NAR Forecasts a Busy 2026
According to National Association of Realtors (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, existing-home sales are projected to rise by around 14% in 2026. However, prices are expected to rise as well.
Buyers looking for improved prices are advised to shop where builders are busiest and inventory is growing, as these are expected to be kinder to first-time buyers.
NAR's recently released 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers contains data that illustrates how homeowner demographics are shifting. For example, the typical age of a homebuyer today is 59, with repeat buyers around 62. Reasons for moving have changed as well; being closer to friends and family is the number one reason people move.
Another find: both buyers and sellers realize the value of working with an agent, with 88% of buyers and 91% of sellers working with one during their latest transaction. Let's talk about how we can work together to make their transactions faster and smoother.1
Why It's Important (and Easy) to Crosspost
You've probably noticed that successful agents and offices provide web visitors with links to several social media sites. They're also busy crossposting photos and videos of listings, events, and educational topics.
If you don't think you have the time to crosspost your social media, think again...it's actually a time-saver. You can create posts once and share them on the appropriate social media platforms.
Whether you use a platform's built-in crossposting features, like Meta's for Facebook, Instagram and Threads, or prefer to edit posts before uploading to another site, it can help you build a stronger presence. Here are some reasons why crossposting works so well.
You'll expand your audience. Some of your followers probably use several social platforms but don't follow you on all of them. By crossposting content, you'll increase the chances that your message reaches your audience where they're most active.
In addition, since each platform has its own unique user base, crossposting helps you connect with different audiences. You'll get more overall views and engagement.
You can try out a new social media platform. Crossposting also helps you test-drive a new social media channel. For example, if you're wondering if it's worth posting on text-based platforms, you can post similar content across X, Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon to see how it performs.
If short-form video is your focus, you can test content performance on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.2
October Housing Market Scares Up More Sales
Agents have seen plenty of unpredictable market shifts during the past five years, and last month's activity happened in a month that's usually slower than summer.
An October dip in mortgage rates created a three-year high in affordability, which resulted in a 5% annual increase in new listings and pending sales. This added up to the strongest October housing market in three years.
Cities that saw the biggest growth in new listings included Tampa, Raleigh, Orlando, Columbus, Louisville and Indianapolis.
Sellers retained the strongest edge in Hartford, San Francisco, New York, San Jose and Providence. Buyers were particularly active in Miami, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and New Orleans.3
Share Your Thanksgiving Gratitude
While you've probably already planned some holiday-themed marketing for December, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate Thanksgiving with your clients and community. Here are three to consider, even if your marketing budget is limited.
Set Up a Cooking Demo
Work with a local chef for a holiday cooking demonstration of some traditional Thanksgiving dinner items. It will help prevent tasteless turkeys while proving you're a valuable resource within your community. Share invites to the demo within your social media and emails.
Send Some Greetings
One big advantage of sending a Thanksgiving-themed card during November is that they won't be lost in the stacks of December greetings that will arrive next month. Choose traditional cards or be economical with postcard greetings.
Organize a Food Drive
Gratitude is best when it's shared, and participating in a local food drive tells your community that you and your colleagues genuinely care about everyone. You can tell people about your food drive when inviting them to a cooking demonstration, so they can drop off canned goods at the same time.4
The Latest On 50-Year Mortgages
Lending experts have already spotted pros and cons. While this loan creates lower monthly payments and may help more buyers qualify, it also creates a scenario where buyers will be paying considerably more interest over the life of their loan. This would make building equity extremely slow.
While backers of the 50-year mortgage have suggested that these buyers will be able to eventually refinance, the market has already proved that these types of predictions don't always deliver as hoped.
If your prospects ask you about 50-year mortgages, feel free to share my contact details with them so we can discuss their options.5
Sources: 1nationalmortgageprofessional.com, 2buffer.com, 3zillow.mediaroom.com, 4buildingbetteragents.com, 5npr.org
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