Real estate CEO: Record-low housing inventory is 'freaking us out'
Source: CNBC
The number of homes for sale in America has been falling steadily for the past year, but the situation is apparently getting much worse as spring demand heats up.
"The inventory is reaching historic lows. It's never declined faster than it did last month. It's freaking us out — it's affecting our business; it's limiting our sales," said Glenn Kelman, CEO of Seattle-based Redfin, a real estate firm. "We're going to be fine in terms of market share, but I think the overall industry for the first time is seeing sales volume really limited by the inventory crunch."
Kelman started Redfin more as a technology company and touts his ability to track closely the more than 80 metropolitan markets it covers. He blames the lack of inventory on a new dynamic in housing.
"It's a new landlord nation where everybody is renting out their basement. When somebody moves up they don't sell their old place, they rent it out to somebody else, and it's because they want to keep that 30-year mortgage for 30 years, and it's because they can easily find somebody on Airbnb who will take the place," Kelman said.
Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/17/real-estate-ceo-record-low-housing-inventory-is-freaking-us-out.html
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