Top of Mind

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic, to get her take on what’s happening in the housing economy. Selma shares her views on inflation vs. recession risk, talks about how climate change and geopolitical dynamics are impacting the housing market, and looks at which drivers will finally help increase inventory for home buyer...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Nick Bunker, Director of North American Economic Research at Indeed, for a deep dive into the employment trends that are driving today’s housing market. Nick offers his take on how the strong labor market may mitigate recession risk, what’s happening with wage growth and what this means for housing affordability, and how we k...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dr. Orphe Divounguy, Senior Economist with Zillow's Economic Research team, to talk about what’s on the horizon for the housing market this year. Dr. Divounguy shares the latest findings from Zillow’s monthly market report, reveals which markets dominated Zillow’s “hot markets” list, and offers his perspective on recession ri...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Clayton Collins, Founder and CEO of HW Media, to talk about the big trends shaping the 2023 real estate and mortgage markets. Clayton offers his vision for how real estate professionals can better access information, shares the inside scoop on what mortgage executives are preparing for in 2023, and tees up the key tech trends...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Mark Fleming, Chief Economist for First American Financial Corporation, to talk about the major market dynamics that will shape the real estate market in 2023. Mark discusses which economic factors may impact 2023, shares his take on inflation, mortgage rates, and the likelihood of recession, and talks about which leading ind...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Rick Palacios Jr., Director of Research and a Managing Principal at John Burns Real Estate Consulting, to talk about what to expect in the real estate market in 2023. Rick discusses the company’s latest research on homebuilder sentiment, shares their latest forecast for home prices and the economy, and talks about some secret...

In this episode of the Top of Mind Podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Charles McKinney, Co-founder and CEO of Vontive, to talk about the landscape for real estate investors in this volatile market. Vontive sees loan data from thousands of real estate investors, which gives them unique and real-time insight into how investors act in this market. Charles gives his outlook for real estate investme...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Clark Woodward, Founder and CEO of RedZone, to discuss how wildfire and other climate risks are creating new existential challenges for the housing market. Clark talks about the changing landscape for disaster insurance, shares how homeowners should think about climate risk in the coming decades, and offers hope for the futur...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Nick Timiraos, Chief Economics Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, to talk about how the Fed makes its policy decisions and why these decisions are rocking today’s financial and housing markets. Nick tells the story of the Fed’s remarkable odyssey to save the US economy as the pandemic hit, gives an inside look at the...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dr. Jenny Schuetz, Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro, to talk about the impact of policy on the housing market. Dr. Schuetz provides insights into how policy can help make housing more affordable, which cities and states are doing a good job with housing policy, and reasons to be optimistic about fixing our housing crisis. She...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Michael Batnick from The Irrelevant Investor to talk about how today’s economic turmoil is affecting the financial and real estate markets. Michael shares his thoughts and insights into where the economy is going, offers his take on the Fed’s recent aggressive moves, and provides some wisdom on what consumers can do to come o...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jay Parsons, VP, Head of Economics and Industry Principals for RealPage, to talk about what’s happening in the rental market. Jay explains how the rental market and housing market are interrelated, gives his take on which rental policies work, and shares leading indicators he’s watching to stay on top of the market in 2023. A...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Daren Blomquist, the Vice President of Market Economics at Auction.com, for a deep dive into the state of the distressed housing market, the latest insights from investor buyer behavior, and what the Auction.com platform can tell us about the housing market that we can’t see anywhere else.  About Daren Blomquist Daren Blomqui...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Kevin Oakley, Managing Partner at Do You Convert, to get insights into what’s happening right now with new home construction. Kevin discusses the impact of the pandemic on the new homes landscape, the affordability challenge with new homes, which markets will see inventory rise as new homes hit the market, and more. About Kev...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Len Kiefer, Deputy Chief Economist at Freddie Mac, to talk about the latest housing market and macroeconomic forecast released this week from the mortgage giant. Len explains how Freddie Mac does their forecasting, what they see for the coming year in real estate, how last year’s real estate boom skews today’s inflation numbe...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Mike Greene, CEO of ResiShares, to talk about the latest trends in real estate investing. Mike and Mike discuss how investors are thinking about real estate as the market shifts, how to spot opportunities now, which global economic forces pose the biggest risks to US real estate, and more. About Mike Greene Mike Greene’s fasc...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jimmy Mackin, CEO of Curaytor, to talk about best practices for communicating with buyers and sellers right now, as the market is changing. Jimmy discusses why the principles of communication are more important than the tools and technology, shares what agents who have transcended their local markets have in common, offers sp...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Logan Mohtashami from HousingWire to talk about the changing real estate market and the big economic issues of the day. Logan explains how macroeconomic forces actually impact the housing market, shares his surprising take on future home price declines, gives his predictions for where the market is headed, and much more. Abou...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Johnny Wolff, Founder and CEO of HomeRoom, to talk about HomeRoom’s innovative platform for matching renters with real estate investors. Johnny discusses the advantages of shared housing for both renters and investors, the growing trend of young adults living with roommates, why cities see opportunities in shared housing, and...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Rick Sharga, EVP of Market Intelligence at ATTOM, for a deep dive into the state of the current housing market. Rick talks about areas of risk for housing in today’s economy, shares some surprising insights into the foreclosure situation, discusses which policies might impact demand, and more. About Rick Sharga Rick Sharga is...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Austin Allison, CEO of Pacaso Homes, to talk about the shifting dynamics in the market for second homes. Austin gives an overview of Pacaso’s innovative model for second home ownership, outlines the surprising community benefits of shared second homes, shares key considerations for people thinking about second homes as an inv...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Wendy Forsythe, Chief Strategy Officer of Fathom Realty, who shares her view from the front lines of one of the largest and fastest-growing brokerages in the country. Wendy shares the gritty reality of what agents are experiencing in the field right now, talks about what’s on the horizon for technology innovation, provides ti...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Tom Ferry, the real estate industry’s #1 coach and trainer, to talk about how to achieve greatness and fulfill your potential as a real estate professional. Tom shares some of the secrets of the best-performing agents in the country, what it takes to become a true leader in the industry, what it means to be a local expert, an...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist at the Economic Innovation Group, to talk about remote work and the future of the US economy. Adam believes remote work is not just a pandemic phenomenon, but rather a transformative economic trend with far-reaching impact, similar to how the computer revolutionized every aspect of our lives. Abou...

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen is joined by Greg Sexton, Chief Operating Officer at Century21. Greg shares his extensive expertise as a leader at one of the most iconic real estate brands in the world, talks about the latest agency trends, and gives his outlook for the real estate market.  About Greg Sexton Greg Sexton is the Chief Operating Officer of Century21. Greg le...