Real Talk with Leigh Brown

The 2026 midterm elections are over, and y'all, I've got some questions about what the results mean for homeowners, property rights, and the real estate industry.   Inman is reporting on how much money real estate organizations and individual agents contributed to congressional races. And another Inman story looks at communities voting to restrict data center development.   So who's influencing housing policy? And what happens when property owners want to develop their land, but their neighbors have other ideas?   I'm also looking at some fresh housing market numbers. Bloomberg Government reports that Zillow missed earnings expectations as mortgage rates and inflation continue to weigh on buyers. Meanwhile, a Yahoo Finance article says recent home sellers spent an average of nearly $82,000 on the process, including preparation, commissions, closing expenses and other costs.   As a REALTOR®, I think these are conversations worth having, especially when decisions made in Washington and local communities affect the people we serve.   Join me for From the Rooftops as we talk about the 2026 midterms, real estate political spending, property rights, Zillow's latest earnings and what it really costs to sell a house.   What housing issue do you wish elected officials would pay more attention to? Tell me in the comments.   🎤 Book me to speak: LeighBrown.com/speaker   🏠 More from me: LeighBrown.com   ✍️ Read Bricks and Grit: https://leighthomasbrown.substack.com   'From the Rooftops' Partner: If you're a real estate agent and you are downright tired of running around town chasing buyers, it is time to build a listing-based business. And that means you need to get with my friends at Vulcan7.   They do the heavy lifting for you by delivering the freshest Expireds, FSBOs, and neighborhood data every single morning with the best contact info in the business so you reach those sellers first. Plus, their dialer makes outbound calling fast, efficient, and painless.   Right now, Vulcan7 is running their Black Friday special now: You buy your first month, and get your second month completely free, plus their multi-line dialer is free for the life of your active account.   Head over to vulcan7.com/leighbrown right now and lock this in before it ends.

Is the American Dream becoming a brokerage account instead of a home?   Y'all, USA TODAY just published an article titled "Is the American Dream now a brokerage account?" and you know I've got questions.   For generations, homeownership has been one of the defining pieces of the American Dream. Now we're seeing headlines questioning whether investing in the stock market might be a better way to build wealth.   But are we comparing things that actually belong in the same conversation?   The article looks at changing patterns in household wealth, including stock market investments, homeownership and the growing number of millionaire renters. It also raises questions about liquidity, financial flexibility and whether Americans should have so much of their wealth tied up in real estate.   As a REALTOR®, I spend a lot of time talking with people about what owning a home means to them. And I think this conversation deserves a closer look.   What does homeownership provide beyond a financial return? How should we think about the risks of investing in stocks versus owning property? And who gets to define what the American Dream looks like for the next generation?   I'm digging into the USA TODAY article on this week's *From the Rooftops*, because I want y'all to think about what these headlines are really telling us.   ARTICLE DISCUSSED   USA TODAY, Medora Lee: "Is the American Dream now a brokerage account?" (October 25, 2026)   JOIN THE CONVERSATION   Do you believe homeownership is still part of the American Dream? I'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.   🎤 Book me to speak: https://LeighBrown.com/speaker   🏠 More from me: https://LeighBrown.com   ✍️ Read Bricks and Grit: https://leighthomasbrown.substack.com   #AmericanDream #Homeownership #RealEstate   Chapters 0:00 Is homeownership still the American dream 2:24 Looking at the USA TODAY brokerage account article 4:32 What a home means beyond the price tag 7:55 Diversification and comparing stocks to housing 13:36 Is housing really in a bubble right now 19:49 A big appraisal change is coming soon 23:08 Advice on buying less house than you can afford 41:47 How home equity debt and taxes affect sellers

Who's controlling the housing market, and how much say do homeowners really have? This week on *From the Rooftops*, I'm looking at real estate headlines involving the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Compass private exclusive listings, home prices and property owners' rights. First, HousingWire reports that Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker are asking the FTC to examine real estate lead generation and referral practices. That includes referral fees, online "Contact Agent" buttons and questions about what consumers understand when they request information about a home. I've got some thoughts about the costs REALTORS® face running their businesses and where government oversight fits into this conversation. The Wall Street Journal is also covering the battle over how Americans buy and sell homes. Compass and its private exclusive listing strategy are raising questions about MLS access, listing exposure and seller choice. I'm particularly interested in what happens when a property isn't visible to every potential buyer. Then there's a Wall Street Journal headline that really got under my skin: "Stubborn Sellers Are the Last Thing Propping Up Home Prices." Are homeowners obligated to reduce their asking prices to make housing more affordable? What happens when sellers have the financial ability to stay put? I'm sharing my perspective as a working REALTOR® on pricing, negotiation and the freedom to make decisions about your own property. We're also looking at Virginia's Faith in Housing law and the growing interest in YIGBY, or Yes In God's Backyard, which explores how churches and nonprofits could use their land for affordable housing. I'll be digging further into the opportunities and questions surrounding faith-based housing development in an upcoming Bricks and Grit article. And speaking of *Bricks and Grit*, my latest article, "The Single Metric Mindset," explores what happens when we rely too heavily on a single number, including GDP and price per square foot. Whether you're a REALTOR®, broker, buyer or homeowner, these conversations matter because housing decisions affect real people and their communities.   *FOR REALTORS®: MY VULCAN7 PROSPECTING PARTNER* If you're working on building your business through prospecting, take a look at Vulcan7. My team uses it to help connect with homeowners, including Expired listings and For Sale By Owner (FSBO) opportunities. It offers homeowner contact information and dialing tools to help you organize your outreach. Learn more through my affiliate link: https://www.vulcan7.com/leighbrown Affiliate disclosure: Vulcan7 is an affiliate partner, and I may earn compensation when you sign up through my link.   *MORE FROM LEIGH* ✍️ Read *Bricks and Grit*: https://leighthomasbrown.substack.com 🎤 Book me to speak: https://LeighBrown.com/speaker 🏠 Visit my website: https://LeighBrown.com   Tell me what you think about these housing headlines in the comments!

Who controls the information collected about your home, and what happens when that data becomes valuable to someone else?   This week on *From the Rooftops*, I'm digging into some real estate headlines that raise serious questions about property data, consumer privacy and artificial intelligence.   Two recent articles by Desiree Mehbod on AppraisersBlogs are raising concerns about how information collected during home inspections and appraisals may be accessed, shared or used by third-party companies.   One article, **"Inspectors Blocked the Door, Appraisers Handed Over the Keys,"** examines allegations involving home inspection software, confidential inspection reports and the potential consequences when sensitive property information reaches lenders or insurance companies.   Another, **"Our Metrics, Their Millions: Exposing the Backdoor Data Rush,"** looks at the growing commercial value of appraisal records, property photographs and structural data as companies seek information for AI training and other uses.   I'm also looking at a Consumer Policy Center report comparing **Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and Homes.com**. These major real estate search portals often display much of the same MLS listing information, but differences in how they present property status, coming-soon listings and days on market can affect what consumers understand about available homes.   And in my latest *Bricks and Grit* Substack, **"Is AI Killing Jobs AND Housing?"**, I'm exploring a different side of the artificial intelligence conversation: what happens to housing opportunity when entry-level jobs begin disappearing? I'm drawing on my own first-job experience and the economic changes that have affected working communities before.   For REALTORS®, appraisers, home inspectors and property owners, these stories raise questions worth discussing. Who has access to the information collected during a real estate transaction? What permissions exist for its reuse? And how might AI change the economic opportunities that make homeownership possible?   Join me Thursday at **9:00 AM ET** for *From the Rooftops*.   🎤 Book me to speak: LeighBrown.com/speaker   🏠 More from me: LeighBrown.com   Chapters 0:00 Welcome and a new appraisal deadline 2:23 Who owns home inspection data? 6:44 What the new appraisal form says about your data 9:34 Who owns the appraisal report? 11:44 Why appraisal photos are a privacy risk 13:44 Appraisers offered big money for old files 15:50 Who really owns MLS listing data 18:23 A consumer group compares listing websites 20:39 Should buyers chase under-contract listings? 24:04 Contact buttons and lead routing 26:51 Floor plans, virtual tours and home safety 28:20 Surveillance cameras and everyday privacy 29:50 Taking listing photos down after closing 33:48 Delivery drivers, smart glasses and your home 35:04 Standing up for inspectors and appraisers   🎤 Book Leigh for Your Conference or Event https://www.leighbrown.com/speaker   🎙️ Watch Real Talk with Leigh Brown and From the Rooftops https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-9nEf0QTnKTBSf9lF5n5dbbHSK-65KWd   🌐 Learn more at https://LeighBrown.com

Mortgage rates are climbing again, buyers are looking at adjustable-rate mortgages, and some first-time buyers are getting creative about where their down payment comes from. What does all of that look like in an actual housing market?   This week on From the Rooftops, I'm digging into the housing headlines that caught my attention, including rising mortgage rates and renewed interest in ARMs, couples using wedding registries to help build a down payment, and the insurance coverage gaps that can leave homeowners far more exposed than they realize.   Then we're taking the conversation to Nashville.   Lila McCann, Managing Broker of MW Real Estate at City Heights and a member of the @GreaterNashRealtors Board of Directors, is joining me to talk about what she's seeing on the ground in the Greater Nashville housing market. I want to know what buyers are doing when affordability gets tight, what REALTORS® are hearing from clients and which national housing headlines actually look different when you get down to the local level.   I'll also get into my latest Bricks and Grit, "When the ATM Is Out of Order." I'm talking about HELOC resets, what can happen when the interest-only draw period ends, and why homeowners need to know what's coming before that new payment shows up.   For REALTORS®, this is the bigger conversation. Our clients are trying to make housing decisions while mortgage costs, household finances and insurance expenses keep changing around them. Understanding the headline is useful. Understanding what it means at the kitchen table is where we earn our keep.   Join us Thursday at 9:00 AM ET for From the Rooftops.   Guest: Lila McCann Managing Broker | MW Real Estate at City Heights Board of Directors | Greater Nashville REALTORS® Instagram: @lilsmccannrealtor | @mwrealestateco   Chapters 0:00 Mortgage rates are back in the headlines 1:44 Fed rate vs. mortgage rates, explained 2:50 Adjustable-rate mortgages are back 3:43 The refinance assumption buyers shouldn't count on 7:35 Wedding registries for a down payment 11:58 A local look at the Greater Nashville market 13:46 Nashville shifts toward a buyer's market 16:15 Seller concessions and buyer leverage 18:02 A tale of two markets in days on market 23:21 Condos, HOA dues and reserves 26:01 Utility costs and the true monthly payment 30:04 What people don't know about Nashville 33:15 The homeowners insurance gap 36:01 Why rebuilding costs so much right now 37:19 A HUD overhaul proposal and closing fees 40:52 HELOC resets and middle-class homeowners 43:19 Viewer questions on property tax amendments   Leigh Brown is a REALTOR®, national speaker, author, real estate industry leader and founder of Patriot Relief. 🎤 Book Leigh to speak: LeighBrown.com/speaker 🏠 More from Leigh: LeighBrown.com   🎤 Book Leigh for Your Conference or Event https://www.leighbrown.com/speaker   🎙️ Watch Real Talk with Leigh Brown and From the Rooftops https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-9nEf0QTnKTBSf9lF5n5dbbHSK-65KWd   🌐 Learn more at https://LeighBrown.com