, according to a new study by ATTOM Data Solutions.

Taylor Morrison topped Lifestory Research’s annual list of America’s Most Trusted® Homebuilders — for the seventh consecutive year.

At the same time, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.33%, its highest level since April 2021, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Inflation concerns are influencing plans for homebuyers and sellers, according to a recent Redfin survey.

The forecast is in, thanks to the Zillow® November Market Report — and it’s looking to be an unseasonably warm winter for real estate.

It goes without saying that 2021 was full of real issues for the real estate industry. But it was also full of real solutions. Check out Chicago Agent’s most-read Real Issues features.

Nationally, housing prices were also on the rise, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index. 

“There was less pending home sales action this time around, which I would ascribe to low housing supply, but also to buyers being hesitant about home prices,” National Association of REALTORS® chief economist Lawrence Yun said.

2021 was a wild year for real estate and Chicago Agent covered it all, from COVID-era protections and court rulings to charting changes within large national firms. Take a look at which stories from the year generated the most interest with our readers.

The median sales price of new homes hit a new high of $416,900.

The median sales price of detached single-family homes rose 8.5%, compared to November 2020, while the price of attached homes rose 10.3%.

The median existing-home sales price for all housing types rose again on an annual basis, marking 117 consecutive months of gains.

“The market is roaring along, with only half the seasonal slowdown we typically see from October to November.” — RE/MAX LLC President Nick Bailey

The partnership will help potential homeowners find down-payment assistance programs to make homeownership more attainable, especially for first-time buyers.