How small acts can create global change
Marketplace All-in-One
Marketplace
4.5 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 27 November 2024
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As many Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with their friends and families, gratitude is top of mind. We’ll break down research that shows how individual acts of kindness and connection can have large-scale impact. And, we’ll discuss a poignant firsthand account of an award-winning journalist experiencing homelessness. Plus, we’ll get into why the Justice Department isn’t satisfied with the National Association of Realtors commission lawsuit settlement, and why parking lots will be the new hot spot for solar energy in France.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “‘The DOJ is coming for NAR’: What’s next after the $418M settlement?” from HousingWire
- “The Invisible Man” from Esquire
- “An upward spiral – how small acts of kindness and connection really can change the world, according to psychology research” from The Conversation
- “Solar installations are now mandatory for large parking lots in France” from The Progress Playbook
Let us know what you’re thankful for. Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | No, she's setting up. Give her a minute. |
| 0:01.9 | No, I'm good. I forgot to tell you. I'm good. I'm ready. But thank you. |
| 0:05.0 | Oh, okay. You're welcome. |
| 0:09.6 | I guess that means we're starting. |
| 0:12.0 | Hello, everyone. I'm Kimberly Adams. Welcome back to Make Me Smart, where we make today makes sense. |
| 0:17.2 | And I'm Amy Scott in for Kai Rizdahl. Thank you for joining us on this Wednesday, November 27th. |
| 0:24.2 | AKA Thanksgiving Eve for those who celebrate. |
| 0:27.6 | If you have not gotten your turkey out, if you make turkey to the frost, you should probably do that now. |
| 0:34.5 | It's maybe a little bit late. |
| 0:36.3 | Anyway, today we're going to talk about some news and some smiles, starting with the news. Amy, go ahead, what you got? Okay, so forgive me if I get a little wonky. I'll try not to. So a lot of my year has been spent following the ins and outs of this big legal settlement with the National Association of Realtors |
| 0:55.2 | and some big brokerage firms who reached a deal with plaintiffs who had sued over the way that |
| 1:01.1 | commissions were paid in the real estate industry. So quick recap, in the past, people |
| 1:07.1 | selling homes would typically cover both their own agents commission and the commission for the agent representing the home buyer if that buyer was working with an agent. |
| 1:17.7 | Typically, five to six percent split between the two of them. |
| 1:21.0 | But after a jury verdict a little over a year ago, found that the practice basically inflated commissions in violation of |
| 1:30.8 | antitrust law. The parties settled and the Realtors Association agreed to change its rules in two |
| 1:37.6 | big ways. One, so that listing agents could no longer post an offer of broker compensation on the MLS, which is the multiple |
| 1:47.4 | listing service where brokers exchange information about homes for sale. And then also requiring |
| 1:52.9 | that home buyers have a signed agreement with their own agent, spelling out how that agent's |
| 1:58.6 | going to be paid before they tour any properties. So those rule |
| 2:04.8 | changes went into effect late summer. They've been, you know, in practice for a couple months now. |
| 2:10.3 | And yesterday the settlement got final approval from the court. But this is where it gets |
... |
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