Realtor.com Chief Economist On Fed Rate Hike, Best Time To Buy in 2026 & New Build Campaign

In this episode, Danielle Hale, Chief Economist of Realtor.com, joins Byron Lazine and Lisa Chinatti to discuss the Fed’s first rate hike in three years and what it means for mortgage rates, along with where agents can find opportunity in today’s housing market.

⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 – 02:09 Intro
04:33 The Fed Just Hiked for the First Time in Three Years, Was It the Right Call?
07:16 Two Rate Hikes? Danielle Reveals Her Prediction
08:17 How Danielle’s Team Called the 2025 Mortgage Rate When Everyone Else Missed
12:56 Are the Last Four Years a Real Estate Recession? Danielle Weighs In
15:02 How Brutal Will Q4 2026 Be for Agents?
16:55 Metro Report Cards Are Out, Here’s Who’s Grading Well
21:07 Why the Northeast Keeps Failing Its Own Report Card
25:17 The Secret List of Metros Agents Should Be Targeting
26:57 The Realtor.com Tool That Shows You Exactly Who’s Searching Your Market
33:36 Realtor.com Just Named the Single Best Week to Buy a Home
39:56 What Is the K-Shaped Housing Market?
47:46 Realtor.com, NAR, eXp, and 10+ Rivals Just Launched a Joint Campaign
50:04 Which Cities Are Most Resistant to the Let America Build Message?
54:28 Local Boards Are Protecting the Wrong Thing