Real Talk with Leigh Brown

Is the American Dream becoming a brokerage account instead of a home?

Y'all, USA TODAY just published an article titled "Is the American Dream now a brokerage account?" and you know I've got questions.

For generations, homeownership has been one of the defining pieces of the American Dream. Now we're seeing headlines questioning whether investing in the stock market might be a better way to build wealth.

But are we comparing things that actually belong in the same conversation?

The article looks at changing patterns in household wealth, including stock market investments, homeownership and the growing number of millionaire renters. It also raises questions about liquidity, financial flexibility and whether Americans should have so much of their wealth tied up in real estate.

As a REALTOR®, I spend a lot of time talking with people about what owning a home means to them. And I think this conversation deserves a closer look.

What does homeownership provide beyond a financial return? How should we think about the risks of investing in stocks versus owning property? And who gets to define what the American Dream looks like for the next generation?

I'm digging into the USA TODAY article on this week's *From the Rooftops*, because I want y'all to think about what these headlines are really telling us.

ARTICLE DISCUSSED

USA TODAY, Medora Lee: "Is the American Dream now a brokerage account?" (October 25, 2026)

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Do you believe homeownership is still part of the American Dream? I'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.

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#AmericanDream #Homeownership #RealEstate

Chapters

0:00 Is homeownership still the American dream

2:24 Looking at the USA TODAY brokerage account article

4:32 What a home means beyond the price tag

7:55 Diversification and comparing stocks to housing

13:36 Is housing really in a bubble right now

19:49 A big appraisal change is coming soon

23:08 Advice on buying less house than you can afford

41:47 How home equity debt and taxes affect sellers

Who's controlling the housing market, and how much say do homeowners really have?

This week on *From the Rooftops*, I'm looking at real estate headlines involving the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Compass private exclusive listings, home prices and property owners' rights.

First, HousingWire reports that Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker are asking the FTC to examine real estate lead generation and referral practices. That includes referral fees, online "Contact Agent" buttons and questions about what consumers understand when they request information about a home. I've got some thoughts about the costs REALTORS® face running their businesses and where government oversight fits into this conversation.

The Wall Street Journal is also covering the battle over how Americans buy and sell homes. Compass and its private exclusive listing strategy are raising questions about MLS access, listing exposure and seller choice. I'm particularly interested in what happens when a property isn't visible to every potential buyer.

Then there's a Wall Street Journal headline that really got under my skin: "Stubborn Sellers Are the Last Thing Propping Up Home Prices." Are homeowners obligated to reduce their asking prices to make housing more affordable? What happens when sellers have the financial ability to stay put? I'm sharing my perspective as a working REALTOR® on pricing, negotiation and the freedom to make decisions about your own property.

We're also looking at Virginia's Faith in Housing law and the growing interest in YIGBY, or Yes In God's Backyard, which explores how churches and nonprofits could use their land for affordable housing. I'll be digging further into the opportunities and questions surrounding faith-based housing development in an upcoming Bricks and Grit article.

And speaking of *Bricks and Grit*, my latest article, "The Single Metric Mindset," explores what happens when we rely too heavily on a single number, including GDP and price per square foot.

Whether you're a REALTOR®, broker, buyer or homeowner, these conversations matter because housing decisions affect real people and their communities.

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Learn more through my affiliate link:

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Affiliate disclosure: Vulcan7 is an affiliate partner, and I may earn compensation when you sign up through my link.

*MORE FROM LEIGH*

✍️ Read *Bricks and Grit*: https://leighthomasbrown.substack.com

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Tell me what you think about these housing headlines in the comments!

Who controls the information collected about your home, and what happens when that data becomes valuable to someone else?

This week on *From the Rooftops*, I'm digging into some real estate headlines that raise serious questions about property data, consumer privacy and artificial intelligence.

Two recent articles by Desiree Mehbod on AppraisersBlogs are raising concerns about how information collected during home inspections and appraisals may be accessed, shared or used by third-party companies.

One article, **"Inspectors Blocked the Door, Appraisers Handed Over the Keys,"** examines allegations involving home inspection software, confidential inspection reports and the potential consequences when sensitive property information reaches lenders or insurance companies.

Another, **"Our Metrics, Their Millions: Exposing the Backdoor Data Rush,"** looks at the growing commercial value of appraisal records, property photographs and structural data as companies seek information for AI training and other uses.

I'm also looking at a Consumer Policy Center report comparing **Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and Homes.com**. These major real estate search portals often display much of the same MLS listing information, but differences in how they present property status, coming-soon listings and days on market can affect what consumers understand about available homes.

And in my latest *Bricks and Grit* Substack, **"Is AI Killing Jobs AND Housing?"**, I'm exploring a different side of the artificial intelligence conversation: what happens to housing opportunity when entry-level jobs begin disappearing? I'm drawing on my own first-job experience and the economic changes that have affected working communities before.

For REALTORS®, appraisers, home inspectors and property owners, these stories raise questions worth discussing. Who has access to the information collected during a real estate transaction? What permissions exist for its reuse? And how might AI change the economic opportunities that make homeownership possible?

Join me Thursday at **9:00 AM ET** for *From the Rooftops*.

🎤 Book me to speak: LeighBrown.com/speaker

🏠 More from me: LeighBrown.com

Chapters

0:00 Welcome and a new appraisal deadline

2:23 Who owns home inspection data?

6:44 What the new appraisal form says about your data

9:34 Who owns the appraisal report?

11:44 Why appraisal photos are a privacy risk

13:44 Appraisers offered big money for old files

15:50 Who really owns MLS listing data

18:23 A consumer group compares listing websites

20:39 Should buyers chase under-contract listings?

24:04 Contact buttons and lead routing

26:51 Floor plans, virtual tours and home safety

28:20 Surveillance cameras and everyday privacy

29:50 Taking listing photos down after closing

33:48 Delivery drivers, smart glasses and your home

35:04 Standing up for inspectors and appraisers

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Mortgage rates are climbing again, buyers are looking at adjustable-rate mortgages, and some first-time buyers are getting creative about where their down payment comes from. What does all of that look like in an actual housing market?

This week on From the Rooftops, I'm digging into the housing headlines that caught my attention, including rising mortgage rates and renewed interest in ARMs, couples using wedding registries to help build a down payment, and the insurance coverage gaps that can leave homeowners far more exposed than they realize.

Then we're taking the conversation to Nashville.

Lila McCann, Managing Broker of MW Real Estate at City Heights and a member of the @GreaterNashRealtors Board of Directors, is joining me to talk about what she's seeing on the ground in the Greater Nashville housing market. I want to know what buyers are doing when affordability gets tight, what REALTORS® are hearing from clients and which national housing headlines actually look different when you get down to the local level.

I'll also get into my latest Bricks and Grit, "When the ATM Is Out of Order." I'm talking about HELOC resets, what can happen when the interest-only draw period ends, and why homeowners need to know what's coming before that new payment shows up.

For REALTORS®, this is the bigger conversation. Our clients are trying to make housing decisions while mortgage costs, household finances and insurance expenses keep changing around them. Understanding the headline is useful. Understanding what it means at the kitchen table is where we earn our keep.

Join us Thursday at 9:00 AM ET for From the Rooftops.

Guest: Lila McCann

Managing Broker | MW Real Estate at City Heights

Board of Directors | Greater Nashville REALTORS®

Instagram: @lilsmccannrealtor | @mwrealestateco

Chapters

0:00 Mortgage rates are back in the headlines

1:44 Fed rate vs. mortgage rates, explained

2:50 Adjustable-rate mortgages are back

3:43 The refinance assumption buyers shouldn't count on

7:35 Wedding registries for a down payment

11:58 A local look at the Greater Nashville market

13:46 Nashville shifts toward a buyer's market

16:15 Seller concessions and buyer leverage

18:02 A tale of two markets in days on market

23:21 Condos, HOA dues and reserves

26:01 Utility costs and the true monthly payment

30:04 What people don't know about Nashville

33:15 The homeowners insurance gap

36:01 Why rebuilding costs so much right now

37:19 A HUD overhaul proposal and closing fees

40:52 HELOC resets and middle-class homeowners

43:19 Viewer questions on property tax amendments

Leigh Brown is a REALTOR®, national speaker, author, real estate industry leader and founder of Patriot Relief.

🎤 Book Leigh to speak: LeighBrown.com/speaker

🏠 More from Leigh: LeighBrown.com

🎤 Book Leigh for Your Conference or Event

https://www.leighbrown.com/speaker

🎙️ Watch Real Talk with Leigh Brown and From the Rooftops

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-9nEf0QTnKTBSf9lF5n5dbbHSK-65KWd

🌐 Learn more at

https://LeighBrown.com

A hurricane can change more than a house.

For Florida interior designer Jessica Holiday, Hurricanes Helene and Milton changed the way she thinks about design, business, investment properties and taking care of clients.

Jessica is a fourth-generation Anna Maria Island resident, so hurricanes aren't new to her. But Helene was different. After the storm, her team wasn't just picking finishes. They were checking on clients' homes, assessing damage and figuring out how to keep a business moving while an entire community was trying to recover.

That part of our conversation hit close to home for me. Two years after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, we're still helping families recover through Patriot Relief, the nonprofit that grew out of our disaster-response work. Recovery has a very long tail.

We talk about:

• What Hurricanes Helene and Milton taught Jessica about coastal homes and flooding
• Why hurricane season is now built into her annual client process
• Smarter material choices that can make the next cleanup less painful
• Designing vacation rentals around both guest experience and earning potential
• Why every investment property needs its own design strategy
• How Jessica uses AI as a visualization tool without replacing the human professional

Jessica also shares a terrific example of how thoughtful design changes can potentially add tens of thousands of dollars in annual rental income. Because good design isn't just about making something pretty. When you're dealing with an investment property, the numbers have to make sense, too.

And that's really the thread running through this conversation: storms, homes, businesses and technology all have layers. The professionals who serve people well are the ones willing to think beyond what's directly in front of them.

About Jessica Holmes Holiday

Jessica Holmes Holiday is a fourth-generation Anna Maria Island resident and interior designer with more than 25 years of experience. As founder of HSH Collective, she and her team design investment properties, vacation rentals and custom homes, with much of their work focused on Florida's coastal communities.

Connect with Jessica

• Website: https://www.hshcollective.com/
• Instagram: @hsh.collective
• TikTok: @hshcollective
• Pinterest: HSH Collective
• Email: [email protected]

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. Subscribe to Real Talk with Leigh Brown for more honest conversations about real estate, leadership, business and the communities we serve.

The Helene/Patriot Relief language is deliberately brief. The transcript supports Leigh discussing the ongoing Western North Carolina recovery and the nonprofit that resulted from that disaster work, while keeping Jessica's experience at the center of the episode.

What does it really take to make housing more attainable?

This week on From the Rooftops, I'm looking at several very different proposals aimed at housing affordability and homeownership, starting with a proposed rent stabilization ordinance in Santa Barbara, California.

The Santa Barbara City Council approved a draft Residential Rent Stabilization and Rental Registry Ordinance with amendments and sent it forward for formal introduction. The proposal includes annual rent adjustments equal to 60% of the Consumer Price Index or 3%, whichever is lower, along with a seven-member, tenant-majority Rent Stabilization Board.

I'm also digging into a request from Rep. Lauren Boebert for federal regulators to explore mortgage underwriting and credit-score reforms. Her letter calls for consideration of more flexible down-payment requirements, rental-payment history and nontraditional income patterns when evaluating borrowers. For REALTORS® and other commission-based or self-employed workers, that last piece should sound familiar.

Then there's the newly introduced Homeownership Promise Act from Sen. Jeff Merkley, cosponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden. The proposal would create Homeownership Promise Accounts offering eligible first-time homebuyers a $5 federal match for every $1 saved toward a down payment. It's a proposed bill, not a $50,000 homebuyer giveaway that's available today.

I also return to Western North Carolina two years after Hurricane Helene with a story from my latest Bricks and Grit about a family whose nine-month-old home was destroyed in a landslide while the mortgage remained. Through Patriot Relief, I've seen firsthand how complicated housing becomes when the house itself is gone but the financial obligations remain.

Housing affordability touches rental policy, mortgage qualification, down payments and what happens to property owners after disaster. REALTORS® need to understand what is actually being proposed before our clients encounter the headline.

This week's From the Rooftops was prerecorded while I'm in Louisiana with Louisiana REALTORS®.

Premieres Thursday at 9:00 AM ET.

Chapters

0:00 Why housing attainability matters more than affordability

2:10 Santa Barbara proposes disastrous rent control plan

4:39 Tenant-controlled boards will worsen housing shortages

6:46 Mortgage qualification changes aim to help first timers

10:46 Down payment myths keep buyers out of the market

12:33 Government down payment plans will fuel inflation

17:42 Mortgage rates rise because of global economic shifts

23:29 Banks fail families after natural disasters strike

–––––––––––

Leigh Brown is a REALTOR®, broker-owner, auctioneer, national keynote speaker, and author whose work helps professionals lead with confidence, communicate with purpose, and build businesses rooted in trust and relationships.

🎤 Book Leigh for Your Conference or Event

https://www.leighbrown.com/speaker

🎙️ Watch Real Talk with Leigh Brown and From the Rooftops

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-9nEf0QTnKTBSf9lF5n5dbbHSK-65KWd

🌐 Learn more at

https://LeighBrown.com

Miami isn't just Miami Beach.

It's a city being reshaped by people, money, development and demand.

So what's really happening in the South Florida real estate market? Where is the inventory? What happens when a city grows faster than its housing can keep up? And how did a Zillow lead turn into a conversation about a $100 million purchase?

In this episode, I sit down with South Florida real estate professional Chris Wands to talk about how Miami has changed, where the market is headed, and what people should understand about the city beyond the headlines.

We talk about:

• How real estate teams actually work
• Miami's transformation into an architecturally significant city
• Inventory, affordability and workforce housing
• The surprising story behind a $100 million Zillow lead
• The Miami neighborhoods worth exploring beyond South Beach

Join the Conversation Live

Thanks for spending part of your day with me.

Every Thursday at 9:00 AM ET, I go live on YouTube to talk through the week's biggest housing and real estate headlines. The best part is hearing your questions and perspectives while we're live.

I'd love for you to join the conversation.

Subscribe and turn on notifications here:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/@LeighBrownSpeaker

I'll see you From the Rooftops.

About Chris Wands

Originally from Port Washington, NY, Christopher comes from a long line of real estate professionals. The Wands family name has been synonymous with the industry for generations, beginning with his great-grandparents and grandparents, and later his mother, a top-producing broker. Today, Christopher proudly carries on that legacy alongside his brother, Robert.

Connect with Chris

• Website: Christopher Wands | Real Estate Agent | Douglas Elliman
• Instagram: @chris_wands | @thewandsteam

About Leigh Brown

Leigh Brown is a keynote speaker and leadership expert who helps organizations navigate growth, conflict, and change with clarity and courage.

Her message resonates with leaders facing real-world pressure—whether that's housing challenges, organizational friction, or cultural shifts.

Her latest book, Next Is Now, equips leaders to stop reacting and start leading with intention.

👉 https://amzn.to/48FKenF

👉 Bring Leigh to your stage: https://leighbrown.com

DM Leigh on Instagram: @LeighThomasBrown

Two years after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, the rebuilding isn't finished.

I've seen that recovery firsthand as the founder of Patriot Relief, working alongside volunteers and nonprofit organizations helping families across Western North Carolina. There are still people waiting for permanent housing, still communities dealing with damaged infrastructure and still volunteers showing up with building materials because somebody needs them.

This week on From the Rooftops, Stephanie Johnson of Rebuilding Hollers Foundation is joining me to talk about what she is seeing in Yancey and Mitchell counties. Rebuilding Hollers provides building materials and supplies to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed during Helene, and Stephanie has stayed in this work long after the storm disappeared from most national headlines.

I'll also dig into a recent NPR report from North Carolina's Outer Banks, where coastal erosion is putting homeowners in an extraordinary position. Some homeowners can't afford to relocate or demolish threatened houses, while flood insurance may provide coverage if the home eventually collapses.

These stories are happening at opposite ends of North Carolina, but they raise some of the same questions about property ownership, disaster recovery, insurance and what happens when a family's home is caught between a natural disaster and the systems designed to help them recover.

I've also written more about the two-year anniversary of Helene and what I've witnessed through Patriot Relief in my latest Bricks and Grit Substack, "Two Years After the Mountains Gave Way."

Join me Thursday at 9:00 AM ET for From the Rooftops.

Learn more and help:

PatriotRelief.org

RebuildingHollers.com

Chapters

0:00 Welcome and the impact of Hurricane Helene

1:02 FEMA flood insurance and financial challenges

3:12 New flood zones and rebuilding restrictions

4:35 Surveyor shortages complicate property lines

7:45 FEMA policies and constitutional property rights

10:54 Introducing Stephanie Johnson from Rebuilding Hollers

13:03 Yancey and Mitchell counties after the storm

15:31 Water issues and well contamination problems

19:22 Rebuilding Hollers success stories and projects

24:41 High school construction program creates tradesmen

Leigh Brown is a REALTOR®, national speaker, author, real estate industry leader and founder of Patriot Relief, a nonprofit created in response to Hurricane Helene to help communities in Western North Carolina.

Book me to speak: https://LeighBrown.com/speaker

More from me: https://LeighBrown.com

Two years after Hurricane Helene, the headlines have moved on.

Western North Carolina is still dealing with what Helene left behind.

And some of the consequences are things most of us would never consider until they happen to our own property.

What happens when the river moves?

What happens when the tree, rock, stream or other landmark people have relied on to understand a property boundary is gone? What happens when land itself has been washed away—and a family that has lived there for generations is trying to figure out what they own, what they can rebuild and how they stay?

In this special episode of Real Talk with Leigh Brown, I sit down with my friend and One Community Real Estate partner Starr Franklin to talk about what we saw after Hurricane Helene and what Western North Carolina is still dealing with two years later.

We talk about

• The chaos of those first days
• Churches and volunteers becoming relief hubsBuilding temporary shelter so people could stay on their land
• Rivers changing course and property markers disappearing
• The surveying and real estate questions that followed
• Families who are still working to get home

Resources mentioned

• https://www.patriotrelief.org/
• https://www.onecommunity.realestate/
• A Million Miracles: Life After Hurricane Helene by Stephanie Johnson | Paperback

Join the Conversation Live

Thanks for spending part of your day with me.

Every Thursday at 9:00 AM ET, I go live on YouTube to talk through the week's biggest housing and real estate headlines. The best part is hearing your questions and perspectives while we're live.

I'd love for you to join the conversation.

Subscribe and turn on notifications here:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/@LeighBrownSpeaker

I'll see you From the Rooftops.

About Starr Franklin

Starr is a North Carolina native with more than 25 years of real estate experience. Based in Western North Carolina, she specializes in residential, new construction, commercial, multifamily, land sales, and relocation, with a special focus on serving military families.

For more than 13 years, Starr has worked alongside a team of top professionals, helping clients make informed decisions through honest, knowledgeable, and relationship-driven service.

Connect with Starr

• Website: Starr Franklin | OneCommunity.realestate
• Facebook: Starr M Franklin, Real Estate Broker | Hickory NC

About Leigh Brown

Leigh Brown is a keynote speaker and leadership expert who helps organizations navigate growth, conflict, and change with clarity and courage.

Her message resonates with leaders facing real-world pressure—whether that's housing challenges, organizational friction, or cultural shifts.

Her latest book, Next Is Now, equips leaders to stop reacting and start leading with intention.

👉 https://amzn.to/48FKenF

👉 Bring Leigh to your stage: https://leighbrown.com

DM Leigh on Instagram: @LeighThomasBrown

Buying a home involves more than the price of the house. Buyers and sellers are navigating transaction fees, increasingly sophisticated real estate scams, changing technology and a housing market where the cost of building enough homes remains a major challenge.

This week on From the Rooftops, I'm looking at several real estate headlines that raise an important question: Who is watching the consumer's money?

NPR is reporting on so-called real estate "junk fees," including administrative and document-storage fees charged during a transaction. CNN is reporting on two homebuyers who lost $66,000 in a suspected voice-cloning scam, highlighting the growing threat of wire fraud and AI-assisted fraud in real estate transactions.

Then there's Airbnb. The short-term rental company has announced a $250 million Housing Accelerator designed to provide last-dollar financing for housing developments that are ready to build but still need capital. Airbnb says the initiative could help unlock more than $5 billion in housing investment over the next decade, alongside efforts involving zoning reform, permitting, building codes and construction technology.

For REALTORS®, these conversations matter because consumers rely on us to help them understand the people, processes and costs surrounding one of the largest financial transactions of their lives.

How do we help consumers recognize questionable fees? What happens when AI makes real estate fraud harder to detect? And what should we make of Airbnb investing directly in housing construction?

Join me Thursday, September 17 at 9:00 AM ET for From the Rooftops. Bring your questions and tell me what you're seeing in your market.

Leigh Brown is a REALTOR®, national speaker, author and real estate industry leader who helps real estate professionals understand the issues shaping their business, their communities and the consumers they serve.

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