Weekly Roundup | Women in Real Estate

👋 Welcome!

Let’s make your week a little easier. The Empire Weekly Roundup newsletter brings you real estate tips, market know-how, and CE updates—all in one quick email.

🗣️ Quote of the Week

“The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who's going to stop me.” ― Ayn Rand

🚀 Featured Article

👩 Behind the Sign: Gender Bias, Safety, and the Silent Struggles of Women in Real Estate

In last week's roundup, we mentioned we’d be diving into a powerful topic—and here it is. Inspired by the book Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez, our featured article this week takes a closer look at what really happens behind the scenes for the women who make up the majority of this industry. From invisible data gaps to everyday safety concerns, this eye-opening piece is an interesting read for both men and women and sheds light on what’s been overlooked for far too long.

→ Read More

🏆 Trending on Empire Learning

🌸 Spring Market - Prime Time

The spring selling season is in full swing! Mid-May is prime time for real estate – buyer activity is ramping up, and fresh listings are blooming right along with the flowers. Homes are showing their best side with longer days, sunny weather, and eye-catching curb appeal. Buyers are energized, tours are up, and well-prepped listings are hitting the market. If you’ve got sellers on the fence, now’s the time to encourage them to list while the buzz is strong and competition hasn’t peaked.

• 🪴 Curb appeal: Encourage sellers to mow the lawn, plant colorful flowers, and power-wash the driveway. For the first impressions, you know.
• 🕐 Try listing on a Thursday: Studies show homes listed mid-week get more traffic and often sell faster than Monday or weekend listings.
• ☀️ Natural light: Schedule showings and open houses during peak daylight hours—sunlight helps almost every room look better.
• 📸 Refresh listing photos: Spring scenery can transform the look of a property. If photos were taken in winter, consider a new set to match the season.

🤖 Agents & AI

Real estate meets AI as more agents experiment with tools like ChatGPT to speed up daily tasks and level-up their marketing. Whether you're brainstorming catchy listing headlines or drafting email replies and Instagram captions, AI can be a helpful sidekick. The trick is to use it as a jumpstart, not a replacement—clients still want your insight, voice, and local expertise. The trend isn’t about doing less; it’s about working smarter while also keeping things personal.

• ✍️ Speed-write listing descriptions that pop—just remember to tweak for accuracy and voice.
• 📱 Batch-create social media captions or video scripts to stay visible without burnout.
• 💬 Polish client emails and newsletter intros so you sound sharp (even on a deadline).
• 🤯 Brainstorm ideas for lead gen, open house themes, or blog content during those “I’ve got nothing” moments.

🏦 Marketing Assumable Mortgages?

With mortgage rates holding steady in the 6.7–6.8% range, today’s market calls for creativity—and agents are delivering. One strategy that’s buzzing: the assumable mortgage*. These allow a buyer to take over the seller’s existing home loan (and low interest rate!) if it’s government-backed, like FHA or VA. With many of those loans locked in at 2–3% from a few years ago, it can be a massive savings opportunity for the right buyer.

• 🔍 Check the loan type: FHA, VA, and USDA loans may be assumable—but always verify with the lender.
• 💬 Educate your buyers: Many don’t even know this option exists! Market it as a bonus when showing homes.
• 💸 Prepare for larger down payments: Since the buyer assumes only the remaining loan balance, they’ll often need to bring cash to cover the difference.
• 🧠 Market it creatively: Use phrases like “Take over a 3% mortgage” or “Assumable loan potential” to grab buyer attention in your listings.

*It's important to check with state and local laws, associations, and brokerage policies that marketing assumable loans is allowed.

🎯 Quick CE Tip of the Week

🎬 CE and Other Learning as Your “Netflix Substitute”
Binged your way through all the shows already? Switch it up and binge something that actually helps your business. A couple of CE modules (to meet your requirements) or a few minutes of industry-related reading an evening can add up faster than you think. You’ll walk away with more than just plot twists. Real knowledge = real growth.

→ Hit Play on Your CE Today

📈 Market Highlight

🔥 Did You Know? The national housing market in mid-May 2025 is a mix of busy spring activity and lingering challenges. Inventory has finally started to improve – significantly more homes are on the market now than this time last year, according to Homes for Heroes, giving buyers more choices. Sellers who price their homes realistically are still seeing strong interest in this spring peak season, though they might need a bit more patience as listings take slightly longer to sell. Overall, prices are near record highs – the U.S. median existing-home price hit about $403,700 in March, roughly 2.7% higher than a year ago, according to NAR. That’s great news for sellers’ equity, while buyers are happy to see even a small increase in inventory and a touch more negotiating room compared to last year. → View Full Market Highlight

💡 Feedback Welcome!

We'd love your feedback. The lifeblood of any good business is figuring out what their customers truly care about — the best agents also learn this about their clients.

If you have any thoughts, ranging from what topic should be discussed in next week's newsletter to more in-depth ideas on how the CE experience can be the best it can be, please reach out via the email link below — we're truly all ears.

Happy Learning,

— The Empire Learning Team
www.empirelearning.com