Buyers ask if prices will fall hard. The data points to a slow reset instead. Redfin says income growth should beat home price growth in 2026. That shift eases payments for many buyers over time. You can show this simply with a weekly rate box and a short chart. See the reset call in Redfin’s 2026 outlook and the plain-English summary from Fortune.
Prices are slowing, not crashing. Tell that story in simple terms.
National price growth sits near 1.1% year over year. Thirty two of the top 100 metros now show price drops. That is the widest softening since the early 2010s. Use that to reset expectations without hype. Say it this way. Prices are cooling. Your paycheck can start to catch up. The metro list comes straight from Cotality’s update.
Buyers feel payments, not indexes. Convert headlines into dollars.
Rates matter most at the payment level. The 30-year fixed averaged 6.19% this week. That is lower than last year. Use a $450k example and update it weekly. Pair your math with the 10-year Treasury story so buyers see why rates move. Pull the weekly rate box from Freddie Mac PMMS and connect the rate path to the Treasury yield curve.
Use Hot Take Engine to publish fast, calm “reality checks.”
Short posts beat long rants. Ship a weekly note called “Reality Check.” Lead with a clear line. Prices are not crashing. They are cooling. Then add one chart and one next step. Close with a phone-safe CTA. Your take lands faster when it follows a plan. The Hot Take Engine builds that plan and keeps your tone steady. For format ideas you can copy, skim our post on protecting leads with short video.
Don’t wait on 2026 if rent keeps draining your cash.
Redfin and others see a “Great Housing Reset” in 2026. Zillow expects modest price increases next year as affordability improves. Waiting can help some buyers. It can also cost months of rent with no equity. Frame both sides with simple math that buyers can repeat. Use the 1.2% price path from Zillow’s forecast and the reset theme from Business Insider’s recap.
Clean up old posts that still shout “forever unaffordable.”
Your past content can hurt trust if it sounds stuck. Update those pages and show what changed in 90 days. Replace stale lines with a simple “cooling not crashing” section and a fresh chart. Start with metros now cooling and link your weekly rate print. Our Content Cleaning play makes this quick without losing your voice. The metro trend comes from Cotality’s release.
Simple weekly workflow to turn trends into calls
- Pick one number buyers repeat at dinner: Use the “6.19% average” from Freddie Mac PMMS.
- Record a 45-second “payment not price” reel: Follow this step-by-step outline in our video guide.
- Post one local chart with a cooling headline: Pull the metro note from Cotality.
- Send a two-line email that links your reel: Add a rate box using PMMS.
- End every post with this action line.
We’ve seen this work for others. Want to see it for yourself? Contact the Tomato today and we will map your next ten local takes.
