Is the Real Estate Market About to Break? 2026 Q3 Market Update w/ Neil Clements

What's in this episode

In this 2026 Q3 market update, I’m sitting down with Neil Clements to look at what’s actually happening with buyers, sellers, home prices, migration, interest rates, land investing, and the broader real estate cycle. (Show Notes) One of the biggest changes is the growing imbalance between buyers and sellers. According to the data Neil discusses, many of the markets that boomed during COVID, including parts of Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Arizona, and other Sunbelt markets, have shifted dramatically toward buyers. We also talk about why new construction is creating problems for existing homes, how the mortgage “lock-in effect” is limiting motivated sellers, and why rural and exurban land demand isn’t what it was a few years ago. Then we get into the bigger question: Are we approaching the end of an 18-year real estate cycle? Neither of us has a crystal ball, and this isn’t about predicting an exact crash date. The more useful question is what land investors and real estate flippers can do right now to protect themselves if prices continue moving lower. Neil explains why he’s tightening his underwriting, reducing leverage, cutting stale inventory faster, paying closer attention to loca