2026 Real Estate Market Predictions, Rate Cut Impact & 2025 Market Recap

Mortgage Rates Shift Again? Inflation, Fed Drama & New Construction Opportunities

In this month’s Market Update, Gabi Brennesholz and Ruben Gonzalez break down the latest housing and economic headlines impacting buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals right now. This episode covers: • Why new construction home sales are improving • How builders are adjusting pricing and incentives • What the latest CPI and PCE inflation reports mean • Why mortgage rates may stay elevated longer than expected • The growing impact of inflation on consumer confidence • Surprising news involving Fed Chair Jerome Powell • What agents, buyers, and sellers should be watching moving forward As market conditions continue to shift, understanding today’s data is critical for making smart real estate decisions in 2026. Subscribe for monthly housing market updates, economic insights, and practical strategies for navigating today’s real estate market.

Market Uncertainty Rises: Inflation, Oil Shocks & What It Means for Housing

The spring housing market isn’t unfolding the way many expected ... and the data is telling a more complex story. In this April Market Update, Gabi Brennesholz and Ruben Gonzalez break down the latest housing and economic signals, including softer-than-expected home sales, rising mortgage rates, and growing consumer hesitation. They explore how global events (particularly rising oil prices) are beginning to ripple through inflation, consumer sentiment, and ultimately real estate activity. With buyer demand cooling, inventory challenges persisting, and regional markets behaving very differently, agents need to adapt quickly. Plus, what’s next for Fed policy? Will rate relief come later this year, or is the market settling into a “higher for longer” reality? In this episode: * Why home sales underperformed despite earlier rate relief * How oil prices are quietly reshaping inflation * What’s really happening in the labor market * Why consumer sentiment just hit historic lows * What it all means for mortgage rates and the 2026 outlook * How agents should adjust strategy in a slower, uncertain market. Podcast Chapter Markers 00:00 – Intro: What’s Driving This Month’s Market Update 00:16 – Market Shock: Home Sales Miss Expectations 09:30 – Inflation Is Back? The Oil Price Effect 15:45 – Fed Outlook: Will Rates Stay Higher for Longer? 19:30 – Outro & Subscribe for Monthly Updates

Oil Price Shock Hits Housing Market: What It Means for Rates & Buyers

Sudden global shifts are reshaping the housing market in unexpected ways. In this month’s update, Ruben Gonzalez and Gabi Brennesholtz break down how a sharp spike in oil and gas prices, driven by geopolitical conflict, is creating ripple effects across inflation, mortgage rates, and buyer behavior. They also unpack February’s surprisingly flat housing data, weakening job numbers, and what to expect from the Fed’s upcoming meeting. With uncertainty rising, this episode highlights why timing, strategy, and clear communication matter more than ever for today’s real estate professionals and their clients. In this episode, you’ll learn: * How rising oil and gas prices are fueling inflation and putting upward pressure on mortgage rates * Why global events can quickly impact local housing markets even in the U.S. * What February’s flat home sales, steady inventory, and stagnant prices signal about market momentum * How weakening job growth and consumer confidence are influencing buyer activity * Why the Fed is likely to hold rates steady (for now) and how new risks could shift forecasts * How buyers and agents can navigate today’s uncertainty and take advantage of early-season opportunities —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:35 Oil price shock and global supply disruption explained 01:27 How oil and gas prices ripple through inflation and daily costs 02:38 Impact on mortgage rates and interest rate expectations 05:48 Buyer strategy: why acting sooner may offer an advantage 08:12 February housing data: flat sales, inventory, and pricing trends 11:13 Fed meeting preview, job market trends, and economic uncertainty This podcast is for general informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions of the guest represent those of the guest and not Keller Williams Realty, LLC and its affiliates, and should not be construed as financial, economic, legal, tax, or other advice. This podcast is provided without any warranty, or guarantee of its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or results from using the information.

Gary Keller on 2026 Market Outlook, Fed Signals & What’s Next for Housing

Recorded onsite at Family Reunion in Atlanta, this month’s market update unpacks the biggest insights from Gary Keller’s Vision speech and what they signal for housing in 2026 and beyond. Ruben Gonzalez and Gabi Brennesholtz break down January’s softer-than-expected sales, the role severe winter weather may have played, and why a stronger second half of the year remains the base-case scenario. They also explore emerging labor market cracks, generational wealth myths, rising competition among agents, and what upcoming Fed decisions could mean for mortgage rates. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why January’s weaker sales numbers may be more about severe weather and seasonality than a fundamental slowdown * What to expect from mortgage rates this year and why the second half of the year could see stronger transaction activity * How unemployment trends historically connect to home price declines and what early labor market shifts could signal * The surprising truth about generational wealth: why millennials are earning and owning more assets, yet feeling more financially fragile * How wealth gaps within generations and access to real estate are driving long-term financial divergence * Why historically low transactions per agent (despite high overall volume) make today’s market more competitive than ever and raise the stakes for every deal —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:42 January NAR numbers: Weaker-than-expected sales and the impact of severe winter weather 01:58 Gary Keller’s 2026 transaction forecast and expectations for a stronger second half 02:59 Seasonality returns: What normal sales patterns mean for agents and planning 04:44 Home prices, unemployment trends, and early signs of labor market weakness 08:20 Generational wealth myth-busting: Assets, debt, and why millennials feel more fragile 12:31 Historic lows in transactions per agent and rising competition 14:39 Fed policy, leadership dynamics, and what rate cuts could mean for the rest of the year This podcast is for general informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions of the guest represent those of the guest and not Keller Williams Realty, LLC and its affiliates, and should not be construed as financial, economic, legal, tax, or other advice. This podcast is provided without any warranty, or guarantee of its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or results from using the information.

Mortgage Rates Near 6% in 2026: Will Buyers Take Advantage?

As we close out 2025 and step into the new year, the housing market is offering a clearer signal of what lies ahead. In this month’s market update, Ruben Gonzalez and Gabi Brennesholtz break down final 2025 NAR data, revealing a largely flat year for sales and modest price growth with meaningful regional differences. They also unpack year-end employment and inflation trends, discuss what ongoing economic uncertainty means for buyers, and share the latest outlook on mortgage rates as 2026 gets underway. In this episode, you’ll learn: * What final 2025 NAR data shows about home sales, prices, and inventory nationwide * How regional price performance varied dramatically across the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West * Why slower job growth and labor market uncertainty are shaping buyer behavior * How inflation trends are evolving and what’s still putting pressure on household budgets * Where mortgage rates stand today and why expectations for major drops remain limited * What buyers, sellers, and agents should realistically anticipate as the 2026 market unfolds —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Final 2025 NAR housing numbers: sales, prices, and inventory 01:19 Regional price performance and what’s driving market variation 03:04 2026 home sales outlook and the role of pent-up demand 04:05 Employment slowdown and how labor market uncertainty impacts buyers 06:18 Inflation trends, household costs, and affordability pressures 09:48 Mortgage rate movement, forecasts, and what to expect in 2026 11:48 Policy speculation, election-year headlines, and why buyers shouldn’t wait This podcast is for general informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions of the guest represent those of the guest and not Keller Williams Realty, LLC and its affiliates, and should not be construed as financial, economic, legal, tax, or other advice. This podcast is provided without any warranty, or guarantee of its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or results from using the information.