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 Rand Realty Named Best Real Estate Company in the Hudson Valley for the 11th Consecutive Year

Hudson Valley, NY – Howard Hanna Rand Realty has been named Best Real Estate Company in the 2025 Hudson Valley Community’s Choice Awards, marking the 11th consecutive year the company has received this honor. The Hudson Valley Community’s Choice Awards are determined entirely by public vote and recognize the local businesses that residents trust and […]
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A Cozy Recipe and Seasonal Adventures Across the Tri-State Area

Winter transforms the Tri-State Area into something truly special. Snow-dusted landscapes, glowing light displays, and a full calendar of seasonal activities make New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut an ideal place to embrace the colder months rather than hide from them. Whether you’re planning a weekend outing, looking for a family-friendly adventure, or simply searching […]
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Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Enters New York City

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, the nation’s largest privately held and family-operated brokerage and the fifth-largest real estate company in the country, has officially entered the New York City market through the acquisition of Manhattan-based Elegran Real Estate. This strategic expansion marks a powerful new chapter in the company’s continued growth along the East Coast, […]
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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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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Essex County, New Jersey

The Essex County housing market finished the year with a surge in sales, but these sustained increases in buyer demand have not had their expected impact in driving price appreciation. Sales. Essex sales activity recovered from a disappointing third quarter, with sales rising almost 11% from the fourth quarter of last year and finishing the calendar year up almost 5%. Buyer demand has been inconsistent throughout the year, certainly not as strong as we are seeing in neighboring Northern New […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Morris County, New Jersey

The Morris County housing market finished the year with a sharp increase in sales, but sustained buyer demand throughout 2016 still has not had a significant impact on pricing. Sales. Morris County sales were up significantly, rising almost 12% from the fourth quarter of last year. This continued a streak in which year-on-year sales have now gone up for nine straight quarters, over two years of sustained buyer demand. Transactions were also up 12% for the year, and are now […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Passaic County, New Jersey

Sales in the Passaic County housing market rose again in the fourth quarter of 2016, but they are still not having their expected impact on pricing Sales. Passaic sales finished the year strong, rising almost 14% from last year’s fourth quarter and finishing the year up over 12%. We’ve now seen sustained increases in buyer demand for over five years, with quarterly sales up in 20 out of the last 22 quarters. As a result, Passaic closed almost 3,300 homes […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Bergen County, New Jersey

The Bergen County housing market finished strong in the fourth quarter of 2016, with sales up sharply and prices showing signs of meaningful appreciation. Sales. Bergen single-family home sales were up almost 11% for the quarter, the ninth straight quarter where we’ve seen year-on-year sales growth. And for the year, sales were also up 11%, marking the third straight year of sales increases. Indeed, sales in the 2016 calendar year hit their highest levels since 2005, and are now up […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 Overall – Northern New Jersey

The Northern New Jersey housing market finished strong in the final quarter of 2016, with sales up sharply even while pricing continued to struggle. But with inventory levels falling throughout the region, we expect that sustained buyer demand will drive meaningful if modest price appreciation in 2017. Sales were strong throughout the region. After a relatively slow third quarter, regional sales surged back, rising almost 11% and up sharply in every county in the report: rising 11% in Bergen, 14% […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Dutchess County, New York

The Dutchess County housing market finished strong in the fourth quarter of 2016, with a sustained increase in sales along with the largest yearly price appreciation in over ten years. Sales. Dutchess single-family home sales were up again in the fourth quarter, rising over 7% from last year and marking the ninth quarter in a row with year-on-year sales increases. And for the calendar year, sales were up almost 16%, rising to the highest yearly total that we’ve seen since […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Putnam County, New York

The Putnam County housing market finished the 2016 year strong, with sales continuing to rise even while inventory tightened. Sales. Putnam sales were up again in the fourth quarter, with single-family home closings up almost 10% from last year and now up almost 21% for the year. The market is just sizzling, with transactions up in 10 straight quarters and 18 out of the last 19. Prices. Even with demand up, though, pricing is surprisingly stubborn. Single-family home prices were […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Orange County, New York

The Orange County housing market surged yet again in the fourth quarter of 2016, with clear signs of meaningful price appreciation for the first time in years. Sales. Orange single-family sales were up yet again, rising almost 19% from last year’s fourth quarter, and finishing the full 2016 calendar year up almost 25%. This continues a trend we’ve been watching for almost five years, with Orange sales now up nine quarters in a row and 18 out of the last […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Rockland County, New York

The Rockland County housing market tapered off a bit in the fourth quarter of 2016, but still finished the year with significant increases in both sales and prices. Inventory. The story in Rockland County is the declining inventory, with the number of homes for sale falling again, now reaching levels we have not seen in over 10 years. We calculate the “months of inventory” by measuring how long it would take to sell out the existing available homes at the […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Quarterly Market Report For 2016Q4 – Westchester County, New York

The Westchester housing market in the fourth quarter of 2016 started to show the impact of tightening inventory, with sales flattening out and prices rising as buyers chased fewer available homes for sale. Inventory. The story in Westchester as 2016 ended was about the declining inventory. We calculate the “months of inventory” by measuring how long it would take to sell out the existing available homes at the current rate of sales. Anything below six months is considered a “tight” […]

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