Monthly payment considerations, rather than lifestyle preferences, are pushing more home buyers toward suburbs, small towns and exurban areas, Inman reported.

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate drew closer this week to 6.5%, Freddie Mac reported, pushing up borrowing costs for prospective homebuyers.

A recent cyberattack on a global real estate firm is raising fresh concerns about how companies protect customer, tenant and transaction data. Propmodo reported the May incident involved vishing, or voice phishing, underscoring the need for employee training, access controls and verification procedures.