Barbara Corcoran: Inventory Is the Housing Market’s “Biggest Problem”
On a recent appearance with Fox Business, Shark Tank star and veteran real estate expert Barbara Corcoran made headlines by calling out the housing market’s most urgent challenge: lack of inventory.
“We don’t have a price problem—we have a supply problem,” Corcoran said.
She emphasized that despite affordability concerns tied to higher mortgage rates, buyer demand remains strong—particularly in suburban and mid-market areas. What’s stopping the market from recovering, in her view, is a systemic shortage of listings.
Additional points from her remarks:
- Sellers with sub-4% mortgage rates are staying put, creating a “lock-in effect.”
- Homebuilders can’t ramp up fast enough to meet the demand, especially in entry-level price ranges.
- Inventory constraints are pushing prices higher, even in markets where buyer activity has cooled.
Takeaway for LOs: Use this as a talking point with agents—“What are you doing to encourage hesitant sellers to list this spring?” It also creates urgency for preapproved buyers—low inventory means the best homes go fast.
Reno Housing Inventory Sees Largest Jump Since Pandemic
In some regions, the tide may be starting to turn. According to new data from the Reno/Sparks Association of Realtors, Reno just experienced its largest month-over-month inventory increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights from the report:
- Active listings rose 28% in March compared to February.
- Homes priced between $400,000 and $800,000 saw the largest influx of inventory.
- Days on market increased slightly, giving buyers a bit more breathing room.
Local agents say this shift reflects a gradual thawing of seller hesitation, with more homeowners deciding to list ahead of the busy spring season. While prices remain firm, the rising supply is expected to moderate bidding wars and give preapproved buyers better leverage.
Why this matters: Reno can be viewed as a microcosm of what could happen in other mid-sized U.S. metros. If inventory trends like this expand nationwide, we may see a more balanced market by mid-2025.
NAR Appoints New Executive to Drive Innovation in Real Estate Education
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has named Dr. Jonathan Nichols as the new head of its Center for REALTOR® Development (CRD), signaling a renewed focus on innovation and education.
Dr. Nichols brings experience in both real estate technology and adult education, and is expected to lead several new initiatives:
- Revamping CE and pre-licensing courses to include more interactive and on-demand formats.
- Expanding microcredential and certificate programs for specialty niches (e.g., investment properties, green building, and proptech).
- Deepening partnerships with brokerages and MLSs to align training with real-time market needs.
Loan officer tie-in: This appointment is part of a larger push to modernize how agents are trained—and could lead to higher-quality conversations and expectations between agents and lenders. It’s a great time to offer value to Realtors through co-branded webinars, market updates, or CE partnerships.
AI Adoption in Mortgage More Than Doubled in 2024, Report Shows
A new report from Stratmor Group reveals that AI use in the mortgage industry more than doubled in 2024, with 38% of lenders now using artificial intelligence or machine learning tools, up from just 15% in 2023.
The surge in adoption includes:
- Automated income and asset verification
- Underwriting risk detection using machine learning
- Bots to handle routine processing tasks like credit pulls, VOEs, and appraisal ordering
Additionally, 48% of lenders now use robotic process automation (RPA) to streamline workflows and reduce file touches, up from 30% just a few years ago.
Nicole Yung, senior partner at Stratmor, commented:
“We’re seeing lenders prioritize front-end tech that improves borrower experience, while also investing in internal AI to increase profitability.”
For LOs, this means expect more speed—and more accountability. AI tools are improving loan file quality and shrinking the margin for error. Embrace it, or get outpaced.
Loan Officer’s Perspective: Friday – Work On Your Business
It’s Friday, and that means we shift gears. Instead of grinding through outbound calls, you’re working ON your business today—not just in it.
Here’s how to make the most of it with today’s news:
- Review your tech stack: With AI adoption booming, take a moment to assess your CRM, lead gen tools, and automation. Are you maximizing efficiency?
- Revisit agent partnerships: With NAR reworking their educational programs, it’s a great time to plan a CE course or value-added lunch & learn. Reach out to one or two top partners.
- Evaluate your market strategy: In areas like Reno, inventory is rising. Are your buyers positioned to take advantage? What markets in your footprint are trending similarly?
- Sharpen your content: Use Barbara Corcoran’s quote about supply being the biggest issue as part of a short social media post or client email. Repurpose with your own insight to build authority.
Most importantly: make space today to plan, improve, and optimize. Next week will be about execution. Today is about strategy.
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