Zelman Housing Summit Highlights Shifting Supply, Affordability Challenges and Opportunities Heading Into 2027

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walker & Dunlop, Inc. announced last week at its 19^th annual 2026 Zelman Housing Summit, that housing supply dynamics are shifting across asset classes, affordability challenges are persistent and diverging consumer and regional trends could shape the housing market heading into 2027. Replays from the summit are now available for purchase, providing access to the research, analysis and industry perspectives.

Hosted by Ivy Zelman, executive vice president and co-founder of Zelman, a Walker & Dunlop Company, the summit brought together C-suite executives, capital providers, developers and other industry leaders to examine housing market conditions.

“What stands out today is how much housing conditions vary by geography, price point and consumer,” said Zelman. “We believe the overall market is relatively balanced, but that doesn’t mean every market or every buyer is experiencing the same conditions. Affordability remains very stretched, and as supply shifts across markets, understanding those differences will be critical as we head into 2027.”

Key summit takeaways:

• Homebuilding & Manufactured Housing: Higher-end consumers remain resilient, while affordability and confidence continue to challenge payment-sensitive buyers. Builders are using mortgage rate buydowns to compete with resale homes, while scale is increasingly important amid elevated land, labor and material costs.
• Building Products: Residential demand remains muted, but suppliers see opportunities to gain market share through product innovation, technology and expansion into stronger channels, even as renewed cost inflation creates near-term pressure.
• Mortgage & Real Estate Services: With transaction volumes constrained by affordability, operators are focused on using technology and AI to improve productivity, streamline workflows and lower the cost to originate.
• Housing M&A & Capital Markets: Consolidation remains active across housing as the industry navigates evolving capital needs and policy developments, while land banking continues to evolve as a mainstream source of capital for builders.
• Single-Family Rental: Rent growth is accelerating against gradually easing supply headwinds and relative affordability continues to support demand, with panelists anticipating stronger industry fundamentals in 2027.
• Multifamily Rental: Declining apartment deliveries and strong renter demand are supporting the outlook, while current market conditions are creating opportunities to acquire properties at discounts to replacement cost.
• Consumer: Higher-income consumers and premium price points continue to demonstrate greater resilience, while lower-income households remain under pressure and retailers navigate soft demand, operating complexity and tariff uncertainty.

Click HERE to purchase replays of the 2026 Zelman Housing Summit.

Founded in 2007, Zelman, a Walker & Dunlop Company, is the leading investment banking and institutional research advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the U.S. housing industry including single-family, multifamily, SFR / BFR, building products, mortgage, technology, brokerage, and related businesses. Zelman specializes in bespoke institutional research and investment banking services encompassing mergers & acquisitions, private equity capital raising, initial public offerings, public bond underwritings, private debt placements and related corporate finance, valuation, and strategic advisory services.

All securities offered through Zelman Partners LLC, a registered broker dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory services firms in the United States and internationally. Our ideas and capital create communities where people live, work, shop, and play. Our innovative people, breadth of our brand, and our technological capabilities make us one of the most insightful and client-focused firms in the commercial real estate industry.

Media:
Nina H. von Waldegg
Public Relations
Phone 301.564.3291
nhvwaldegg@walkerdunlop.com