The strategic pivot
Mike Miedler — president and CEO of Century 21 — was clear about the strategic pivot required.
“We have counseled our agents to become knowledgeable about other types of housing stock such as accessory dwelling units, modular homes and tiny homes,” he told HousingWire. “They can help create easier paths to increase the share of available homes while the market continues to wrangle with the larger supply issues around more traditional single-family stock.”
Workflows that once centered on a single asset class must now incorporate valuation models for these nontraditional dwellings and ability to educate buyers on financing options that fall outside conventional mortgage underwriting.
Cindy Scholz — founder of the Family Office Division at Compass — laid out a vision of the agent’s role moving from transactional to advisory.
“Affordability constraints and limited inventory are already compressing traditional buy-side volume, so we will see a meaningful shift in client mix,” she said. “Fewer first-time buyers will be able to transact at any given moment, which naturally increases engagement with renters, long-term planners and investors. The role becomes less about closing now and more about managing a client’s real estate strategy over time.”
She noted that while transaction volume may appear to shrink, underlying relationships are deepening.
“Instead of one-off deals, agents will steward clients through multiple phases such as renting, investing, refinancing and repositioning assets, often before a primary home purchase is even feasible,” she said. “Investors in particular will become a larger share of the business, as they are less rate sensitive and more focused on long-term fundamentals.”
Tech will raise the bar
Technology, Scholz added, will raise the bar for where agents actually add value.
“Access, judgment and network become the differentiators,” she said. “Off-market opportunities, early insight into supply and the ability to structure creative deals will matter far more than simply sourcing listings. As a result, alternative revenue streams will become more important. This may include advisory retainers, investor partnerships, rental portfolio management and referral-driven income across financing, legal and tax advisory.
“The most resilient agents will operate more like family office advisors, quarterbacking a client’s broader real estate exposure rather than relying solely on commissions. Ultimately, the job becomes more strategic, more relationship-driven and more integrated into a client’s overall financial life.”
Debra Beagle — founder and CEO of The Ashton Real Estate Group of REMAX Advantage — emphasized the shift from door-opener to problem-solver.
“If affordability and limited inventory remain challenging, understanding strategy, financing options, timing and creative paths to homeownership will become more important,” she said. “We will need to be more of a real estate advisor and our value will come from helping clients navigate their custom path to homeownership. Technology will be more intertwined with our daily activities, but will not replace an agent.”
Beagle also stressed the importance of diversification.
“We are already seeing the need for us to be stronger partners with builders and new construction options as part of our knowledge base and a solution for buyers,” she said. “Also, it’s about focusing on strengthening our referral network, relocation services and homeownership coaching. The more diversified an agent is, the more value they will bring.”
A future nation of renters?
According to recent analysis using both U.S. Census and Apartments.com data, the share of renter-occupied households has risen from 29.9% in 2010 to 34.7% in 2024, while owner-occupied households declined from 70.1% to 65.3%.
First-time homebuyers made up just 21% of home purchases in 2025. Homeownership among 25- to 34-year-olds has fallen from roughly 46-47% in the mid-2000s to 36.8% by 2015.
Yet industry leaders argued that this data reflects a delay, not a permanent cultural shift.
Alex Vidal — president of ERA Real Estate — pointed to the persistent power of aspiration.
“There’s no doubt that today’s market is particularly challenging, but ultimately, I believe that the level of demand from aspiring homeowners of all demographics will win out,” he said. “That’s evident in a recent National Association of Realtors survey which reported that 90% of Gen Z desires homeownership but only 62% believe it is attainable.
“So, while it’s encouraging that homeownership still holds that level of appeal, there’s no denying this is a concern that must be addressed.”
Miedler echoed that sentiment — pushing back against the notion of a permanent renter society.
“Yes, the economic and affordability challenges may delay entry into homeownership, but I don’t think the desire to rent will become part of our DNA,” he said. “As we return to a more balanced market where modest annual price gains are normalized, more people will be able to overcome the current affordability concerns as they generate wealth.”
Ginger Wilcox — president of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate — said the emotional importance of homeownership will endure regardless of market cycles.
“Homeownership is emotional. We don’t trade our homes like you would a stock or bond,” she said. “We live in our homes, enjoy the freedom to make changes to the home, establish roots and become vibrant and contributing members of our community. And while the post-pandemic affordability concerns have created challenges, the dream of homeownership remains a valid and likely destination for most.”
Pressures on first-time homebuyers
Beagle acknowledged the structural pressures on first-time buyers while agreeing that the desire to own remains strong.
“I do see fewer first-time buyers coming forward as our supply of affordable homes across the country is undersupplied,” she said. “That doesn’t mean the desire to become a homeowner goes away; it just means it becomes more challenging. It will require a true real estate advisor who can navigate a longer, more complex path.
“Brokerages will need to be more than ‘we help clients buy and sell homes’ (and move to) ‘we help buyers and sellers move through the full housing process.’ A renter may not be a buyer today but may be one down the road. And we are here to help plan a path to make that happen.”
Scholz described how her brokerage is adapting to new homebuying timelines and spending more time advising clients before they are ready to buy.
“Renters are no longer viewed as a short-term pipeline to a sale. They are long-term clients,” she said. “We are building infrastructure around rental advisory, portfolio management for investor clients and stronger partnerships across financing, tax and legal so we can support clients holistically as their situation evolves.”
Investor clients are becoming more central to the business, requiring deeper market insight and a more sophisticated approach to deal structuring, Scholz added.
Federal policy efforts
For agents, the path forward is also being shaped in Washington, D.C. Legislation such as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — which gained recent Senate approval — represents a potential lever for supply.
Miedler said his agents witness the inventory crisis daily and urged precision.
“This bill gets a lot right; expanding supply, opening doors for first-time buyers and modernizing the programs that make homeownership possible for working families,” he said. “But we have to be honest, a bill this sweeping needs to be a clean bill. The drafting issues around FHA loan limits and the build-to-rent provisions aren’t minor technical footnotes — they could create real friction for real people trying to buy or finance a home.
“We’re urging the House to get this across the finish line but get it right. The American dream of homeownership deserves nothing less.”
Wilcox sees broader significance in political alignment around affordability, even if solutions remain incremental.
“The affordability challenge will not be solved overnight, but the urgency is real and the momentum is worth building on,” she said. “Housing is foundational to how families put down roots, build wealth and contribute to their communities. Every policy step that makes homeownership more achievable for more people is a step worth fighting for.”
Scholz cautioned that limiting institutional buyers could have unintended consequences.
“Limiting institutional buyers may help entry-level buyers but it could also reduce capital for new housing, especially build-to-rent,” she said. “Overall, these efforts improve sentiment and remove friction, but they are unlikely to materially increase homeownership without broader, large-scale housing production and local reform.”
Beagle characterized current policy efforts similarly.
“We need to focus on supply, federal process improvements, financing options, reducing regulatory barriers to home construction and continuing to champion zoning reform,” she said. “That means faster permitting and incentives for starter home construction. We need to keep doing more.”
Vidal noted that market volatility is not unprecedented — and that policy intervention has historically provided stability.
“It’s important to remember that prior to the 2008 Great Recession, national median prices nationally had never decreased since NAR began keeping records in 1968,” he said. “Between 2007-2012, national median home prices dropped four times. Last year, in 2025 the national median price of sold homes increased by 1.3%, the lowest in 14 years.
“We still didn’t go down. But that doesn’t mean that there won’t be markets where prices drop. Today, about a quarter of metro areas are showing declines.”
Future outlook
As transaction volume remains structurally lower than historical norms, brokerages and individual agents are rethinking their business models.
If the long-term trend points toward fewer owner-occupied homes, the agent’s value proposition must evolve accordingly, experts said.
Beagle detailed how the agent’s role would become even more critical in such a scenario.
“If this happens, again, a highly knowledgeable, solution-oriented and focused real estate advisor becomes even more valuable and important,” she said. “The value isn’t just access to listings — it’s advocacy, market interpretation, negotiation, local intel and helping clients make good, long-term and smart decisions in a challenging market.”
Scholz framed the shift as a move from transaction execution to ongoing advisory.
“Consumers will engage earlier and more consistently,” she said. “Even if they are not buying, they still need guidance on renting, investing and how real estate fits into their broader financial picture. That shifts the client base. Renters become long-term clients and investors become more central. The role expands beyond buying and selling into rental strategy and portfolio thinking.”
“Ultimately, the value is no longer a single transaction — it is helping clients navigate a more complex housing landscape over time.”
