The Rand NewsReal

Joe Rand, our Editor-in-Chief and lead contributor is the Chief Creative Officer at Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty.

He is the founder of the “Client-Oriented Real Estate” (“CORE”) school of real estate education, based on the idea that real estate agents should build their business by learning how to be great at the job of helping clients buy and sell homes.

He has been a featured speaker and moderator at Real Estate Connect, the RIS Media CEO Conference, the Women’s Council of REALTORS Annual Conference, and many other industry events.

He is a regular contributor to Inman Media, writing about industry issues mostly relating to agent education and client service.

He is a graduate of Georgetown University, Georgetown Law Center, Stanford Law School, and a former law professor at Brooklyn Law School and Fordham Law School.

He lives in Nyack, New York with his wife and two children.

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Named Most Innovative Brokerage by LeadingRE for Pioneering the Buy & Borrow Bundle

The Howard Hanna Family of Companies, spanning 13 states in the East and Midwest,  received 20 awards across multiple categories at the 2025 LeadingRE Awards  PITTSBURGH (March 4, 2025) – Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has been recognized as the Most Innovative Brokerage by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) for its groundbreaking Buy & Borrow […]
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Howard Hanna Rand Realty Leads 2024 Middletown Community’s Choice Awards

Howard Hanna Rand Realty has once again emerged victorious in the 2024 Middletown Community’s Choice Awards, claiming the coveted title of Best Real Estate Company for the 10th consecutive year. This achievement highlights the firm’s unwavering commitment to service excellence and community leadership. The company’s success extended to individual recognition, with June Cosgrove Hays earning […]
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Howard Hanna Rand Realty Announces Key Leadership Appointments in Westchester, Bronx, Putnam, and Connecticut Regions

White Plains, NY, [October 8, 2024] — Howard Hanna Rand Realty is excited to announce two significant leadership appointments to strengthen its team and support its growth strategy. These changes aim to enhance recruitment efforts and ensure continued success across the Westchester, Bronx, Putnam, and Connecticut regions. Joe Maymi has been named Regional Growth Manager […]
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Howard Hanna | Rand Realty Introduces the Buy & Borrow Bundle

NANUET, NY (July 22, 2024) – Howard Hanna | Rand Realty is proud to announce the launch of its Buy & Borrow Bundle, a program designed to offer significant savings and convenience for homebuyers. This innovative program combines mortgage and real estate services, providing a seamless and cost-effective home buying experience aimed at promoting homeownership […]
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Howard Hanna Rand Realty Welcomes the MIGO Team to Monroe-Woodbury Office

Howard Hanna Rand Realty is thrilled to announce that Frank Golio and Nick Miessmer, formerly of the Hudson Valley Realty Center, are joining our Monroe-Woodbury office as the MIGO Team. This strategic move brings together two dynamic forces in the Hudson Valley real estate market, further strengthening our position in the region.   “We are […]
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Celebrating Excellence: Howard Hanna Rand Realty Agents Shine in RealTrends Verified Rankings

At Howard Hanna Rand Realty, we are thrilled to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our agents who have been recognized in the prestigious RealTrends “RealTrends Verified” rankings this year. This recognition is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to serving our clients with excellence. The RealTrends Verified rankings are an esteemed […]
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Plawker Real Estate Merges With Local Real Estate Leader Howard Hanna Rand Realty

Plawker Real Estate, one of Bergen County’s leading brokers, is excited to announce that it has joined forces with real estate leader Howard Hanna Rand Realty. The Plawker Real Estate office will now operate as Howard Hanna Rand Realty – Plawker Group. Additionally, the Plawker Commercial office will now operate as Rand Commercial – Plawker […]
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Howard Hanna | Rand Realty the newest members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and Luxury Portfolio International®

Howard Hanna | Rand Realty was recently awarded affiliate status in Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and its luxury marketing division, Luxury Portfolio International®, CEO Matt Rand announced today.  Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) is a global real estate community comprised of 550 real estate companies awarded membership based on […]
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Howard Hanna | Rand Realty forms technology partnership with RealScout to bring new services to clients.

On the heels of their recent announcement that they’ve formed a strategic partnership with Howard Hanna Real Estate, the newly created Howard Hanna | Rand Realty is announcing a new technology partner in RealScout.   RealScout provides a computer vision-enhanced technology that helps home shoppers zero-in on the properties that they would be most interested […]
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Older Posts

Real Estate Market Report: 1st Quarter 2018 – Lower Hudson Valley (NY)

The housing market in the New York City northern suburbs of Westchester and the Hudson Valley has become a fully‑realized seller’s market, with declining inventory stifling sales growth while driving meaningful price appreciation throughout the region. The regional market continues to suffer from a lack of inventory. The number of homes available for sale compared to last year fell sharply in every market in the region. At the current absorption rate, we are now down to well under five months […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty to Hold Open-House Event

NANUET, NY – Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty is excited to announce that they will be holding an open-house event, where attendees can receive advice on buying and selling homes. It will take place on Saturday, April 14, and Sunday, April 15, from 12:00-4:00 p.m. on both days. “We’re a few weeks into spring, which means it’s the prime season for the housing industry,” said Denise Friend, Rand Realty’s regional manager for Westchester County. “Our brokerage receives many potential […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Named Silver Award Winner by Cartus Broker Network

DANBURY, Conn., March 26, 2018 – Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty has been named a Silver Award winner by the Cartus Broker Network for its outstanding performance during the past year. The award was presented at the 2018 Cartus Broker Network International Conference, held March 19-21 at The Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Florida. Cartus Corporation is a worldwide leader in employee relocation solutions. The Silver Award is one of three Excellence Awards presented to principal […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Named Five-Star Award Winner by Cartus Broker Network

DANBURY, Conn., March 26, 2018 – Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty has been named a winner of the Five-Star Award, which recognizes Cartus Broker Network members who have met or exceeded their individual objectives for outgoing broker-to-broker referral closings during the calendar year. The award was presented at the 2018 Cartus Broker Network International Conference, held March 19-21 at The Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Florida. Cartus is a worldwide leader in employee relocation solutions. “Better […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty’s Joseph Rand Has Book Published

NANUET, NY – Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty is thrilled to announce that their chief creative officer and managing partner, Joseph Rand, recently published his first book, “Disruptors, Discounters, and Doubters,” making an impassioned appeal for reforming the real estate industry to provide better client experiences. “I’ve been preaching these ideas for years at conferences and events, and I’m excited to now have the opportunity to share these ideas more broadly,” said Joseph. “I’ve been involved with this business […]

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Fourth Quarter 2017 Real Estate Market Report: Sussex County Overview

Activity in the Sussex County housing market surged yet again in the fourth quarter of 2017, with sales up sharply even while prices continued to struggle. Sales. Sussex sales were up yet again in the fourth quarter, rising over 18% from last year and now up over 22% for the year. And the 2,348 sales for the year represented the highest calendar year total in over 10 years. Indeed, Sussex sales have now more than doubled from the bottom of […]

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Fourth Quarter 2017 Real Estate Market Report: Essex County Overview

The Essex County housing finished 2017 strong, with solid increases in both sales and prices. Sales. Essex sales activity was up again, rising almost 6% from the fourth quarter of last year. And for the full year, sales were up over 8%, hitting over 5,000 sales. This represented the largest yearly total since the height of the seller’s market over 10 years ago, and an increase of almost 70% from the bottom of the market in 2011. Prices. Essex also […]

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Fourth Quarter 2017 Real Estate Market Report: Morris County Overview

The Morris County housing market finished 2017 with strong signs of meaningful price appreciation, even while low levels of inventory continued to stifle sales growth. Sales. Reduced inventory continued to hold back Morris sales growth, with transactions down almost 3% for the quarter, breaking a streak of 12 straight quarters of year‑on‑year sales growth. That said, sales were still up almost 2% for the year, and are now up almost 70% from the bottom of the market in 2011. More […]

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Fourth Quarter 2017 Real Estate Market Report: Passaic County Overview

The Passaic County housing market finished the 2017 year strong, with solid increases in sales and prices, and clear signs of a developing seller’s market. Sales. Passaic sales were up again in the fourth quarter, rising over 4% and up over 11% for the 2017 calendar year. We’ve now seen sustained increases in buyer demand for over five years, with quarterly sales up in 24 out of the last 26 quarters. As a result, Passaic closed over 3,600 homes in […]

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Fourth Quarter 2017 Real Estate Market Report: Bergen County Overview

The Bergen County housing market slowed a bit in the fourth quarter, but still finished the year with meaningful price appreciation and remarkably low inventory levels. Sales. Home sales were down slightly, falling over 4% from the fourth quarter of 2016, which marked the first quarterly decrease in sales in over three years. And for the year, sales were basically flat. That said, the near‑7,000 single‑family sales in 2017 was the highest number of transactions since the height of the […]

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