The REconomy Podcast

Hosted by First American

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Nov 2026

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About the show

First American’s economic podcast examining the forces that influence real estate, housing and affordability, featuring First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming, Ph.D. and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

November 5, 2026Episode 15511 min

Equity-Rich and Rate-Locked: The HELOC Era is Here - EP 154

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi dig into First American Data & Analytics’ inaugural Accessible Home Equity & Mortgage Rate Lock-In Trends Report. The conversation explores the conundrum many homeowners face: they’re equity rich, but rate locked-in, so how do they access that equity without giving up a pandemic-era low mortgage rate. HELOCs and other home equity borrowing options are attracting more interest, but today’s uptick in home equity borrowing looks very different from the run-up to the Global Financial Crisis. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

October 23, 2026Episode 15415 min

Water, Power and Data Centers: Understanding the Demands on Infrastructure - EP 153

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi and Principal Commercial Real Estate Economist Xander Snyder tackle two deceptively simple questions: how much water and electricity do data centers actually use? The conversation translates massive national figures into comparisons that are easier to grasp, explores why consumption varies so widely from one facility to the next and explains why peak power demand matters as much as annual usage for the communities and grids that host these projects. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

October 8, 2026Episode 15313 min

The Sun Belt Apartment Glut Has Peaked. Now Comes the Hard Part: Leasing It. - EP 152

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi and Principal Commercial Real Estate Economist Xander Snyder examine how the post-pandemic apartment building boom reshaped the Sun Belt rental market, leaving many cities with far more vacant units than they had just a few years ago. The conversation explains why vacancy varies so widely across the region, what elevated vacancy means for both renters and owners, and why the market may have reached a turning point. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

September 24, 2026Episode 15213 min

The Silver Housing Handoff: How the Aging of America Will Reshape Housing Market by Market - EP 151

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi explain the looming the silver housing handoff: how aging baby boomer homeowners may gradually release housing stock back into the market, who might absorb these homes, and why the answer could look very different depending on market. Ultimately, what many refer to as the ‘silver tsunami’ appears to be a more nuanced and measured trend that plays out very differently depending on the local demographic dynamics at play. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

September 10, 2026Episode 15115 min

How the Housing and Real Estate Conversation Has Evolved Over 150 Episodes - EP 150

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Principal Commercial Real Estate Economist Xander Snyder commemorate reaching the 150th episode mark by examining how the real estate market has evolved since the inception of the podcast in 2021, highlighting key trends that have shaped the market dynamics present today. The conversation traces the arc from pandemic recovery through rising inflation and corresponding interest rate shocks to the rise of AI and data centers. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

August 27, 2026Episode 15013 min

The Slow-Motion Shift That Will Reshape the Housing Market - EP 149

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi examine the slow-moving demographic forces reshaping housing demand, supply and transaction activity. The conversation unpacks the great housing handoff from baby boomers to millennials and Gen Z, explains the growing population of ‘shadow homeowners’ lurking just one or two moves away from a purchase, and details why turnover of existing homes may matter more than net household growth to the future of the housing market. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

August 13, 2026Episode 14916 min

Are Rising Foreclosures a Concern for the Housing Market? - EP 148

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi examine rising foreclosure data and help put the latest numbers into perspective. They breakdown where mortgage stress is concentrated, why today’s market differs from the Great Financial Crisis, and the key conditions that could turn financial distress into foreclosure. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

July 30, 2026Episode 14815 min

CRE Mid-Year Outlook: The Great Repricing Is Mostly Over. Now What? - EP 147

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi and Principal Commercial Real Estate Economist Xander Snyder examine the commercial real estate market at the midpoint of 2026. The conversation explains why price discovery appears mostly behind us, why demand from consumers and businesses is the next major test for the recovery, and what investors waiting for perfect clarity may already be missing. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

July 16, 2026Episode 14713 min

2026 Mid-Year Outlook: What to Expect from the Housing Market for the Rest of the Year - EP 146

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi revisit their 2026 outlook and discuss where the housing market is headed in the second half of the year. The conversation unpacks why stability in a volatile year represents real progress, how nearly five million missing home sales represent demand deferred rather than demand destroyed, and what the slower-moving dynamics of jobs, incomes, demographics and supply signal about what’s ahead. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today .

July 1, 2026Episode 14614 min

The Overlooked Infrastructure Underpinning America’s $5 Trillion Real Estate Economy - EP 145

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi explore the often-overlooked infrastructure that makes America's $5 trillion real estate economy1 possible: private property rights and property records. The conversation explains how private property rights fuel wealth creation and economic growth, how title insurance emerged from the need to protect those rights and why property records qualify as critical economic infrastructure — all in honor of America's 250th anniversary and the enduring legacy of Kurt Pfotenhauer, First American Title's former vice chairman. Don’t miss a single REconomy episode, subscribe today . 1 The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), using data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), reported that housing's share of U.S. GDP was approximately 16.1% in 2024, equivalent to roughly $4.7–$5.0 trillion annually based on U.S. GDP.