Every Friday, we round up the most popular, most read, most critical stories of the week to give you a quick catchup on the big headlines you might have missed in the hustle and bustle of the workweek. Here’s this week’s Top 5 as chosen by our readers.
P.S. Don’t miss The Download, our weekly column that breaks down one of the week’s top stories and equips you with what you’ll need to meet next Monday head-on.
Mortgage giants ‘very close’ to accepting new FICO score

FHFA Director Bill Pulte says his agency is currently reviewing a potential deal with Fair Isaac to allow lenders to use the more inclusive FICO Score 10 T when submitting loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Zillow hit with new class-action suit over alleged broker kickbacks

Credit: Zillow Group and Canva
The lawsuit alleges that Zillow policies requiring Premier Agents to meet pre-approval quotas related to Zillow Home Loans “as a condition for maintaining access to these high-value leads” led to steering of consumers.
5 magic phrases that help real estate agents close more deals

These five simple phrases from Jimmy Burgess have helped countless agents win more listings, close more buyers and lead to more cooperative transactions with other agents.
EXp digs at Compass during Q3 earnings as agent retention soars

EXp’s recruitment and retention strategy took center stage during the brokerage’s Q3 earnings, with a solid boost in agent productivity and team growth showing eXp’s strength in a rapidly changing competitive landscape.
Trump’s 50-year mortgage is ‘a big nothingburger’ for homebuyers

The Trump administration says it’s also looking at assumable mortgages and “ways to give relief” on 5- and 10-year mortgages, after mortgage and financial planning experts pan 50-year mortgages as a bad deal for homebuyers.