Everyone is talking about tariffs. Are tariffs really driving housing costs, or is something else having a bigger impact? According to Homes.com Chief Residential Economist Brad Case, they’re not the biggest reason housing costs continue to rise.
In this episode of Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered, James Dwiggins sits down with Case for a wide-ranging conversation about the U.S. economy, mortgage rates, inflation, immigration policy, tariffs, consumer confidence, and what all of it means for real estate professionals and homebuyers.
Case explains why uncertainty, not just policy, is shaping today’s market, why mortgage rates are likely to stay near current levels and why life events continue to drive home sales more than interest rates alone. He also shares why immigration policy may be having a larger impact on housing affordability than tariffs by affecting the labor force that builds America’s homes.
Highlights
The conversation also dives into:
- Why mortgage rates may not fall anytime soon
- Whether tariffs are really driving housing prices
- How immigration affects construction costs
- The housing market outlook for 2026 and 2027
- How geopolitical events influence real estate
If you’ve been trying to make sense of today’s housing market, this episode provides one of the clearest economic breakdowns you’ll hear from one of the industry’s leading economists.
Connect with Brad Case on LinkedIn and online at homes.com.
Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered is now exclusively on Inman. Tune in for agent- and team-focused content on Mondays and leadership interviews on Wednesdays each week. Listen on Apple or Spotify.
James Dwiggins is the president of NextHome, Inc. and co-host of Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered.
Keith Robinson is the president of strategy at NextHome, Inc. and co-host of Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered.
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The views and opinions expressed on Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered are those of the hosts and guests in their personal capacities and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of AGNT, Inc., eXp Realty, LLC, NextHome, Inc., or any of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, or directors.
