GREATER BOSTON · KELLY CUI
Industry Updates
Buying, selling and property management in Greater Boston.
POLICY · HOUSING · REAL ESTATE
What’s changing in real estate.
Housing policy, financing rules and industry changes that affect Greater Boston buyers, sellers, landlords and renters. Each article includes its date and original sources.
POLICY & INDUSTRY UPDATE
MBTA Communities zoning upheld again by the state’s highest court
Ruling dated September 18, 2026. The Supreme Judicial Court rejected Marshfield’s challenge to the law that requires MBTA communities to zone for multi-family housing near transit. What the law requires and what it means for buyers and owners.
POLICY & INDUSTRY UPDATE
The rent control question will not be on the November 2026 ballot
Court decision dated June 23, 2026. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the statewide rent control petition could not go to voters. What was proposed, what the court decided, and what stays the same for renters and landlords.
POLICY & INDUSTRY UPDATE
FinCEN’s residential real estate reporting rule is on hold
Court order dated March 19, 2026. A federal court vacated the rule that would have required reports on certain all-cash home transfers to entities and trusts. FinCEN has appealed; reports are not required while the order stands.
POLICY & INDUSTRY UPDATE
2026 conforming loan limits for Massachusetts counties
In effect for loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac acquire in 2026 (announced November 25, 2025). The one-unit limit is $962,550 in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth counties and $832,750 in most of the rest of the state.
POLICY & INDUSTRY UPDATE
Rental broker fees: the party who hires the broker pays
Effective August 1, 2025. A broker fee on a Massachusetts residential rental may be paid only by the party who hired the broker. What changed, who it affects, and where it stands in October 2026.
POLICY & INDUSTRY UPDATE
Accessory dwelling units are allowed by right in single-family zones
Effective February 2, 2025. Under the Affordable Homes Act, one accessory dwelling unit is allowed by right in single-family zoning districts in Massachusetts towns that zone under the state Zoning Act. Boston follows its own code.
POLICY & INDUSTRY UPDATE
Written buyer agreements and agent pay after the 2024 NAR settlement
Effective August 17, 2024. Buyers working with an agent covered by NAR’s rules sign a written agreement before touring, and offers to pay buyer agents no longer appear in MLS listings. What changed and how it works in Massachusetts in October 2026.