From transactional to strategic: why real estate agents must embrace data and the rental market is their moment

In a housing market that has quietly entered a prolonged freeze, real estate professionals are facing a shift. Home ownership is no longer the dominant driver of customer movements. The rental side of the business increasingly offers opportunities, relevance and recurring involvement. Agents who embrace this change and become data-driven advisors can gain a real advantage.

The headlines illustrate the situation. According to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, total home sales fell to about 4.06 million homes in 2024, the fewest in nearly 30 years. Meanwhile, the turnover figures show that homeowners are simply staying put. According to a report from Redfin, only about 28 out of 1,000 homes changed hands in the first nine months of 2025. High mortgage rates, limited inventory and cost barriers are driving these trends in many markets.

For brokers, this means the traditional list-to-sale pipeline is under pressure. Sellers are not moving, buyers are sidelined by costs and availability, but the rental market remains dynamic. In all 50 largest U.S. metro areas, renting is currently cheaper than buying, with the average mortgage payment 38 percent higher than the average rent, according to reports from Bankrate.

Tenants will have to carry out transactions more often, landlords will need brokers who can advise and operate smartly and tenants will expect a higher level of service. Agents who invest in data, analytics and technology can establish themselves as trusted advisors and build repeat business.

Here are three ways agents should approach this shift:

1. Be the market information partner
   Agents must go beyond intuition and general market commentary. Data dashboards, real-time rental comps, days-on-market analytics, revenue patterns and rental trend forecasts are essential tools. With rental data sources more accessible than ever, agents can advise clients on questions such as: Should rents be increased now or later? Is the submarket showing saturation? What lease term premium can realistically be imposed?
2. Focus on the rental-specific opportunity
   Now that home sales turnover is at a historic low, the rental market is becoming an important area of ​​attention. In the third quarter of 2024, the U.S. national vacancy rate rose slightly to 6.9 percent, but the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment still rose 3.2 percent year-over-year, Baselane data shows. Brokers can help landlords and real estate investors take advantage of this by identifying emerging trends, recommending rental structures and optimizing pricing strategies. More frequent transactions create more touchpoints and opportunities to add value.
3. Choose and use the right tools
   Being data-driven is more than a mindset; it requires the right technology. Agents should use tools that provide neighborhood-level rent comps, rental revenue analytics, predictive demand, and shareable reports. When agents can present customers with a clear, data-driven story, showing, for example, the current vacancy, rental demand and pricing behavior over the past 90 days, they elevate themselves from supplier to trusted advisor.

Here’s an example of how this might work in practice. A landlord owns a four-unit apartment complex in a Sunbelt metro. Instead of simply listing units, a real estate agent analyzes local data and sees that rents for single-family homes in the zip code area have increased 4.4 percent year-over-year. Demand is shifting to three-bedroom apartments and rental terms of fourteen months are becoming increasingly common. The broker recommends moving two units to a longer-term lease, upgrading one unit to attract a premium tenant and adjusting the price for the final unit. The owner now sees the broker as a partner in their business. This ensures repeat business, referrals and credibility.

The broader housing market may be cooling, but the rental market is alive and well. Agents who invest in analytics, insights and advisory skills can lead in this environment. Customers, whether tenants, landlords or investors, expect more than access to housing. They want guidance in a highly nuanced, fast-moving market. By providing data-driven advice, agents can differentiate themselves, build stronger customer relationships and grow their businesses.

Michael Lucarelli is the CEO of RentSpree.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial staff and its owners. To contact the editor responsible for this piece: [email protected].

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