Mark Johnson – Page 8 – Winning The Day

Mind Blown: How Your Thoughts Are Actually Scripting Your Reality

04/29/202504/22/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Ever feel like life just happens to you? Like you’re constantly dodging curveballs or just reacting to whatever the world throws your way? I get it. And honestly, sometimes the whole “create your own reality” thing can sound a bit… out there. Maybe even like it’s blaming people for tough times, which nobody asks for.

But I stumbled upon this fascinating article on Psychology Today (“How Your Thinking Creates Your Reality“), and it really clicked for me in a practical, non-woo-woo way. It explained how, according to cognitive science, we actually do have a massive hand in shaping our day-to-day experience. Not by magic, but by the way our brains work. Denying this, the author argues, is actually denying our own power.

So, What’s the Deal? Control vs. No Control

The article breaks it down really simply. Think of life having three buckets:

Stuff You Absolutely Control: This is the game-changer bucket. It contains your thoughts, how you choose to interpret things, your feelings that follow, and your actions. Nobody else can climb inside your head and pick these for you.
Stuff You Can Influence: Think about interacting with others. You can smile or scowl, and it influences how they might react, but you don’t ultimately control their response. They decide that.
Stuff You Have Zero Control Over: This is all the random, external stuff – the family we’re born into, illnesses, accidents, layoffs, pandemics, traffic jams… you get the idea. Life happens.

The magic (or rather, the science) happens in that first bucket – the Control bucket.

How Your Brain Builds Your World

Here’s the process that blew my mind:

Event Happens: Something occurs (e.g., your boss gives you critical feedback).
You Think About It: Your immediate interpretation kicks in (“I’m failing at my job!” or “Okay, useful feedback to help me improve.”)
Feelings Follow: That thought directly sparks an emotion (discouragement/depression or determination/motivation).
Actions Result: You then act based on those feelings (procrastinate and avoid the boss or make a plan to address the feedback).

See how the thought was the pivot point?

Now, it gets deeper. If you think the same kinds of thoughts over and over (“I’m not good enough,” “Things never work out”), they harden into Beliefs.

And here’s the wild part: these Beliefs create a mental filter. Your brain literally starts looking for evidence out in the world that matches your beliefs and screens out stuff that doesn’t fit. The article calls it “priming.”

Think about getting a new car – suddenly you see that model everywhere, right? Same idea. If you believe “I’m unlikeable,” you’ll zoom in on the one person at the party who seemed distant and totally miss the five people who were genuinely happy to chat with you. That “evidence” then reinforces the original belief! Vicious cycle?

This filter shapes your Self-Concept – those core “I am…” (smart, awkward, capable, unlucky) and “I can…” (succeed, never find love, handle this) statements you tell yourself. These form the story you live by.

And because you expect your story to be true, you often act in ways that make it come true – the classic Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. If you go into a date expecting rejection because you believe you’re awkward, you might act nervously, fidget, and clam up… increasing the chances of, well, rejection.

Okay, So How Do We Use This? (Action Time!)

Realizing this isn’t about blame; it’s about empowerment! It means we can become active drivers instead of passive passengers. It won’t change what happens externally, but it can change everything about our experience. Based on the article, here’s what I’m trying to put into practice:

Know Your Buckets: When stressed, pause and ask: Is this something I control, influence, or have no control over? Focus energy on Bucket #1 (your thoughts/actions).
Listen to Your Thoughts: Start noticing those automatic interpretations. Are they really the only way to see things?
Challenge the Narrative: Just because a thought pops up doesn’t make it True (with a capital T). Ask: Is this thought helpful? Is it 100% accurate? Can I choose a different perspective?
Uncover Your Beliefs: What core assumptions are running the show behind the scenes? Especially the negative “I am…” ones.
Be a Detective for the Good: Actively look for proof that contradicts your limiting beliefs. Did someone give you a compliment? Did you handle something well? Don’t brush it off – let it sink in!
Rewrite Your Story: Consciously craft more empowering “I am…” and “I can…” statements. You’re the author here!
Act “As If”: Behave in line with the positive outcomes you want and the capable person you are (or want to become), even if it feels weird at first. Confidence can be built through action.
Cultivate Awareness: Just noticing this whole process is the biggest step. Awareness = Choice.

Wrapping Up

Life’s guaranteed to throw curveballs. That’s Bucket #3 reality. But realizing how much power we have in Bucket #1 – our thinking, our perspective, our response – is a total game-changer. It’s not about pretending bad things aren’t bad. It’s about choosing whether to see opportunity or only disadvantage, and deciding how we move forward.

As Henry Ford famously said (and the article quoted), “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”

Have you noticed how your own thinking patterns shape your experiences?

Inspired by the article “How Your Thinking Creates Your Reality” by T. Martinez, Psy.D. on Psychology Today

The Unified Four: Stop the Chaos, Start Dominating (For BOTH Agents & Recruiters!)

04/27/202504/17/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Whether you’re pounding the pavement closing deals or building the next powerhouse brokerage, listen up.

The real estate world spins fast. Deals, leads, recruits, crises, emails, calls – it’s a constant barrage. It’s incredibly easy to feel like you’re sprinting on a hamster wheel: incredibly busy, but not necessarily productiveor profitable. Sound familiar?

Too many agents are drowning in admin, and too many recruiters are lost in tasks that don’t actually land top talent. We wear too many hats, get distracted by shiny objects, and mistake motion for progress.

Here’s the unvarnished truth, applicable to everyone serious about scaling in this industry: There are only FOUR core activities that truly drive massive success. Everything else? It’s noise. It needs to be delegated, automated, or eliminated. Ruthlessly.

If you want to break through to the next level, whether that’s GCI or team size, you need laser focus on these Unified Four Pillars:

Pillar 1: Strategic Planning (Your Roadmap)
- The Principle: You can’t hit a target you haven’t defined. Reactive chaos kills growth. You need a clear plan, goals, and metrics.
- For Agents: This means defining your niche, mapping out your marketing and lead gen strategy, knowing your conversion rates, setting clear income goals, and tracking your progress. It’s your business plan.
- For Recruiters: This looks like defining your ideal agent profile, creating a strategic sourcing plan, setting recruitment targets, defining your brokerage’s unique value proposition, and outlining your onboarding framework. It’s your growth blueprint.
Pillar 2: Making It Rain (Generating Opportunities)
- The Principle: This is the absolute lifeblood. No opportunities, no business growth. Consistent, focused effort here is non-negotiable.
- For Agents: Your prime focus is generating buyer, seller or investor leads. Prospecting, executing marketing, purposeful networking, lead follow-up – filling your pipeline with potential deals.
- For Recruiters: Your prime focus is generating potential agent recruits. Sourcing talent, strategic outreach, building relationships, networking for connections, filling your pipeline with potential team members.
Pillar 3: Appointments (Creating & Converting)
- The Principle: Opportunities are worthless until you get face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) and convert interest into commitment. This is where potential becomes reality.
- For Agents: This means setting and nailing listing presentations, buyer consultations, and purposeful showings that lead directly to offers. You’re converting prospects into clients.
- For Recruiters: This means setting and conducting compelling recruitment meetings, effectively communicating your value proposition, understanding agent needs, handling objections, and securing their commitment to join. You’re converting candidates into partners.
Pillar 4: Negotiating & Closing
- The Principle: This is the high-stakes culmination. Securing the best terms, navigating the final hurdles, and getting the signed agreement.
- For Agents: You’re writing strong offers, expertly handling counter-offers, navigating inspection issues, and getting your client to the closing table successfully. You’re closing the deal.
- For Recruiters: You’re finalizing the partnership terms – commission splits, caps, support, incentives – and getting that agent agreement signed. You’re closing the recruit.

Everything Else? The DAE Zone (Delegate, Automate, Eliminate)

Take a hard, honest look at your day. Everything that doesn’t fall squarely into those Four Pillars needs to be ruthlessly evaluated:

Endless paperwork (transactions or onboarding)? DELEGATE. Find a TC or admin support.
Repetitive CRM entry? AUTOMATE with workflows or DELEGATE.
Designing marketing flyers or social media graphics? DELEGATE.
Scheduling routine follow-ups or initial calls? AUTOMATE (scheduling links!) or DELEGATE.
Fixing the office copier or troubleshooting basic tech? ELIMINATE this from your responsibilities immediately. Find support.

Every single minute you spend on a $20/hour task is a minute stolen from your $200+/hour (or $1000+/hour!) core functions – whether that’s landing a million-dollar listing or recruiting a team of top producers. Stop thinking you’re “saving money” by doing it all. You’re costing yourself a fortune in lost opportunity and growth.

The Unified Challenge:

Audit your time this week. Be brutal. How much time are you truly investing in the Four Pillars? How much is being siphoned off by the DAE Zone?

It’s time for focused action. Build systems. Leverage talent (or tech). Protect your time like the precious, high-value commodity it is. Stop the chaos. Start focusing on what actually matters.

That’s how you stop drowning and start truly dominating – no matter which side of the real estate equation you’re on. Now go make it happen.

A System Will Produce What A System Will Produce, Nothing Less and Nothing More!

Operating At The Speed Of Trust

04/25/202504/10/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

According to a Housing Wire article dated April 10, 2025, which references a new report from Anytime Estimate (a subsidiary of Clever), the relationship between homesellers and real estate agents is evolving in 2025. While a significant majority (91%) of homeowners planning to sell in the next year still intend to hire an agent, there’s a growing skepticism about their fundamental necessity and trustworthiness.

Key findings indicate:

Decreased Perceived Necessity: Only 63% of sellers now view agents as “inherently necessary,” a notable 10-percentage-point drop from 2024.
Eroding Trust: Even among sellers who plan to use an agent, trust levels have fallen, with only 70% expressing trust, down from 81% the previous year.
Commission Concerns: Commission fees remain a primary concern for sellers, heightened by the ongoing impact and discussions surrounding the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2024 settlement.

In essence, while sellers aren’t abandoning agents en masse, they are entering the market with increased scrutiny regarding agent value, justification for fees, and overall trustworthiness.

4 Steps Agents Can Take to Build Trust

Given the concerns highlighted in the report, here are four actionable steps agents can take to build and maintain trust with sellers:

Radical Transparency on Value and Process: Clearly articulate exactly what services you provide, how your expertise benefits the seller specifically (e.g., negotiation skills, marketing reach, navigating complex paperwork, saving time/stress), and outline the entire selling process upfront. Don’t assume sellers understand your value proposition; demonstrate it explicitly.
Open and Proactive Communication About Commissions: Address commission fees head-on. Explain your fee structure clearly, justify the cost based on the services rendered and value provided, and discuss how compensation works in light of recent industry changes (like the NAR settlement effects). Being upfront prevents suspicion and builds confidence.
Prioritize Honest Dialogue and Expectation Management: Build rapport through active listening and genuine interest in the seller’s goals and concerns. Provide honest feedback on the property, realistic market assessments (even if it’s not what the seller wants to hear initially), and maintain consistent, proactive communication throughout the listing period. Avoid overpromising.
Demonstrate Expertise with Data and Testimonials: Back up your claims with evidence. Share local market data, statistics on your performance (e.g., list-to-sale price ratio, days on market compared to average), and provide recent, verifiable testimonials or case studies from satisfied clients. This shifts the focus from a perceived commodity service to proven professional expertise.

It's Not Over Until You Win — It’s Not Over Until You Win

The AI-Proof Career: Why Your Soft Skills Are the Future of Work

04/23/202510/27/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

We’ve all seen the headlines: AI is taking jobs. A recent Pew Research survey confirms this fear, pointing to several professions highly susceptible to automation within the next 20 years.

For example, a massive 73% of both AI experts and the public predict fewer jobs for Cashiers, with similar pessimism surrounding Factory Workers and Journalists. If your job is about routine transactions or predictable data synthesis, it’s time to pay attention.

But this is only half the story. The same data that predicts displacement also reveals the professions that are safe and why.

The Unstoppable Human Advantage

In his definitive book, Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will, Geoff Colvin argues that the highest value in the future workplace won’t come from tasks or data, but from uniquely human skills that machines cannot replicate.

The more AI automates, the more critical these non-routine, interpersonal abilities become:

Empathy and Social Sensitivity: True innovation and service require deeply understanding human emotions and navigating complex social dynamics.
Relationship Building: Fostering trust and collaboration that transcends code.
Storytelling: Connecting facts with context and emotion to compel action.

This is the key insight: The jobs least likely to be displaced—mental health therapists, teachers, lawyers, and real estate agents/brokers—are those that are empathy-intensive. They are centered on deep human-to-human interaction, not data entry.

While AI will handle the routine, the human professionals who master these skills will not only survive but thrive. Your challenge isn’t to compete with a machine; it’s to fully embrace the complexity and creativity of being human. That is the true AI-proof career path.

Win The Day!

Where to Learn More:

Job displacement findings: Pew Research survey report (March 2025).
Summary context: “These 3 Professions Are Most Likely to Vanish in the Next 20 Years Due to AI, According to a New Report” by Sherin Shibu on Entrepreneur.com (published April 7, 2025).
Essential human skills: Geoff Colvin’s book Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will.

Enough is Enough: Silencing Your Harshest Critic (Hint: It’s Probably You)

04/21/202504/21/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Do you ever make a small mistake – drop something, forget a name, fumble a simple task – and find yourself immediately flooded with harsh self-criticism? That internal voice loves to magnify minor errors, turning them into evidence of inadequacy. If this sounds familiar, know that it’s an incredibly common experience.

In an era often defined by polished online personas, it’s easy to fall into the “perfectionism paradox.” We compare our messy, real lives to curated highlight reels, making it increasingly difficult to tolerate our own normal imperfections. As noted in the article “Stop Beating Yourself Up: The Truth About Everyday Self-Criticism,” we might see someone else’s minor mishap, like accidentally using too much sunscreen, with empathy, yet judge ourselves ruthlessly for the same kind of slip-up.

This constant internal critique isn’t just unpleasant; it has real costs. It can dampen our joy in everyday life, stifle our willingness to try new things (for fear of failure), increase stress, and even make us feel less connected to others.

But there’s another way. Consider these perspective shifts, inspired by the source article:

The Friend Test: When you start criticizing yourself, pause. Ask: “What comforting, kind words would I offer a dear friend in this exact situation?” Try saying those words to yourself.
The Time Test: Take a breath and ask: “Honestly, how much will this matter in five years? Or even five days?” Often, the things we beat ourselves up over are insignificant in the long run.

Learning to embrace our imperfections isn’t about giving up or accepting mediocrity. It’s about understanding that our value as humans isn’t measured by our ability to perform every task flawlessly. Being human means fumbling sometimes. Perhaps today is a good day to let one small self-criticism go.

Source: This post draws inspiration and key ideas from the article: “Stop Beating Yourself Up: The Truth About Everyday Self-Criticism,” dated April 3, 2025.

Adapting to Change: Key Insights from Redfin’s 2025 Real Estate Agent Survey

04/18/202504/02/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

An internal analysis by Redfin, based on its 2025 Industry Survey conducted by Jason Aleem, sheds light on the current state of the real estate industry from the perspective of non-Redfin agents. The company states it conducts these surveys to understand broader industry trends and agent needs.

The survey, fielded between December 2024 and January 2025, included 500 agents across 46 states who closed at least one deal in 2024. Respondents typically had over 10 years of experience, and 83.8% worked full-time.

Key Findings from the Redfin Analysis:

Agent Performance: Despite a market slowdown, experienced agents appeared to consolidate business. 58% earned over $50,000 in 2024 (up from 49% in 2023), and nearly 30% earned over $100,000 (up from 22%). More agents (72.2%) closed 5+ deals, potentially due to fewer new agents entering (17% had <3 years experience vs. 28% in 2021). However, over a third still held a second job.
Brokerage Choice: Commission splits are paramount (78.4% rate as very important), outweighing brand reputation (55.2%) and training/support (54.6%). Agent movement remains high, with 15% planning to switch brokerages in 2025 and 13.4% having done so in 2024. Notably, 54.8% of agents indicated they’d prefer lower brokerage support investments for a better split.
Career Sentiment: Enthusiasm has declined. Only 21.2% are likely to recommend real estate as a career, versus 49.8% unlikely, resulting in a Net Promoter Score of -28.6, noted by Redfin as the lowest they’ve recorded. Top dislikes included income unpredictability (42.6%) and difficulty finding clients (37.8%). Independence (86.8%) and helping clients (76.4%) remain key motivators.
Industry Headwinds: Affordability is the top challenge (64.2% major concern), followed by lack of inventory (42.8%) and declining commissions (42%). Redfin notes this aligns with its separate research on housing affordability.
Policy & Economic Outlook: Agents widely support affordable housing policies (75.6%) and building more homes (66.8%), but less so for denser zoning locally (40% disagree). Opinions on the 2025 market are cautiously optimistic (around 50% expect local sales/prices to rise), while views on the overall U.S. economy are split (40.6% positive, 39.6% not).
Climate & Insurance: Climate change impacts buyer decisions according to 39% of agents (higher in FL/CA), yet few (<10%) reported climate-risk training. Insurance issues during transactions increased for 47% of agents (72%+ in CA/FL), though 37.6% reported no client insurance problems.
Discrimination: Reported experiences increased. 22.4% of agents reported sexism (up from 18%), with 34.5% of women reporting it versus 8.9% of men. 38% of non-white agents reported racial discrimination (up from 32%), often citing other agents/industry professionals (28%).
NAR & Commissions: Views towards NAR turned significantly negative (51% unfavorable, up from 19% in 2023), likely linked to the commission settlement. 38% felt the changes negatively impacted their business, and 54.4% observed more commission negotiation. While Redfin states its data shows limited buyer commission changes yet, 51.2% of surveyed agents expect commissions to decline within 12 months. Most agents (74.8%) believe withholding listings from the MLS is rarely best for sellers. (Note: Survey conducted before the March 25 NAR rule update).

Source: Internal Redfin analysis of its 2025 Industry Survey by Jason Aleem. The anonymous survey was conducted via email by Ipsos between Dec 2024-Jan 2025, involving 500 non-Redfin agents across 46 states with at least one transaction in the prior 12 months.

Thursday Mindset

04/17/202504/17/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Thursday mindset… the sunset in Jerusalem Israel is estimated around 7:10 PM local time, and is approximately 9:10 AM Pacific Time.

As the sun set roughly two thousand and twenty-five years ago, the Last Supper, a Passover meal, would have been getting started, followed by the walk to the Garden of Gethsemane.

For my Christian friends, the next four days are both historical and deeply relevant today. Acknowledging my Muslim and Jewish friends, while our views differ, I recognize the profound historical significance of Jerusalem and this time in history for all of us.

So let it begin, until “it is finished.”

The Power of Less: Insights from Matt Plumer on Financial Freedom

04/16/202504/23/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Lately, I’ve been really thinking about something that resonated with me, and I wanted to share it with you all. It comes from Matt Plumer, who focuses on helping people build financial systems that lead to greater freedom and less stress. His approach often challenges the conventional wisdom that more is always better.

Matt talks about how we live in a world that constantly pushes us to want more. More information, more stuff, more followers – you name it. It feels like the goal is always to accumulate. But Matt suggests that maybe the key to actually growing and thriving isn’t about adding more, but about subtracting. Think about it: creating space and margin in our lives could be the real secret to unlocking what truly matters. That space to think clearly, the breathing room to move without constant stress, and ultimately, the ability to really pursue what we want.

This has made me consider how often I think beyond the immediate choices I make. Every decision has a ripple effect, right? There’s the initial price we pay, but then there’s the longer-term cost of not making the right decision. That can impact us for years down the line in terms of time, money, and energy.

It got me thinking about a couple of key questions for myself, inspired by Matt’s insights:

Who in my life has a bit more experience, someone who can help me see potential pitfalls I might miss?
And what do I actually need to remove from my life to create real growth in my contributions and giving?

The core idea that’s stuck with me, and which is central to Matt Plumer’s philosophy, is that true financial freedom isn’t just about working harder or earning more. It’s about building a smart system that works for you. This whole concept of achieving more by focusing on less – by being more intentional about what we keep and what we let go of – feels really powerful. I wanted to share this perspective, inspired by Matt’s work, because I think it’s a valuable shift in mindset that could benefit us all in creating more intentional futures.

Life Happens: Why Buyers Aren’t Waiting on Rates Forever.

04/14/202503/29/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Hey everyone! As a long-time broker in this industry, I’ve seen my fair share of market shifts. But something interesting is happening right now that I wanted to share. It seems even with those persistent mortgage rates and home prices, we’re starting to see experienced buyers emerge from the sidelines and get back into the market.

Did you know that after a period where many potential homeowners, including those looking to downsize, relocate for retirement, or make strategic investment moves, were holding back, we’re now seeing increased activity? According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, life events continue to be the driving force behind these decisions, regardless of the current economic climate.

The article highlights how real estate professionals are reporting a noticeable uptick in property viewings and mortgage inquiries. While it’s still early days for the spring selling season, these initial indicators suggest a renewed interest from buyers who aren’t willing to put their life plans on hold indefinitely.

What resonates with me is the pragmatic approach many of these buyers are taking. They’ve seen market fluctuations before and understand that trying to perfectly time the bottom is often futile. As one buyer, Aisha Jamil, who recently purchased a home in North Carolina with her husband Nathan Bhatti after navigating the market for several years, astutely observed:

“I think the best time to buy is when you can afford it,”

(Friedman, N., 2025, March 29, The Wall Street Journal, “Home Buyers Start to Come Off Sidelines Even as Rates, Prices Stay Stuck”). This sentiment echoes what I’ve followed for decades.

Of course, the challenges of affordability remain significant, and overall transaction volumes are still below historical peaks. Economic uncertainties also continue to factor into buyer considerations.

However, it’s encouraging to see buyers adapting to the current landscape. Some first-time purchasers are exploring opportunities in more affordable areas outside of city centers, demonstrating a willingness to adjust their expectations to achieve homeownership. Similarly, seasoned buyers are re-evaluating their needs and finding opportunities that align with their long-term goals, as exemplified by Sung Ji in Seattle, who bought after securing a stable job: “The question was, is there something we find that we think is worthwhile to take that leap of faith?” (Friedman, N., 2025, March 29, The Wall Street Journal, “Home Buyers Start to Come Off Sidelines Even as Rates, Prices Stay Stuck”).

Even those who initially hoped for a more favorable market, like Pete and Taylor Thomason, who experienced a purchase fall-through and then rented, are recognizing the limitations of waiting for elusive rate drops. As Pete acknowledged, “Then it’s like, OK, we probably ought to not wait on that,” (Friedman, N., 2025, March 29, The Wall Street Journal, “Home Buyers Start to Come Off Sidelines Even as Rates, Prices Stay Stuck”).

So, what’s the takeaway for us as industry professionals? It reinforces the idea that fundamental life changes will always drive housing demand. While market conditions certainly influence the pace and specifics, people’s need for shelter and their personal circumstances ultimately take precedence.

Did you know that inventory levels are varying significantly across the country? Buyers in the Southeast and Southwest are generally finding more options and thus potentially more negotiating leverage compared to those in the Northeast and Midwest, where supply remains tighter (Friedman, N., 2025, March 29, The Wall Street Journal, “Home Buyers Start to Come Off Sidelines Even as Rates, Prices Stay Stuck”). This regional dynamic is crucial for us to keep in mind when advising our clients.

Ultimately, as Jennifer Newcomer, a more recent buyer in the Philadelphia suburbs, wisely stated:

“You can’t pause your life for what rates are going to do,”

(Friedman, N., 2025, March 29, The Wall Street Journal, “Home Buyers Start to Come Off Sidelines Even as Rates, Prices Stay Stuck”). This sentiment is particularly relevant for those in established stages of life who have specific housing needs or long-term plans.

It’s a nuanced market out there, but the renewed activity we’re seeing suggests a degree of resilience and adaptation among buyers. What are your observations from the field? I’d be interested to hear your perspectives.

Source: Friedman, N. (2025, March 29). Home Buyers Start to Come Off Sidelines Even as Rates, Prices Stay Stuck. The Wall Street Journal.

The Tale Of Four Real Estate Markets

04/11/202504/11/2025 Mark Johnson 1 Comment

We all know that when it comes to real estate, it’s all about location, location, location.

National headlines can paint a broad picture, but the truth is, housing trends are incredibly local and regional. Recent insights from The Wall Street Journal articles, “Are Home Values About To Fall? ” (March 3, 2025) and “Selling Your House This Spring? You Might Need to Cut the Price” (March 29, 2025), highlighted this national divergence, showing how inventory and seller leverage are shifting unevenly across the US.

According to the Journal, national housing inventory is still below pre-pandemic levels as homeowners with those coveted low mortgage rates hesitate to sell. However, some states, particularly in the South like Texas and Florida, are seeing a surge in supply, partly due to new construction hitting the market at a time when buyer demand is somewhat tempered by higher mortgage rates. This oversupply in certain areas could lead to price adjustments.

Conversely, the WSJ also pointed out that parts of the Northeast and Midwest are still grappling with a severe shortage of homes for sale, potentially keeping prices firm in those regions. This uneven recovery underscores the hyper-local nature of real estate.

But let’s zoom in on our own Golden State. Did you know that even within California, the housing market isn’t one single entity? According to data from Altos Research, California as a whole is currently sitting on a Market Action Index (MAI) of 42. This suggests a slight seller’s advantage, meaning there are still more buyers than available homes, giving sellers a bit of an edge.

However, dig a little deeper, and you’ll see a fascinatingly nuanced picture. For instance, here in Orange County, the Market Action Index jumps to a strong 50. This indicates a solid seller’s market, where demand significantly outweighs supply, likely leading to quicker sales and potentially higher prices – a trend that might buck the potential price softening the Journal mentioned in oversupplied national markets.

Now, let’s head north to Alameda County. The Altos Research data reveals an even stronger seller’s market there, with a Market Action Index of 56! This suggests even fiercer competition among buyers and greater leverage for those putting their homes on the market, further emphasizing the regional variations within California that the national WSJ articles allude to on a state-by-state basis.

So, what does this tell us?

While national trends offer valuable context, as highlighted by the Wall Street Journal‘s analysis of differing state-level recoveries, understanding the hyper-local dynamics is crucial. The factors driving the slight seller’s advantage across California might be very different from what’s creating a strong seller’s market in Orange County or an even more robust one in Alameda County. Inventory levels, buyer demand (which the Journal noted is fragile nationally), local economic conditions, and even the lingering effects of those low pandemic mortgage rates all play a role in shaping these distinct regional markets.

Just as the Wall Street Journal pointed out the contrasting inventory situations between states, we see a similar story unfolding within California itself, as evidenced by the differing Market Action Indices. What might be true for the state overall doesn’t necessarily reflect the realities on the ground in your specific city or even your neighborhood.

So, the next time you hear about national real estate trends, remember that the picture is far more intricate.

Here in California, and across the country, the housing market is a mosaic of local stories, each with its own unique dynamics. Keeping an eye on these regional and even hyper-local indicators, like the Market Action Index from Altos Research, in conjunction with the broader national trends discussed in The Wall Street Journal, is key to truly understanding what’s happening in your own backyard.

Author: Mark Johnson