The Appraisal Institute (AI) executive who’s been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women has decided to keep a lower profile.

AI Vice President Craig Steinley will cease making public appearances after an expośe by the New York Times detailed accusations against him of inappropriate comments and groping by current and former AI employees.

The news was announced Monday by AI President Paula Konikoff, who in a LinkedIn post said that AI’s board of directors has formed a task force to review policies at the trade group to decide what steps to take next.

Despite not making public appearances, AI says Steinley will remain in his role. He has denied all accusations.

In a previous statement to HousingWire, an AI spokesperson said that the New York Times story “does not represent who the Appraisal Institute is,” adding that the organization “is committed to a safe and respectful environment.”

Among the Steinley’s accusers is former president Cindy Chance, who in that capacity approved a $412,000 settlement payment to a former employee who came forward with claims that echoed those of many others.

Chance says that Steinley often called her his “girlfriend” and that he earned the nickname “Mr. Handsy” for unwanted touching and groping buttocks. Chance was abruptly fired in September 2024, not even a year into her tenure as president.

She believes that her firing came in response to trying to change the dynamic between appraisers and appraisal management companies (AMCs).

“I know many of you suspect that my firing was connected to that advocacy, and I have to tell you I agree,” Chance said in a YouTube video shortly after the Times article was published. “I think your instincts were right. What I saw behind the scenes was really disturbing to me.”

Chance is suing AI for wrongful termination, as is former director Alissa Akins, who claims she tried to blow the whistle on erroneously graded appraisal license exams on which students who failed were mistakenly given passing grades, and vice versa.

In that lawsuit, she claims that her firing was “punitive,” adding that another executive said Steinley “will make it hell for you as long as you stay” if Akins continued to press the issue.

The accusations of sexual harassment and wrongful termination are but one part of the growing turmoil at the Appraisal Instutite and the appraisal profession more broadly. Many appraisers believe that AI has ceased to serve their best interests and have instead cozied up to AMCs, who appraisers believe are making it harder for them to make a living.

Multiple class-action lawsuits have been filed against various AMCs, and a group of appraisers have created an alternative trade group called the Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council.

Fathom Holdings Inc. is under pressure to turn its business around, and CEO Marco Fregenal thinks its new agent compensation model can do that.

On the company’s first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, Fregenal touted Elevate, which provides agents with a 20% commission split and support systems to streamline their work.

Launched at the beginning of April, Fregenal said he believes the new program will result in better financial performance per transaction. About 120 agents signed up through an internal soft launch. Elevate includes assistance with marketing, lead generation, coaching and recruiting.

“I think we can see gross profit margin grow by three to four times compared to our traditional gross profit margin, and it’s really because of the efficiency of our platform,” he said. “We want to be careful about the growth. It is a complex program, and so we want to make sure that we are firing on all cylinders, but we think that by the end of the year, we can be at about 100 new agents a month.”

Fathom doesn’t appear to be having trouble attracting new agents. The brokerage hit 14,715 agents in the first quarter of 2025, a 22.8% year-over-year increase. That’s the firm’s highest annual increase since hitting 28% in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The additions are helping drive revenue, which grew to $93.1 million from January to March, a 32.1% annual gain and Fathom’s highest total since the third quarter of 2023.

But the gains in agent count and revenue aren’t helping Fathom’s bottom line. The brokerage tallied a net loss of $5.7 million in Q1 2025, roughly in line with the $5.9 million loss during the opening quarter of 2024.

More concerning is that the net loss for the company’s operating cash flow grew from $947,000 in the first quarter of 2024 to $5.7 million a year later.

The company’s brokerage revenue increased from $65.4 million in Q1 2024 to $88.9 million in Q1 2025, but Fathom’s ancillary services are still bringing in modest amounts.

Its mortgage division revenue jumped by $300,000 to $2.6 million, its technology revenue stayed flat at $1.1 million and title brought in $1 million.

In Melbourne’s coveted property market of Hawthorn, a new enclave is being crafted with stunning residences and lush green gardens.

Scotch Hill Gardens, a new neighbourhood taking shape in the rich historical suburb of Hawthorn, is drawing attention from discerning buyers.

Known for its elegant homes, leafy streets, and proximity to Melbourne’s top schools and sporting facilities, the area has long been a highly sought-after location.

But this new enclave is perfectly situated and offers buyers something new by blending luxury with classic apartment living.

Scotch Hill Gardens has proven popular with owner-occupiers, with a high level of interest from locals eager to snap up one of the beautiful apartments and enjoy the high-quality amenities.

An irresistible new neighbourhood

Stage 1 of Scotch Hill Gardens comprises a boutique collection of three elegant buildings, offering beautiful homes with a classic Hawthorn aesthetic but with more than existing properties in the area can offer.

According to Fergus Humphries, sales and marketing director at Hamton Property Group, the project has been crafted by the renowned architects Woods Bagot to create “a modern interpretation of those historic features that locals know and love.”

“It’s something that will appeal to those people wanting a classic Hawthorn or Camberwell home but who want to move away from that large family home format to something luxurious yet manageable.”

The apartments promise elegance with functionality, featuring highlights like large entertaining terraces and open-plan interiors.

Something for every discerning taste

Each apartment at Scotch Hill Gardens has been thoughtfully designed to offer both comfort and elegance.

Humphries says buyers are looking for spacious layouts that seamlessly connect to outdoor terraces and points out that these new homes won’t disappoint, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing stunning views of gardens or the city.

“The product range variations are quite widespread, so there’s an apartment type or layout for everyone.

“We have the 2-bedroom exclusive central garden residences all the way up to the penthouses that really speak to the indoor-outdoor living with the large terraces.”

Prices start at $995,000 and range up to $5 million, and Humphries says there’s also flexibility when it comes to internal schemes.

“We have two distinct design schemes, the Grand and Classic,” he explains.

“The Grand scheme features high-end Gaggenau appliances and is top-end.”

Think natural stone finishes and oak or walnut timber finishes.

Meanwhile, the Classic scheme offers high-end Miele appliances and sleek stone surfaces.

Humphries shares that this approach allows every home to be a haven of luxury while matching buyers’ needs.

In some residences, additional touches like butler’s pantries, walk-in robes, dedicated laundries, and freestanding baths enhance the living experience.

Uniqueness at its best

What truly sets Scotch Hill Gardens apart are its exceptional lifestyle amenities and its nature-based approach with carefully planned gardens that that prioritise residents’ wellbeing.

Humphries says the Bath House – designed by wellness consultant Dwell Concepts – has been beautifully crafted for maximum relaxation.

It includes a sauna, steam room, plunge pool, and a salt room.

There is also a movement studio, co-working rooms, and a stunning hotel lobby-style reception.

Plus, with the upcoming redevelopment of Bills Street Village, residents will enjoy unmatched convenience, with shops, a café, and community spaces on their doorstep.

The gardens are the other standout feature which surround the buildings, engulfing them in greenery.

“We’re delivering over 40% of the site as gardens, so there’s this green botanical environment around the whole project,” Humphries explains.

“We’ve kept 77 existing trees on the site’s perimeter, so those are mature, and the greenery is already established, something is rare in new developments.

“We’ve also planting another 155 trees.

“We really wanted the buildings to sit within this natural landscape, and you’ve got a green outlook for every apartment, whether it’s towards the internal central garden or the elevated living tree canopy of mature gums on the perimeter of the site.”

Humphries adds that the project is clearly ticking all the boxes, with strong interest already growing, especially now that demolition has begun and construction for Stage 1 is set to start in the third quarter of 2025.

The post Hawthorn’s hidden gem offers extraordinary views and premium amenities for discerning buyers appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The newly elected leader and first woman to head the Liberal Party of Australia Sussan Ley is a keen property investor and landlord.

Ms Ley who is the member for Farrah, NSW, in the federal House of Representatives rose to power Tuesday after the party was smashed at the polls in the May election.

RELATED: Australia’s biggest political property moguls revealed

MORE: Aussie foreign investor ban to smash Airbnb

Shock: Brisbane prices to smash Sydney

In her declaration of interests made to parliament, she flagged having three properties – her Albury home, an Albury private rental and a property bought on the Gold Coast.

She had two mortgages with Hume Bank when she started her previous term in office, and then refinanced two years ago to move her portfolio to Westpac Bank where she has three mortgages now – the third of which was the Albury investment added in 2023.

Records show Ms Ley bought the Queensland property a decade ago in May 2015 for $795,000 in Main Beach – the heart of the Gold Coast’s glitter strip which has seen massive demand since the pandemic.

Property prices on the Gold Coast are estimated to more than double before the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, with beach suburbs especially set to surge even further.

Ms Ley’s two bedroom, two bath, single car park unit has more than doubled in value in the decade she has owned it, now estimated to be valued as high as $2.14m.

Her rental income potential from that property alone ranges from $853 to $1,100 a week – between $44k to $57k a year.

Ms Ley’s Albury property interests were not publicly available apart from her parliamentary declaration.

MORE REAL ESTATE NEWS

The post Inside new Liberal leader’s property portfolio appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The great migration to regional Queensland continues, with new research showing that for every family moving out, 2.48 are moving in.

New insights from Muval’s Family Relocation Report — based on over 41,000 family moves across Australia over the past six years — shows that regional Queensland recorded the highest inbound-to-outbound ratio in the country.

It found that Brisbane was both a key departure point and a driver of this regional boom, with one in four families leaving Greater Brisbane relocating to regional Queensland for more space and a slower pace of life, all while staying within reach of jobs and services.

But regional Queensland is also attracting families from further afield, including 22.3 per cent from Greater Sydney and 21.9 per cent from Greater Melbourne.

Muval CEO and co-founder James Morrell said that affordability and liveability were key drivers,

“Regional Queensland offers the perfect blend of lifestyle and value,” Morrell said.

“Families are chasing space, beaches, and better living conditions, without the financial pressure of a big-city mortgage.

“We’re seeing families make deliberate decisions — some are upgrading, others are downsizing — but the common goal is creating a better life.”

The Sunshine Coast alone is experiencing a massive influx, with 3.28 families arriving for every one that leaves, the analysis revealed.

Bunbury in Western Australia came in second with an inbound-outbound ratio of 2.89, followed by Mandurah (WA) and Wide Bay (Qld) at 2.71.

The regions with the highest net migration also included WA’s Wheat Belt (2.54), Cairns (2.19), South East Tasmania (2.15), Central Queensland (2.04), Gold Coast (1.99) and West and North West Tasmania (1.96).

At the other end of the spectrum was Sydney City and Inner South with a net‑negative family migration of 0.18, followed by Melbourne Inner (0.23), Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs (0.32), Parramatta (0.42) and Inner West (0.45).

“Greater Sydney has experienced the highest loss of families, with a ratio of just 0.31, meaning that for every family that moved in, more than three have moved out,” the report revealed.

“This may reflect the city’s soaring cost of living, rising property prices, and a growing desire among families for more space and less congestion.”

All of the regions where more families are moving out than moving in were in Sydney, Melbourne and the ACT.

The report also revealed trends in the types of homes families are choosing.

Over 85 per cent of moves are from one house to another, showing the traditional family home remains the goal.

“However, many are making financial trade-offs: one in four families are selling homes worth 20–50 per cent more than the property they’re buying, and 13.9 per cent are moving into smaller homes,” the research revealed.

“Meanwhile, affordability pressures are driving major shifts in ownership: nearly 17 per cent of families are going from owner-occupier to renter, while just 6.3 per cent are moving in the opposite direction — a stark reminder of how tough homeownership is becoming for many.”

The latest PRD ‘Smart Moves: Regional Edition 2025’ highlighted the top ten affordable regional markets on the Australian east coast, with three Queensland spots making the list.

PRD chief economist Diaswati Mardiasmo said the report looked at key criteria including affordability, rental yields and future projects to determine the Cairns, Whitsundays and Southern Downs regions were the best bets in Queensland. These hotspots were almost 30 per cent cheaper than Brisbane.

MORE: Buyer of $12m mansion plans to give it away

Unliveable city cottage sold sight unseen for seven figures

$170k for an island property off Brisbane … but there’s a catch

Dubbo, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Shoalhaven in New South Wales, Bendigo, Greater Shepparton and Wodonga in Victoria, and Burnie in Tasmania also made the top 10 list.

Dr Mardiasmo said with property affordability reaching a new low at the end of last year, the dream of owning a home in a capital city was slipping away for many Australians.“The national Home Loan Affordability Index fell to just 20.0 points in the December quarter of 2024 – the weakest it’s been in more than a decade,” she said.

“Buyers are turning to regional locations with lower entry prices, better rental returns, and clear growth potential,” she said.

In addition to Cairns, Whitsundays and Southern Downs, the report flagged Gladstone, Townsville, Mackay, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Bundaberg and Fraser Coast as affordable Queensland regions, with median house prices up to 46 per cent cheaper than Brisbane.

RELATED: Affordable places to buy a home in Qld

Morrell said that remote work flexibility has been the major driver behind the migration to regional areas.

“While affordability is clearly a key factor in family moves, our research also suggests that lifestyle and space are important,” he said.

“Families are seeking homes that better align with their needs — whether that’s more bedrooms, a backyard, or proximity to nature — which is influencing where they choose to relocate.”

For more, Muval’s Family Relocation Report.

The post Where Aussie families are relocating – and its not the city appeared first on realestate.com.au.