In this month’s Market Update, Gabi Brennesholz and Ruben Gonzalez break down the latest housing and economic headlines impacting buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals right now.

This episode covers:

• Why new construction home sales are improving

• How builders are adjusting pricing and incentives

• What the latest CPI and PCE inflation reports mean

• Why mortgage rates may stay elevated longer than expected

• The growing impact of inflation on consumer confidence

• Surprising news involving Fed Chair Jerome Powell

• What agents, buyers, and sellers should be watching moving forward

As market conditions continue to shift, understanding today’s data is critical for making smart real estate decisions in 2026.

Subscribe for monthly housing market updates, economic insights, and practical strategies for navigating today’s real estate market.

The spring housing market isn’t unfolding the way many expected ... and the data is telling a more complex story.

In this April Market Update, Gabi Brennesholz and Ruben Gonzalez break down the latest housing and economic signals, including softer-than-expected home sales, rising mortgage rates, and growing consumer hesitation.

They explore how global events (particularly rising oil prices) are beginning to ripple through inflation, consumer sentiment, and ultimately real estate activity. With buyer demand cooling, inventory challenges persisting, and regional markets behaving very differently, agents need to adapt quickly.

Plus, what’s next for Fed policy? Will rate relief come later this year, or is the market settling into a “higher for longer” reality?

In this episode:

• Why home sales underperformed despite earlier rate relief
• How oil prices are quietly reshaping inflation
• What’s really happening in the labor market
• Why consumer sentiment just hit historic lows
• What it all means for mortgage rates and the 2026 outlook
• How agents should adjust strategy in a slower, uncertain market.

Podcast Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro: What’s Driving This Month’s Market Update

00:16 – Market Shock: Home Sales Miss Expectations

09:30 – Inflation Is Back? The Oil Price Effect

15:45 – Fed Outlook: Will Rates Stay Higher for Longer?

19:30 – Outro & Subscribe for Monthly Updates

Sudden global shifts are reshaping the housing market in unexpected ways. In this month’s update, Ruben Gonzalez and Gabi Brennesholtz break down how a sharp spike in oil and gas prices, driven by geopolitical conflict, is creating ripple effects across inflation, mortgage rates, and buyer behavior. They also unpack February’s surprisingly flat housing data, weakening job numbers, and what to expect from the Fed’s upcoming meeting. With uncertainty rising, this episode highlights why timing, strategy, and clear communication matter more than ever for today’s real estate professionals and their clients.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How rising oil and gas prices are fueling inflation and putting upward pressure on mortgage rates
• Why global events can quickly impact local housing markets even in the U.S.
• What February’s flat home sales, steady inventory, and stagnant prices signal about market momentum
• How weakening job growth and consumer confidence are influencing buyer activity
• Why the Fed is likely to hold rates steady (for now) and how new risks could shift forecasts
• How buyers and agents can navigate today’s uncertainty and take advantage of early-season opportunities

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:35 Oil price shock and global supply disruption explained

01:27 How oil and gas prices ripple through inflation and daily costs

02:38 Impact on mortgage rates and interest rate expectations

05:48 Buyer strategy: why acting sooner may offer an advantage

08:12 February housing data: flat sales, inventory, and pricing trends

11:13 Fed meeting preview, job market trends, and economic uncertainty

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.