Flat Home Prices “Mirror” 1990s: Small Multifamily Bound for Major Upswing
On The Market
Why Accumulation Now Can Mirror the Early 1990s Playbook
Brian compares the current flat-price period to the early 1990s, advising accumulation for outsized gains over the next decade.
Another year is nearly in the books. The 2025 housing market was largely defined by construction oversupply, sluggish rent growth, flat home prices, and widespread turbulence, with residential real estate moving far more slowly than anticipated and commercial real estate all but grinding to a halt.
Yet it appears we’ve reached the bottom, and the silver lining is clear: real estate is still ripe with opportunity for investors who are willing to play the long game.
Today, Brian Burke returns to the show to share where investors should be directing their attention in 2026. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one asset class continues to deliver for investors who are intent on building long-term wealth with real estate. And Brian believes we may be entering a period that could mirror the early 1990s, where the wisest move is to slowly accumulate these assets before the next wave of appreciation.
Slower rent growth might keep otherwise great assets from paying off in year one, but those who persevere through a “season of patience” stand to be rewarded when it really counts: 5 or 10 years from now.
In This Episode We Cover
Forecasting new construction, home prices, and mortgage rates in 2026
Why a period mirroring the early 1990s could be followed by a 2000s-style boom
The roadmap for building generational wealth with small multifamily properties
Why investors should focus on asset accumulation in a “season of patience”
The asset Brian believes is the biggest “bright spot” in a tough housing market
The benefits and potential dangers of the controversial 50-year mortgage
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Join the Future of Real Estate Investing with Fundrise
Sign Up for the On the Market Newsletter
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
3 Steps to Buying Your First (or Next) Small Multifamily Property
Pick Up "The Multifamily Millionaire, Vol I"
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-374
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