Blogs

Proptech Trends REALTORS® Should Watch in 2026

By Brittany Rhoades posted 2 days ago
From NAR Property technology continues to evolve quickly, and several key trends are shaping how real estate professionals work in 2026. Tools powered by artificial intelligence are becoming more practical and accessible, helping agents analyze data, communicate with clients, and streamline everyday tasks. Automation is also playing a larger role across transactions. From lead management to marketing and client follow up, technology is reducing manual work and freeing up time for relationship building. At the same time, integrations between platforms are improving, making it easier to manage multiple parts of the business in one place. For REALTORS®, the ...

Turn Open Houses Into Lead-Gen Machines

By Brittany Rhoades posted 2 days ago
February Sales Series Webinar | February 19, 2026 | 12:00 PM CT Open houses don’t have to be one-time opportunities. With the right systems in place, they can become reliable drivers of listings, referrals, and long-term business growth. Join us for the February Sales Series webinar, Turning Open Houses Into Lead-Gen Machines , where you’ll learn how to transform your sphere and past clients into a predictable source of listings—while leveraging Domii, a valuable Kansas REALTORS® member benefit , to support and protect your business. In this session, you’ll learn how to: Implement a proven 4-part referral system to generate consistent ...

Kansas REALTORS® Announces Dr. Stan Longhofer as Kansas REALTORS® Economist

By Brittany Rhoades posted 2 days ago
Kansas REALTORS® announces the addition of Dr. Stanley D. “Stan” Longhofer to serve as the Kansas REALTORS® Economist. In this role, Dr. Longhofer will provide economic insights, research on Kansas real estate market trends , and expert analysis for Kansas REALTORS®, policymakers, media, and the public. Dr. Longhofer is professor of Real Estate and Finance in the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University and was the founding director of the Center for Real Estate, where he led housing market research, education, and forecasting initiatives for more than two decades. ...

Household Formation Is Rising Across Age Groups

By Brittany Rhoades posted 8 days ago
From NAR Household formation is increasing across a wide range of age groups, not just among younger buyers. Adults in their thirties, forties, and even older age groups are forming new households as life changes such as marriage, divorce, remote work, and downsizing reshape housing needs. This trend is helping maintain housing demand even as affordability challenges continue. Many new households are choosing different living arrangements, including smaller homes, rentals, or multigenerational living, based on lifestyle and financial considerations. For REALTORS®, this shift reinforces the importance of understanding what is driving each client’s move. ...

Winter Is Coming: A Home Preparation Checklist

By Brittany Rhoades posted 8 days ago
Winter is here. Share this winter home checklist with your customers to help them prepare their homes, prevent costly damage, and stay comfortable all season long. It’s an easy, helpful resource you can pass along to add value and stay top of mind with your clients.

Preparing Candidates to Lead: Inside the Campaign School Partnership

By Brittany Rhoades posted 8 days ago
Campaign School is a collaborative partnership between Kansas Farm Bureau and several statewide associations designed to support and strengthen candidates running for public office. This nonpartisan program provides practical campaign education, media training, and strategy tools to help current and prospective candidates run effective, well-prepared campaigns across Kansas. LEARN MORE

Free Kansas CE: Beyond City Limits

By Brittany Rhoades posted 8 days ago
Strengthen your expertise, better serve rural clients, and earn 3 hours of Kansas elective CE — all at no cost. Beyond City Limits: Rural Property Essentials in Kansas is a free, live Zoom CE class designed to give REALTORS® practical insight into the unique challenges and opportunities of rural real estate across Kansas. You’ll gain knowledge you can immediately apply to listings, buyers, and transactions outside city limits. Thursday, February 19, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Live Zoom | 3 hours Kansas-approved elective CE Registered attendees will receive the Zoom link by email prior to class. Bonus Opportunity Register now and receive ...

Commercial REALTORS®: Sustainability Is Shaping Property Choices

By Brittany Rhoades posted 16 days ago
From NAR Sustainability is becoming a major factor in commercial real estate decisions. Many buyers and tenants are paying closer attention to utility costs, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency when choosing properties. Commercial real estate professionals are finding that highlighting energy efficient features and overall building performance can make listings more attractive and support property value. As interest grows, more REALTORS® are expanding their knowledge of green building features to better serve clients. Another trend gaining momentum is adaptive reuse. Repurposing underused commercial buildings can meet new market needs while supporting ...

Robot Vacuums Bring Practical Benefits for REALTORS®

By Brittany Rhoades posted 16 days ago
From NAR Robot vacuums are becoming a simple way for REALTORS® to save time and keep homes looking clean with less effort. These devices can handle multiple floor types, follow smart schedules, and be controlled through apps, making them useful for busy agents. For REALTORS® managing listings, open houses, or offices, robot vacuums help maintain a polished appearance and reduce routine cleanup. As smart home technology improves, tools like these continue to offer real value by supporting efficiency and presentation. READ MORE

Build Predictable Listings in 2026 With Domii

By Brittany Rhoades posted 16 days ago
KAR member benefit partner Domii is hosting a live webinar on January 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM Central Time, designed to help agents start the year with momentum and clarity. In the session titled 2026 Lead Generation Blueprint How to Start the Year with Predictable Listings, agents will learn how to build a reliable ninety day listing pipeline using Domii’s most powerful tools. The webinar will cover how to identify high probability homeowners using AI seller predictions, prospecting routes, and neighborhood intelligence and how to turn those insights into real listing opportunities. Attendees will leave with a simple weekly action plan they can put to work ...

Free CE Opportunity for Kansas REALTORS®

By Brittany Rhoades posted 16 days ago
Expand your knowledge and earn continuing education credit with an upcoming free CE class focused on rural real estate in Kansas. Beyond City Limits Rural Property Essentials in Kansas will take place on Thursday February 19, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This live Zoom class provides 3 hours of elective continuing education credit approved in Kansas. The course is designed to help REALTORS® better understand the unique considerations of rural properties and transactions across the state. Registered attendees will receive an email with the Zoom link prior to class time. This free CE class is sponsored by Rural 1st Kansas. Bonus opportunity- Act ...

New AI CMA Tool Makes Pricing Conversations Easier for REALTORS®

By Brittany Rhoades posted 12-12-2025
From NAR NAR’s Realtors Property Resource RPR Mobile app now includes an AI powered Comparative Market Analysis CMA tool in beta. It is designed to help REALTORS® generate pricing insights directly from their phone. The tool uses artificial intelligence to score and compare comparable properties, suggest pricing strategies, and support clearer and faster conversations with buyers and sellers. REALTORS® remain fully in control. They can select or remove comparable properties based on their local expertise while the AI handles the data analysis. The result is a more efficient pricing process that supports professional judgment rather than replacing it. The ...

Sustainability Is Driving Commercial Real Estate Decisions

By Brittany Rhoades posted 12-12-2025
From NAR Commercial real estate clients are placing growing importance on sustainability, with a strong focus on utility costs, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency when choosing properties. These factors are increasingly shaping how buildings are evaluated, marketed, and valued. Many commercial real estate professionals report that highlighting energy efficient features and building performance helps attract clients and can positively impact property value. Green certifications and sustainability focused improvements are also gaining traction as long term cost savings and healthier environments become priorities. Adaptive reuse is another emerging ...

Helping Buyers Prepare for Homeownership

By Brittany Rhoades posted 12-12-2025
From NAR NAR’s Consumer Guide on preparing for homeownership walks buyers through the key steps they should take before starting the home search. It covers evaluating future needs such as location and lifestyle, building financial readiness through credit and savings, and understanding the importance of mortgage preapproval. This guide supports clearer expectations, more confident buyers, and smoother transactions by ensuring buyers are prepared before making offers. READ MORE

Federal Political Coordinator Vacancy: Apply by December 19

By Brittany Rhoades posted 12-12-2025
Are you passionate about advocacy and strengthening REALTOR® relationships with elected officials? The Kansas Association of REALTORS® is seeking applicants to serve as the Federal Political Coordinator (FPC) for U.S. Senator Roger Marshall. Beginning January 1, 2026, current FPC Steve LaRue will transition to serve as the FPC for 1st Congressional District U.S. Representative Tracey Mann, creating this important leadership opportunity. The FPC plays a vital role in building and maintaining strong connections between REALTORS® and our federal lawmakers, ensuring our industry’s voice is heard on Capitol Hill. KAR Leadership encourages all members who are interested ...

A Simple Mortgage & Financing Cheat Sheet for Clients

By Brittany Rhoades posted 12-02-2025
From NAR NAR’s Consumer Guide: Mortgages and Financing explains the basics buyers need to understand before choosing a loan, and it’s a great handout to reinforce your advice. It covers what a mortgage is and what impacts loan options (credit, income, debts, employment history, down payment, interest rates, and lender guidelines). It also breaks down common loan types, including fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) , and explains how down payments work (including that higher down payments often mean lower monthly payments and that assistance programs may be available). The guide also compares conventional vs. government-backed loans ...

Real Estate Firms Say Affordability and Rising Costs Are the Biggest Headwinds

By Brittany Rhoades posted 12-02-2025
From NAR A new NAR report shows real estate firms are being squeezed by two major challenges: housing affordability for consumers and rising costs of doing business . In the report, 56% of firms said affordability is their top concern, followed by industry costs (36%) and local economic conditions (35%) . Even with those pressures, some firms are feeling more optimistic. 38% expect profitability to increase in 2025 , up from 30% in 2023 . For REALTORS®, the message is clear: be prepared to guide clients through tougher affordability conversations while also running a tighter, more efficient business as operating costs continue to climb. READ ...

Ditch the Hustle: A 12-Month Road Map for 2026

By Brittany Rhoades posted 12-02-2025
From NAR This article argues that most real estate pros don’t fall short because they lack ambition. They fall short because urgent daily work crushes long-term goals. The solution: a 12-month strategic roadmap built around structure, data, and technology , so growth becomes repeatable instead of reactive. It focuses on three drivers of sustainable growth: Systems (documented processes and automation), Leverage (support help + integrated tools to reclaim time), and Intelligence (tracking key metrics with dashboards so you can optimize what’s working). It also maps the year into quarterly themes to keep momentum: build the foundation, grow, add ...

NAR Economists Reveal 2026 Real Estate Market Expectations

By Brittany Rhoades posted 12-01-2025
Join NAR’s top economists — Dr. Lawrence Yun, Dr. Jessica Lautz, and Nadia Evangelou — for the Real Estate Forecast Summit: The Year Ahead on Dec. 9 from 2:30–4 p.m. CT. This free, 90-minute virtual event will break down the latest economic data and what it means for the 2026 real estate market. What to expect: • Residential market outlook — a look back at 2025 and projections for 2026 • Demographic shifts — how evolving buyer and seller trends are shaping demand • Regional perspectives — deep dives into key U.S. markets and what to watch Get the strategic insights you need to plan for the year ahead. Reserve your spot today ...

The 50-Year Mortgage: Pros, Cons, and Client Guidance

By Brittany Rhoades posted 11-20-2025
From NAR The idea of a 50-year mortgage is gaining attention as a way to make homeownership more accessible by lowering monthly payments through a longer loan term. While it can help certain buyers qualify more easily, it comes with significant long-term trade-offs. Key Opportunities: Extending the term from 30 to 50 years can moderately lower monthly payments and help more buyers enter the market. It may be especially appealing to younger buyers or those struggling to afford high-cost markets. Important Trade-Offs: Homeowners pay far more interest over the life of the loan compared to a standard 30-year mortgage. Equity builds much more ...