Coldwell Banker’s Mary Lee Blaylock Breaks Down the Fall Housing Market with YourUpdateTV

Mary Lee Blaylock, President of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, Shares Why Today's Housing Market Is More Local Than Ever and What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know This Fall

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The traditional home buying season used to end after Labor Day, but today’s housing market is telling a very different story. While many prospective buyers remain focused on mortgage rates, today’s market is being driven just as much by life events and local conditions.

Mary Lee Blaylock, President of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, recently participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to share what today’s buyers and sellers need to know. Here’s what she had to say:

What trends are you seeing in the housing market as we enter fall?
The fall trends we’re seeing are all about a hyper-local focus. What I mean by that is that each market is slightly different from the next, and your local street and local community are more important to understand than ever. Engaging a local real estate agent will help you through the process and help you understand how the market affects you as a buyer in this particular area, at this particular time.

Beyond mortgage rates, what’s shaping people’s decision to buy or sell a home?
What’s shaping people’s decisions to buy and sell a home is often the life events that occur. These events don’t pay any attention to mortgage rates, the calendar, or timing — they just happen. And as a result, people need to move, sell their homes, and buy homes as those events come up.

For someone looking to buy in today’s market, where should they start?
If I were a buyer in the market right now, I would first engage a local real estate agent who is very well versed in the market where I want to purchase. I would also get a clear understanding of what I can afford — specifically, working with a loan officer to understand how much of a mortgage payment I can manage on a monthly basis. Because mortgage rates have ticked up, it’s more important than ever to understand that monthly dollar amount, because we want you to enjoy the home you’re in, not be cash-poor as a result of it. You should still be able to fill up your car with gas, fill the refrigerator with groceries, and enjoy the lifestyle you choose.

And for homeowners thinking about selling, what should they be focusing on right now?
If you’re selling in the near or distant future, we want you to prepare now. It’s very common for sellers to underestimate how much time it takes to prepare their home for the market, and as a result, they’re not ready to go when it’s time to list. Start now, in the fall, so you can work with contractors who may be too busy to help you in the spring. And having a local real estate agent tell you what buyers expect of your home will position you very well for the spring market.

Where can people go for more information?
For more information, you can visit ColdwellBanker.com, where you’ll find all of the inventory on the market — but most importantly, a local Coldwell Banker agent who will help and advise you along the way through a really complex process.

About Mary Lee Blaylock
Mary Lee Blaylock is the President of Coldwell Banker Affiliates. In this role, Mary Lee oversees a network of tens of thousands of affiliated real estate professionals, giving her a unique perspective on today’s housing market dynamics and the lived reality for buyers, sellers, and industry professionals.

* YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of Coldwell Banker Affiliates

Media Contact
Michael O’Donnell
D S Simon Media
212-736-2727
modonnell@dssimon.com

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d99bdb7-85ea-4d64-8962-9528427c9d31