‘Bold Predictions 2025’ Broadcast Helps Navigate Real Estate’s Perfect Storm | Buffini
Did you know the real estate market is expected to grow by about 10% next year? Catch all the groundbreaking insights of Brian Buffini’s Bold Predictions, 2025 Real Estate Market Outlook, now available on-demand. Watch now.
Real estate professionals have been here before. Amid skyrocketing mortgage rates, plummeting home sales and industry-shaking legal settlements, 2025 will be another rollercoaster of a year.
And with Republican President-elect Donald Trump poised to retake power on Jan. 20 with dominant GOP majorities in the Senate and House, the real estate industry could be in for even more upheaval as his economic and fiscal policies are crystallized.
As you build your real estate business plan for 2025, you’ll want to know what’s in store and how to tackle the twists and turns ahead. That’s why it’s critical to watch for “Brian Buffini’s Bold Predictions: 2025 Real Estate Market Outlook” broadcast…but more on that later.
Current state of affairs in U.S. housing market
Mortgage rates on 30-year conventional loans reached a nearly staggering 8% in October 2023, more than double the 3% average seen in 2021, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. This rate shock has continued well into 2024, with 30-year fixed rates hovering around the 7% mark for much of the year.
Meanwhile, existing-home sales have struggled as home prices and rates have stayed elevated. Existing-home sales fell in September to 3.84 million units, down 3.5% from a year ago, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors.
At the same time, the median existing-home sales price reached $404,500, up 3% from a year ago and marking the 15th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains, NAR reported. This is despite the inventory of unsold existing homes climbing 1.5% from the prior month to 1.39 million at the end of September, or the equivalent of 4.3 months’ supply at the current monthly sales pace. However, NAR considers a six-month supply a “stable” market, so there’s still room for improvement.
With interest rates and prices pushing higher since the COVID-19 pandemic, monthly mortgage payments have ballooned considerably, pricing millions of potential homebuyers out of the market. In September, the national median purchase mortgage payment hit $2,041, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. That’s up a staggering 55.1% from a median mortgage payment of $1,316 seen in February 2021.
Trump’s proposed policies add more uncertainty to the mix
With a second Trump administration taking shape, some economists and industry analysts are bracing for major policy shifts that could have unintended consequences for housing. These include:
- Potential changes to Federal Reserve independence and monetary policy direction.
- New trade policies (steep tariffs that could lead to higher inflation) might drive up construction costs and impact building material availability.
- Shifts in mortgage lending regulations.
- Hard-line immigration reforms, such as planned mass deportations, which could negatively impact construction labor, housing demand and prices.
“The convergence of these factors makes Brian Buffini’s Bold Predictions more crucial than ever,” says Joe Niego, Buffini & Company’s top trainer. “Real estate professionals need clear guidance on navigating these unprecedented times so they aren’t caught off guard. The time to plan and pivot is now.”
Commission lawsuits put real estate agents on the defense
The recent NAR settlement, estimated at $418 million, mandated significant changes to traditional offers of agent compensation on the MLS. This disrupted a decades-long practice where sellers have traditionally paid the full real estate commission for their listing agent and the buyer’s agent, baking the fee into their asking price.
Multiple class-action lawsuits have challenged these commission practices, and NAR’s long-held Clear Cooperation policy faces ongoing federal scrutiny, with potential challenges to pocket listings and other off-market listing practices on the horizon.
These legal challenges and the public scrutiny that has come with them has put real estate agents in a precarious position of defending the value they bring to clients, particularly buyers. With agent commissions continuing to be a hot topic in 2025, it’s more crucial than ever that agents can clearly articulate the value they offer to both buyers and sellers so they can continue earning their rightful compensation for the service and expertise they offer.
Finding opportunity and clarity in the chaos
With all this uncertainty looming, creating a game plan for your business can be daunting when there’s so much out of your control. And the last thing you want is to play defense when market conditions inevitably shift.
Buffini’s Bold Predictions broadcast will address urgent questions about what lies ahead, such as:
- When will mortgage rates stabilize and potentially come down?
- What economic headwinds should you be paying the most attention to in 2025?
- What are the top regulatory or policy issues that might impact the industry — and your business?
- What sales and business-building strategies will succeed in a transformed marketplace?
By tuning into Brian Buffini’s Bold Predictions broadcast, you’ll walk away with:
- Analysis of various policy scenarios and their market impacts.
- Strategies for thriving under new industry rules.
- Tactics for maintaining profitability in any market.
- Expert insights on mortgage rates, housing inventory and home sales trends.
- Action plans for adapting to commission structure changes.
- Guidance on how to articulate your value as a full-service professional.
“In my 35 years in real estate, I’ve never seen this combination of housing market headwinds and industry sea-changes,” Buffini says. “But where there’s change, there’s opportunity for full-time, full-service professionals to differentiate themselves and stand out among the competition. During Bold Predictions, we’ll provide you with the insights and expert forecasting to help you pivot your business to stay ahead of the market.”
Watch Brian Buffini’s Bold Predictions now at www.buffini.com/bp2025
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