Driving It Home with Unlock MLS

September hit a speed bump. Vaike O’Grady opens with a deep look at where new construction is actually happening in the metro — and why the price gap between new builds and resale matters more than the headline median. Then she joins host Kelea Youngblood to unpack September’s numbers: what drove the drop in closed sales, why pending sales tell a more encouraging story, and what agents should be watching as rates settle into a new normal heading into Q4.

Rates are the headline- growth is the real story. Vaike O'Grady opens with a Market in 5 on why mortgage rates just hit their highest point in nearly three years, what's actually driving it (the bond market, not housing), and how to make it a smarter client conversation.

Then it's a replay from the Central Texas Housing Summit, where Keith Mars (Austin Development Services Department), Matthew Watkins (Texas Tribune), and Josh Lickteig (Endeavor Real Estate) dig into what keeps a market going underneath the rate noise: jobs, rooftops, and the city-state shift toward building more. They get into the infrastructure bottlenecks you can't see on a map, the push for a predictable permitting process, and where the next wave of growth is headed — from Dog's Head in Southeast Austin down the I-35 corridor.

Links mentioned in the episode:
Unlock MLS Research Page Unlock MLS Research & Reports | Unlock MLS

One hundred years in, and the takeaway's the same: Austin's economy is what gets this market through the rough patches — rate hikes included. Vaike O'Grady starts with a Market in Five on August's slowdown and the Fed's first rate move since 2023, then rolls into a replay from the September 9th Central Housing Summit celebrating ABoR's 100th year. She walks through why luxury is moving fastest right now, what the zip-code scorecard is telling agents, and how jobs and migration are shaping the fall.

Links mentioned in the episode:
Unlock MLS Research: https://www.unlockmls.com/research
Zip Code Scorecard: https://assets.unlockmls.com/pu0snv8rn9fa/13yCJgKIVyQ0fOAA3r83w4/753701e07ff79ed9261fd49586fab669/2026-07_CTX_Zip_Code_Scorecard.pdf

Vaike runs the math on what "luxury" really means in Austin (spoiler: $1M is exactly right — for now), then she and Kelea dig into the July ZIP Code Scorecard: the corridor ZIPs driving volume, a hot 78704, a 91-score ZIP built on just seven sales, and three ZIPs sliding to At-Risk in peak season.

Links in episode:

• Zip Code Score Card https://UnlockMLS.com/Research

Market Research Advisor Vaike O'Grady joins host Kelea Youngblood to break down the latest market stats — where the year-over-year and month-over-month stories diverge, why the City of Austin is pulling ahead of the outer counties, and what a tighter, quieter rental market means heading into fall. Plus a Market in Five on the economic indicators keeping Austin on its own track — from record venture capital to Samsung's next Taylor fab.

Mentioned in the episode:
Unlock MLS Research Page https://www.unlockmls.com/research
Market Data Lab (Aug 18) https://www.unlockmls.com/events

Home prices have stabilized — so why does owning a home feel more expensive than ever? Unlock MLS Market Research Advisor Väike O'Grady opens with a zip-code look at where the market is moving, then CMO Kelea Youngblood sits down with Deputy Director of Government Affairs Taylor Smith to unpack Unlock MLS and ABoR's new 2026 Central Texas Homeowner Affordability Report. 

The midyear numbers are in — and they're worth a closer look. Vaike O'Grady breaks down what the June data is really saying, why Hays County requires more than a headline read, and what the first half of 2026 signals for the rest of the year.

Links mentioned in the episode:

https://www.unlockmls.com/stats
Unlock MLS Research: https://www.unlockmls.com/research
Market Data Lab — July 21st: https://www.unlockmls.com/events

Market Research Advisor Vaike O'Grady breaks down the top five ZIP codes driving May 2026 volume.

Then CEO Emily Girard and Deputy Director of Government Affairs Taylor Smith unpack the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, one of the most significant federal housing legislation in nearly 20 years, and what its 50-plus provisions mean for Central Texas buyers, builders, and agents.

Mentioned in the episode:

May 2026 Central Texas Housing Market Report: https://unlockmls.com/stats
21st Century Road to Housing Act Summary: Landmark Housing Bill Clears Congress
 

Price corrections are holding — and spring momentum is proving it's not a fluke. Market Research Advisor Vaike O'Grady joins Deputy Director of Government Affairs Taylor Smith to break down two consecutive months of double-digit pending sales growth, why 2019 is the right benchmark, inventory falling 16.6% from last year's peak, and why Travis County's 20% pending sales surge may be the most important number in May's report.

Mentioned in the episode:
May 2026 Central Texas Housing Market Report: https://unlockmls.com/stats
Market Data Lab Webinar: https://unlockmls.com/events

Price corrections are working — and the buyers are back. Market Research Advisor Vaike O'Grady joins Deputy Director of Government Affairs Taylor Smith to break down closed sales surging 33–45% in San Marcos, Marble Falls, and Lockhart, Wimberley's surprising 32% median price jump, Austin crossing one million residents, and why April's data may signal the MSA's turning point.

Mentioned in the episode: 

Spring 2026 Quarterly Economic Brief: https://unlockmls.com/research

Unlock MLS Market Stats: https://unlockmls.com/stats