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Lopsided Listings
The bumpy path for new builds
#124
WELCOME
Dealing with one too many arm chair experts in your circle? Take Glennda’s timely advice to heart:
“Everybody’s got advice, and most of it comes from a place of love. But love doesn’t know the market like I do.” - Glennda Baker
We can almost hear the wink 😉
Remember, good intentions are everywhere. But good advice (and great real estate insights like these 👇) is rare.
Ryan Serhant is the founder and CEO of SERHANT real estate agency, star of Netflix’s Owning Manhattan, and one of the most recognizable faces in real estate media. While he makes it all look easy now, getting to this stage of his career took thousands of cold emails, seemingly endless “no’s”, and truly relentless follow-ups. Find out how he managed to stay humbly persistent without becoming annoying, scale his brokerage even in flat markets, and why LinkedIn is still the best lead source for potential deals in this fast-paced episode of Rise Above the Ranks with James Harris.
TRACK THE MARKET: New construction stays surprisingly concentrated
In 2025, new construction stayed highly concentrated in areas where land, regulations, and population growth made it easy—favoring the South and West for another straight year. Of the top 10 counties where new construction grew the most year-over-year, two were in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Arizona, where a higher-than-average inflow of new residents gave builders confidence to develop.
Looking closer at individual regions:
The South dominates new construction activity: About 76% of the top 100 counties by new-construction sales share are located in the South, where new homes make up 35%–52% of all sales, compared to just 15.6% nationally.
While Southern new-home sales dipped 3.7% year over year, counties like Maricopa County, AZ (+44%) and Wilson County, TN (+44%) saw huge growth, driven by migration, retiree inflows, and steady demand.
In many counties, builders are experimenting with size. In most regions covered in the report, the average new home is larger than existing inventory (by 7% in the South and up to 25% in the Northeast). One notable exception: Will County, IL, where new-home sales rose 24% while median size fell 23%, signaling a push toward smaller, more affordable properties where zoning allowed.
DIVE IN
The Friday Five
📖 Investor’s AI. The surprising new tool property investors use to calculate potential ROI in seconds.
👀 Celebrity news. Billy Joel’s buyer, Alex Da Kid’s over-the-top new listing, and Ricky Martin’s big sale.
👀 Top 10. Check out the biggest sales of the past week, from Beverly Hills to NYC.
💡Choosing the Chair. What the new Federal Reserve Chair nominee thinks about interest rates.
💡Market momentum. Eight trends that show where the current housing market is headed.
WHAT’S NEW FROM ESTATE MEDIA
My Pleasure, Portugal (part two)
Can you think of a better way to spend a day than putting around world class golf courses, checking out Portugal’s dessert delicacies, and sampling the best of Al Sud—a Michelin-star restaurant that almost exclusively serves local Portuguese fare cooked in the traditional style? If your answer is no, don’t miss part two of Josh Flagg’s new YouTube series, My Pleasure, Portugal, as he checks out all Palmares has to offer.
FEATURED LUXURY LISTING
TIPS & TAKEAWAYS
Sweet 16
Congrats to Chad Carroll on the incredible mega sale of the stunning 6,000 SF ultra-luxe Sunset Island estate with five bedrooms, a spa, summer kitchen, and sunset water views—sold for $16.2M in Miami Beach.
ICYM the first guided tour, check out the most eye-catching features and finishes of this breezy, spacious entertainer’s paradise, here.
HANGS & HAPPENINGS
REMAX R4 Conference | Las Vegas, NV | February 22 - 25, 2026
This year’s flagship event for business growth and international networking features a standout roster of speakers, led by #1 New York Times bestselling author James Clear.
The Gathering by HousingWire | Austin, TX | April 27 - 30, 2026
This event for mortgage professionals, brokerage leaders, and investors connects you with some of the most powerful and prominent executives in the housing industry. Hear from experts on housing policy, real estate solutions, affordability opportunities, investments, and more.
Inman Luxury Connect | San Diego, CA | July 27 - 28, 2026
The industry’s premier event for elite agents and brokers in the luxury space hosts immersive discussions, interactive workshops, top-tier networking events, and a roster of speakers including James Harris, Jason Oppenheim, and Jade Mills.
Before we go…
ESTATE RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
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