Driving It Home with Unlock MLS

In August, the weather is hot but the Austin housing market has cooled off.  However, demand is building beneath the surface. In this episode, we break down the highlights from the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin’s Mid-Year Forecast, and how new home activity is shifting. We also unpack the latest economic data and what the Federal Reserve’s upcoming September meeting could mean for mortgage rates. With affordability challenges still front and center, a recent study by Wick Marketing shows that trust matters more than ever.  Hear why REALTORS® remain the most trusted guides for today’s buyers and sellers.

In this month’s Unlock MLS Market Update Podcast, Kelea Youngblood and Vaike O’Grady spotlight the July 2025 housing stats that bucked the trend. Pending sales surged more than 15% across the metro — and over 22% in Austin — even as overall sales slowed. City prices climbed while the broader market dipped, inventory hit multi-year highs, and county-level data revealed sharp contrasts in market performance. It’s a reminder that Central Texas real estate is hyper-local — and opportunity depends on where you look.

In the latest episode of Driving It Home, Emily interviews interim Market Research Advisor Vaike O’Grady, who breaks down the biggest takeaways from Unlock MLS’s June and Mid-Year 2025 Housing Report. Tune in to hear why the Austin market may be turning a corner, how lease activity is shifting, and what rising inventory means for buyers and sellers in the months ahead.

Whether you're an agent, builder, or just trying to make sense of the headlines—this is 20 minutes you won’t want to miss.

Mentioned Links:

• UnlockMLS Flex Listings https://www.unlockmls.com/flex 
• Market Data Lab https://www.unlockmls.com/class/market-data-lab-2
• OmniMLS https://www.unlockmls.com/omni 
• ABoR Global https://www.unlockmls.com/global 

How does this work? Get ready for a special “passing the baton” edition of Driving it Home! Emily brings on Research Advisor Vaike O’Grady to fill in for Housing Economist Clare Knapp, who’s off on leave. You’ll hear Vaike’s journey from Texas to Florida, her unique boots-and-flip-flops perspective, and her plans to steer UnlockMLS research and stats through October. Together, they’ll unpack Austin’s housing evolution, break down the latest mid-year data, and debate what the back half of 2025 might hold – plus that all-important “seafood vs. BBQ” showdown. Tune in for market insights, silver linings, and a peek behind the scenes as Driving it Home shifts to a biweekly rhythm.

In this episode, Kelea Youngblood, Chief Marketing Officer of UnlockMLS and ABoR, and Clare Knapp, Housing Economist, recap a key national economic headline and its likely effect on the Austin housing market over the coming months. The two also unpack the local labor market--specifically, jobs growth and the highest- and lowest-performing job sectors-- as well as new construction in Austin vs. Texas. 

Links Mentioned

Unlock MLS Research & Reports

In this episode, Emily Girard, CEO of UnlockMLS and ABoR, and Clare Knapp, Housing Economist, recap May monthly stats. Despite a continued YoY decline in sales and median sales price, May proved a more favorable month for the market amid a growing level of affordable inventory. The two also discuss high- and low-performing zip codes with respect to sales activity in the MSA.

In this episode, Emily Girard, CEO of UnlockMLS and ABoR, and Clare Knapp, Housing Economist, review key homeownership trends in honor of National Homeownership Month. With the median net worth of homeowners outpacing that of renters nearly 40 times over, the two unpack need-to-know information to impart to clients on the benefits of homeownership.

In this episode, Emily Girard, CEO of UnlockMLS and ABoR, and Clare Knapp, Housing Economist, review the Austin leasing market thus far in 2025. The two discuss lease activity in relation to sales activity, expectations for lease activity over the summer, and the most popular bedroom count desired by renters.

In this episode, Kelea Youngblood, CMO of UnlockMLS and ABoR, and Clare Knapp, Housing Economist, continue last episode’s discussion of the 2025 NAR Generational Trends Report, touching on major takeaways for listing agents and sellers.

In this episode, Emily Girard, CEO of UnlockMLS and ABoR, and Clare Knapp, Housing Economist, discuss the key takeaways for buyers’ agents from a recent report released by NAR on generational homebuying trends. Learn how to leverage your skills to their fullest based on the attributes of agents that buyers most value!