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

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.