Construction News Today — August 28, 2026

The real estate landscape is seeing significant shifts, from advancements in property valuation to changes in key industry partnerships. Technology is playing a larger role in home appraisals, with AI now capable of estimating a home's value, although a human appraisal can still provide crucial insight to inform the decision-making process. This intersection of tech and traditional appraisal methods comes as the industry is also seeing movements in major partnerships, such as Kortas and Casa putting aside their differences, which has led to AIME re-entering the mix.

Meanwhile, the housing market itself continues to face challenges, with foreclosure filings experiencing a 10% annual rise in July, according to ATTOM. In response to these shifts, industry players are adapting, with multiple listing services (MLSs) being urged to expand options for sellers to foster greater cooperation. On the investment side, Velocity is making a significant move by acquiring the Toorak platform and taking on the management of a $3 billion BPL portfolio. As the industry navigates these changes, real estate teams are also reevaluating their strategies, particularly when it comes to lead generation and conversion, weighing the merits of cost per lead against cost-per-closed deal to optimize their operations.

Today's signal:
• AI can estimate a home. An appraisal can inform the decision. (housingwire.com)
• As Kortas and Casa make peace, AIME is back in the mix (housingwire.com)
• Foreclosure filings rise 10% annually in July, ATTOM says (housingwire.com)
• MLSs need to expand options for sellers to improve cooperation (housingwire.com)
• Velocity to buy Toorak platform, manage $3B BPL portfolio (housingwire.com)
• Cost per lead vs. cost-per-closed deal for real estate teams (housingwire.com)