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

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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.

After a highly anticipated Fed rate cut and a year defined by affordability challenges, 2025 is coming to a close with a clearer picture of where the housing market stands and where it’s headed next. In this month’s market update, Ruben Gonzalez and Gabi Brennesholtz break down the biggest trends of the past year, from rising inventory and regional price shifts to the realities of buyer hesitation. They also unpack the Fed’s latest decision and offer data-driven forecasts to help buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals prepare for 2026.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What 2025’s housing data reveals about sales volume, inventory growth, and price trends
• Why affordability remains the defining challenge for buyers and how agents can address it
• How the Fed’s recent rate cut impacts short-term loans but not necessarily mortgage rates
• What a more “hawkish” Fed means for interest rates moving into 2026
• Why inventory is expected to keep rising and prices to grow modestly next year
• How buyers and agents can strategically position themselves ahead of the 2026 spring market

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:50 Key sales, inventory, and price trends from 2025

01:47 Regional market differences and the “tale of two markets”

02:36 Affordability challenges and evolving buyer and seller strategies

05:40 December Fed meeting and what the rate cut really means

07:49 Why the Fed’s hawkish tone matters for future rate cuts

09:19 2026 forecasts for home sales, inventory, and prices

12:30 Strategic advice for buyers and agents heading into the new 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.

A cooling labor market, rising housing inventory, and growing uncertainty around the Fed’s next move are shaping a complex end to the year for real estate. In this month’s market update, Gabi Brennesholtz and Ruben Gonzalez break down the latest unemployment trends, what October’s existing home sales reveal about buyer behavior, and how affordability challenges are reshaping who’s entering the market. They also dig into NAR’s newest survey insights—from cash buyers to rising down payments—and explain why December’s Fed meeting could trigger meaningful rate volatility.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What the latest unemployment and claims data suggest about the labor market’s direction
• Why existing home sales remain flat despite easing mortgage rates—and how rising inventory is shifting buyer behavior
• How affordability challenges are pushing the average first-time buyer age to 40 and driving down-payment trends to record highs
• What the NAR’s newest survey reveals about cash buyers, investor participation, and today’s longer buying cycles
• Why December’s Fed meeting is essentially a 50/50 call—and how that uncertainty may impact mortgage-rate volatility
• What a 50-year mortgage would really mean for buyers, equity, and long-term wealth building

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & overview of this month’s market update

00:51 Unemployment data, claims reports, and what they signal about the labor market

03:12 What the Fed will consider in the upcoming meeting and why uncertainty is unusually high

04:29 October existing home sales, rising inventory, and regional price trends

06:13 NAR survey insights: cash buyers, buyer age, down payments, and shifting buying cycles

12:34 Upcoming Fed meeting and what to expect

14:21 50-year mortgage question: viability, affordability impact, and long-term wealth concerns

17:59 Final takeaways & closing remarks

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.