Williston Financial Group (WFG) has relaunched its long-running Quarterly Economic Outlook as “WFG’s Industry Perspective,” a quarterly podcast and video series featuring WFG Chairman and Founder Patrick F. Stone and economist Dr. Bill Conerly. In its inaugural episode under the new banner, the two industry veterans offered frank analysis of economic trends, housing supply and demand dynamics, and the challenges facing real estate professionals heading into 2026.
The series aims to deliver unfiltered commentary for real estate, mortgage, and title professionals. Stone, widely regarded as one of the title industry’s most influential leaders, took the opportunity to highlight the structural issues shaping the real estate market, while Conerly provided context on interest rates, employment, and the broader economy.
Interest Rates, Employment, and the Fed’s Balancing Act
Dr. Conerly opened the conversation with a look at Federal Reserve policy, noting the delicate balance between controlling inflation and supporting employment.
“Employment has stopped growing for the most part this year,” Conerly explained. “Hiring is very slow, but firing is not very fast either. Businesses are just sort of wondering what to do.”
He added that immigration had been a major driver of labor force growth in recent years, but with tighter policies in place, the labor force is flattening, further complicating economic expansion.
Despite these headwinds, Conerly predicted gradual interest-rate cuts ahead. “I am predicting that the Fed will cut interest rates and that will feed through to lower mortgage rates. I’m looking for about one to one-and-a-quarter percentage points between now and the end of 2026,” he said. “While that may generate modest refinancing activity and some movement in the housing market, he cautioned, “It’s not going to be the boom like you folks experienced in 2020 and 2021.”
Stone: Supply, Demand, and the Affordability Challenge
Stone took a broader view of the real estate market, breaking it down into its supply and demand components. On the supply side, resale activity has hovered around four million homes annually, with little change expected in the near term. New construction, meanwhile, has pulled back, and real-estate-owned properties remain negligible.
“On the demand side, we have need, desire, and affordability,” Stone said. “There are about 95 million people between 20 and 40 years of age in our country. There are more people wanting and looking for a home than there are homes available. So the need is there. The desire is probably as high as I’ve ever seen it.”
But affordability remains the barrier. “Right now, in order to keep mortgage payments at 30% of take-home pay, you have to be making over $100,000 a year,” Stone noted. “We’re at about $83,000 nationally. Until rates come down, affordability is going to be a major impediment to people buying homes.”
Stone foresees gradual improvement but no dramatic rebound. “I do see five years of steady improvement in real estate, but again, nothing spectacular,” he said. Beyond that horizon, he warned of population decline and labor shortages absent immigration reform.
Industry Inefficiencies and Rising Pressures
Asked about efforts to lower transaction costs, Stone was direct. “The title industry should focus on operating more efficiently, yes, but so should every other aspect of the real estate business. We’ve all spent billions of dollars on technology and taken only six days off the cycle time in 50 years.”
He predicted increased pressure on all participants—lenders, Realtors®, insurers, and regulators—to work together more effectively. “I would welcome an objective, realistic effort by the government to increase cooperation across the real estate industry for the benefit of everybody, including consumers,” Stone added.
Stone also sounded the alarm on wire fraud, which he called “all-consuming.” WFG alone fends off roughly 80,000 hacking attempts per month. “We go out of our way to make sure that we do not give wire instructions in writing or online. It is verbal, and yet people still fall prey to it,” he said.
Consolidation, Demographics, and Advice for Practitioners
Both Stone and Conerly expect further consolidation across real estate sectors. “Things got absolutely crazy in 2021,” Stone said. “There are still way too many players in the industry. I think there will be fewer participants, and hopefully, more efficiency in how we operate together.”
Stone also addressed the toll of recent market turbulence. “Understand what you can control and what you don’t control,” he advised. “Operate your company so that you make money right now. Focus on the here and now and make it profitable today.”
He pointed to demographics as a looming factor, with an aging population reshaping housing preferences. Builders, he suggested, will need to adjust to demand for single-level homes and age-in-place features.
Long-Term Confidence, Short-Term Uncertainty
While Stone and Conerly expressed concern about federal deficits, immigration policy, and affordability, both underscored their confidence in real estate as a long-term investment.
“The next five years are going to be gradual improvement, but nothing horribly exciting,” Stone concluded. “Longer term, the declining population and other issues concern me. But I still firmly believe in real estate. I own a lot of it, I own companies that deal in it, and I plan to continue doing that.”
Conerly agreed, emphasizing that while political and media noise can fuel uncertainty, “most of what goes on that is great in America will keep going on—even though we have political disagreements.”
A Platform for Ongoing Perspective
With the rebranded WFG’s Industry Perspective podcast, WFG is betting that candid, data-driven insights from two seasoned voices will resonate with industry professionals navigating today’s volatility.
For mortgage lenders, title agents, and real estate executives, the message from Stone and Conerly is clear: expect modest improvement, plan for uncertainty, and focus on what can be controlled.
Explore the Full Conversation
These highlights only scratch the surface of this informative inaugural podcast discussion. To explore the full conversation with Patrick Stone and Dr. Bill Conerly, be sure to watch or listen to the complete episode of WFG’s Industry Perspective podcast. The series will continue to deliver timely insights each quarter, helping real estate, mortgage, and title professionals stay ahead in a changing market.
About WFG National Title Insurance Company
Currently celebrating its 15th year, WFG National Title Insurance Company (WFG), a Williston Financial Group company, is a national underwriter and leading provider of title insurance and real estate settlement services for commercial and residential transactions nationwide. Founded in 2010, WFG achieved its national footprint faster than any underwriter.
Built around the directive to “communicate, collaborate, coexist,” WFG strives to improve the real estate process through the creation and delivery of comprehensive, innovative services and technology solutions that empower and increase transaction transparency for the title agents, real estate professionals, lenders, and consumers it serves. The company enjoys a Financial Stability Rating of A’ (A prime), as assigned by Demotech, Inc. For more information, visit www.wfgtitle.com.