By Serj Markarian, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
With all the back-and-forth on tariffs, many people are feeling hesitant about making moves with their portfolios or real estate investments. After a sharp drop in the stock market earlier this week, markets appeared to rebound slightly yesterday following President Trump’s surprise announcement of a 90-day tariff pause in the ongoing trade war.
This so-called “timeout” may have been prompted by advisors urging Trump to ease off his most stringent tariffs in order to avoid what some described as an “economic nuclear winter.” Regardless, it’s been a volatile ride—and for now, many are choosing to sit tight.
Real estate, however, may tell a different story. As some professionals put it: “There’s no bad time to buy a house, only a bad time to sell one.” The logic being, even if home prices dip, a buyer doesn’t truly lose value unless they’re forced to sell during a downturn.
Still, uncertainty surrounding the economy and tariff fallout could cool what was shaping up to be a stronger housing market. “When the market is down two, three, four percent, these are giant red flags for consumers and purchasers of real estate,” said John Walkup, Co-Founder of the real estate analytics firm UrbanDigs. “What that does is, it hits the pause button.”
The impact of this week’s stock market tumble on the housing market has yet to fully surface—and it may be a while before we see it. As Donna Olshan, founder of Olshan Realty, pointed out, real estate reporting often reflects deals made months prior. “Wednesday’s tariff announcement,” she added, “has shifted the mood to ‘wait and see.’”
While it’s unclear what the landscape will look like 90 days from now, some economists agree that real estate could become a “go-to” option for nervous investors wary of stock market volatility. Chief Economist at Realtor.com, Danielle Hale explains:“In an economic environment riddled with uncertainty, investors are seeking out safe havens. For many, this is found in bonds, but real estate may be an alternative for some.”
