We often hear that big corporations only think about the next three months. But Alphabet, the parent company of Google, just did something that caught my eye. They raised 20 billion dollars through a 100 year bond.
Think about that. A bond that outlasts everyone currently sitting in their boardroom. It is a true vote of confidence that what they are building today is going to matter for a century.
In the real estate world, we have spent the last few years grinding through a flat and honestly frustrating market. Growth hasn’t exactly been falling out of the sky. If you wanted to scale, your only real moves were poaching top talent or trying to squeeze more out of affiliated services like mortgage and title, which brought a whole different set of headaches to the table.
But here is the catch. Most brokers are so busy dealing with the daily drama of the “whirlwind” that they forget to build their own 100 year bond.
Data vs. Drama: Direct from the Chief Economist’s Desk
I spent some time recently with Lawrence Yun, the Chief Economist for the NAR, along with my real estate students and others. While the headlines are busy chasing clicks with doom and gloom, Lawrence and I dug into the actual data moving the needle for 2026.
My biggest takeaway? The inventory shift is happening faster than the media realizes. We are seeing the lowest mortgage rates in three years. On top of that, policy makers are finally looking at capital gains relief for homeowners. That is a move that could remove the financial friction of selling and transform this market overnight.
Here are the three signals you need to watch:
- The Lock-In Effect is Cracking: The gap between current rates and those 3 percent “unicorn” rates from a few years ago is finally narrowing. Sellers are starting to feel like they can breathe again.
- The 10-Year Treasury Disconnect: There has been a weird spread between the 10-year Treasury and mortgage rates. As that gap shrinks, we are going to see even more downward pressure on rates this year.
- The Wealth Gap: The data is undisputed. Americans build long-term wealth by owning real estate, not renting it. Homeownership is still the primary engine for financial security.
Are You Building a Fortress or Just a Utility?
When the market is flat, hesitation is dangerous. We are in a platform transition where gravity accumulates quickly. If you wait until the “perfect” time to fix your internal systems, you might find yourself permanently dependent on the companies that didn’t wait.
History has a great example in John D. Rockefeller. He didn’t just want the oil. He wanted the pipelines and the refineries. He named his company Standard Oil because he wanted to set the standards for the entire industry.
In your brokerage, your “pipelines” are your operating systems.
If you are just providing a desk and a CRM, you are a utility. And utilities get commoditized. To win, you need a framework that helps you decide in the “fog” of 2026. Whether it is the Rockefeller Habits, EOS, or 4DX, you need an operating system that turns your vision into actual traction.
The Survival Logic
Alphabet is willing to endure volatility and skepticism because they know the alternative is worse. They would rather face the temporary pain of a big investment than the permanent disadvantage of being left behind.
We often accuse our industry of living month to month. But when the shift ahead is this big, you have to extend your horizon. The 2026 recovery is going to reward the leaders who secured the rails and defined the standards while everyone else was distracted by the noise.
In a market defined by drama, I am committed to bringing you the signal. Let’s get to work.
PS: If you want to stop guessing and start building, I have two resources ready for you. I can send over a quick summary of the 3 big operating systems (EOS, 4DX, and Rockefeller Habits) or a 5-point “Infrastructure Audit” you can bring straight into your next leadership meeting. Just hit me up and let me know which one you want.
