Industry news - page 4
Market
.com wholesale price rises 7% on November 1 — renew early to lock today's rate
Verisign raises the .com wholesale price from $10.26 to $10.97/yr on Nov 1, 2026 (first of up to four annual 7% hikes through 2030). Retail prices follow at each registrar's own rate, so check your renewal quote rather than assuming the wholesale bump. Renewing before Nov 1 locks the current price for every year you prepay, up to ten years; worth doing for the domain your website and email run on.
Maxinames: .com wholesale price rises 7% on November 1 — renew early to lock today's rate →
Policy
Coraly study finds over 90% of AI-edited listing photos on major portals carry no disclosure
Inman reports that Coraly.ai reviewed nearly 40,000 primary listing photos on Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com from Q1 2026 and found about 11% were AI-edited, with sky replacement the most common change; more than 90% of those altered photos did not tell buyers or renters AI was used. The study covers the same quarter California's AI-altered listing photo disclosure law took effect, and New York regulators have also warned consumers about AI-generated listings. For working agents: if you use virtual staging or sky swaps, label the photo as digitally altered, and check your state's and MLS's current rules before you publish.
Proptech AI
SourceRE opens an MCP so MLSs can feed listing data into ChatGPT and Claude on MLS terms
SourceRE launched a Model Context Protocol connector at CMLS Open House that lets participating MLSs plug listing data directly into AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude, with each MLS setting permissions and ARELLO license checks built in; Inman reports more than 20 MLSs signed on and the tool is a free member benefit for CMLS's 241 MLSs. The pitch is that portals and scrapers currently sit between AI and MLS data, and SourceRE wants AI access to run through the MLS instead. For working agents: if your MLS joins, you may get compliant listing answers inside the AI tools you already use — ask your association what is live and what data the AI is allowed to see.
Inman: SourceRE opens an MCP so MLSs can feed listing data into ChatGPT and Claude on MLS terms →
Policy
Judge lets agents' antitrust suit over Zillow's Follow Up Boss requirement move forward
A federal judge in Washington denied Zillow's motion to dismiss the Dupuis suit, so antitrust, consumer-protection and unjust-enrichment claims go to discovery. The agents allege Zillow requires Preferred agents to use Follow Up Boss and ties lead flow to Zillow Home Loans pre-approvals; Zillow says the claims are "fundamentally flawed" and will keep fighting. For working agents: nothing changes in the program yet, but if you're picking a CRM, keep in mind that Follow Up Boss is owned by Zillow and that Zillow's lead programs come with conditions.
Tools
CubiCasa and Restb.ai offer free rush floor plans in 30 MLSs
CubiCasa and Restb.ai announced free rush processing of CubiCasa floor plans, cutting delivery from 24 hours to under 12, for MLSs that use both companies' technology. Inman reports 30 MLSs qualify at first; an MLS must be in CubiCasa's MLS Partnership Program and subscribe to Restb.ai's AI photo tagging in its listing input platform, and the companies estimate the perk reaches about 500,000 agents and brokers. For working agents: ask your MLS whether it is on the eligible list; if not, nothing changes for your listing prep.
Inman: CubiCasa and Restb.ai offer free rush floor plans in 30 MLSs →
Proptech AI
Lofty opens an MCP server so brokerages can plug their own AI agents into its CRM
Lofty announced Lofty MCP Server on September 24, a Model Context Protocol connection that lets brokerages hook MCP-compatible AI tools and in-house agents into the Lofty platform without custom integration code. Lofty says connected agents can read data, analyze activity and, where authorized, take actions — for example, finding leads that showed buying intent but haven't been contacted in a week. For working agents: CRMs are opening up to outside AI assistants; before connecting one, check what it can change in your database and who on your team approved it. This is a vendor announcement.
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