Good urbanism should transcend politics. Socialists and capitalists can walk the same neighborhood and agree it's a pleasant place to live. They can each appreciate the tree canopy, the corner café with people spilling onto the sidewalk, the mix of ages on bikes and on foot, the architectural details of older buildings, and so on.
Interest in proprietary trading, or prop trading, has grown exponentially in recent years. By 2025, the industry is estimated at $20 billion, with more than 2,000 active firms worldwide, most of them in the United States.
Rising utility costs continue to be a pain for the average U.S. renter. Energy-efficient rental features that help lower these costs like LED lighting, good insulation, and smart thermostats are becoming a baseline for renters.
The global average building utilization rate dramatically jumped in 2025 to 53%, the highest since before the pandemic, validating the effectiveness of hybrid strategies in driving more in-office activity, according to CBRE. Utilization rates were 38% in 2024 and 35% in 2023, compared to the 65% that most respondents to CBRE's global workplace occupancy benchmarking program identified as their target.
As investors become more sophisticated and debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) lending continues to grow, the appraisal has moved from a back-office requirement to a central risk-control mechanism, especially for income-driven loans. STR income does not behave like traditional rental income; yet, it is often evaluated using tools and assumptions designed for long-term leases. When nightly pricing, seasonality, operational intensity and regulatory exposure enter the equation, the old appraisal playbook starts to break down.
Lofty AOS coordinates a suite of AI agents that operate simultaneously. One assistant prioritizes tasks tied to lead management. A sales-focused agent engages and qualifies leads, generates call scripts and analyzes sales calls while a social media agent creates and manages content strategies, including scheduling and posting. The system also includes a homeowner-focused agent that adds to contact databases and automates valuation-based outreach aimed at potential sellers.