What if the savings buyers are holding out for add up to a little more than a Netflix subscription? The mortgage rate forecast for 2027 is shaping how buyers make decisions right now, but many of them are overestimating what waiting actually saves.
On this episode of Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered — recorded live at Zillow Unlock 2026 — James Dwiggins sits down with Zillow Chief Economist Mischa Fisher on the same morning a disappointing consumer price index (CPI) report pushed yields higher. Fisher explains how high diesel and energy prices are working their way into everyday goods, why inflation behaves like a snowball and why this rate cycle is hitting a housing market that was already weak.
They cover where mortgage rates are likely headed, the odds of rates reaching 8 percent, how existing home sales should finish 2026 and what Fisher would do as economic czar to get housing moving again. He also shares Zillow’s 2027 outlook and the research showing that a typical buyer saves about $26 a month by waiting a year.
Plus, Fisher breaks down Zillow’s data on homes sold privately versus on the open market. His one piece of advice for agents heading into 2027 is to figure out what makes you uniquely trustworthy, and double down on it.
Highlights
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why high diesel prices keep inflation elevated
- Where mortgage rates may be headed over the next year
- Why waiting a year saves buyers about $26 a month
- What Zillow’s data shows about private listings
- Why trust is an agent’s biggest advantage in 2027
Fisher expects more Fed rate hikes. He also believes much of the rise in the 10-year yield has already happened, and Zillow’s forecast has rates easing slightly over the next 12 months. He puts the chance of rates reaching 8 percent at roughly 25-30 percent. If rates stay where they are, he expects 2027 sales to come in flat to slightly down.
For buyers sitting on the sidelines, Fisher points out that home values are still rising and a 30-year fixed rate can be locked for the life of the loan. Buyers also have more inventory and negotiating room than they’ve had in years. In his view, this is no time to put your life on hold over the cost of a streaming subscription.
On private listings, Zillow’s research found that homes sold off market tend to sell below their estimated value. With fewer eyeballs and weaker matching between buyers and homes, Fisher says sellers usually lose out.
Connect with Mischa Fisher on LinkedIn.
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.
