Keeping up with current affairs (KCM) announced Tuesday that George Ratiu, formerly manager of economic research realtor.comHas joined the company as Chief Economist.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Retiou has over 15 years of experience tracking the US economy and real estate markets, having worked in National Association of Realtors And Move, Inc. before joining Realtor.com in 2021 where he led a team covering macroeconomic trends, housing activity and consumer issues.
“Bringing George to KCM is an absolute game-changer,” said Bill Harney, CEO of Keeping Current Matters. “His deep understanding of global economies, real estate markets, technology, consumer demographics and investments will further enhance our ability to empower, educate and equip real estate agents as the housing market continues to evolve.”
Ratiu said KCM’s focus on providing relevant insights and information to agents so that they can educate buyers and sellers was one of the reasons he joined the company.
“Real estate transactions are complex processes, and many people approach them with fear and anxiety,” Ratiu said. “Getting insights that make that decision easier and that provide a higher level of confidence is very important to me.”
Talking about the housing market, Ratiu cautioned that housing markets are constantly evolving.
“What we’re seeing is part of the historical real estate cycle – it moves in tandem with credit markets and the broader economy. It’s the housing market responding to changes in the larger monetary landscape,” Ratiu said.
Although he saw similarities to the 2008 market, Ratiu stressed that there are some key differences to the current market.
“Consumers today are better qualified to make purchases both in terms of credit score, savings and income,” Ratiu said. “The other big factor is the supply side… We have experienced over a decade in which new home construction lagged behind home construction, a result of the 2008 housing bust that permanently forced a large number of builders out of the industry.
Despite the challenges the industry is facing right now, Ratiu said he is optimistic about the real estate market.
“For the US market, we are in an extremely favorable demographic environment. To put it in a number, this year there are more than 44 million Americans aged 26 to 35, which is the prime home buying age. So big The influx of youth into the market in numbers is a tremendous favorable wind for the real estate market.”
Ratieu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Campbellsville University and a Master of Arts in Economics from Western Kentucky University.
