Podcast

Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing with Jonathan Greene

234: Unbiased and Apolitical Economic Forecasting For Now and the Future with Lauren Saidel-Baker

Politics is often blamed for economic shifts, but there are usually more factors at play. Today’s guest is an economic expert who explains how it can impact investors and buyers alike.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Lauren Saidel-Baker, an economist with ITR Economics, the oldest privately-held, continuously operating economic research and consulting firm in the U.S. ITR Economics was founded in 1948.

Jonathan and Lauren start the discussion by explaining how ITR Economics predicts economic shifts and how Lauren became an economist with ITR after a stint in asset management. She shares how politics and election cycles can affect economics, her predictions for 2025, and what real estate investors should look for. You’ll hear the disruptions that natural disasters, population shifts, and weather can have on the economy, what regular homebuyers and investors should be looking for with purchases, and the trajectory of the real estate market in the next five years. Lauren outlines the potential opportunities real estate may offer with an economic downturn, her advice for remaining in real estate during economic disruption, and what she’s doing to prepare for a potential economic depression.

The economy is frequently in the news, but we don’t often hear about the impact it can have on specific industries. Lauren Saidel-Baker makes the case for real estate even during economic turmoil.

In this episode, you will hear:

Lauren Saidel-Baker’s explanation of how ITR Economics predicts economic shifts
Her introduction to economics through a job after college in asset management, and what she loves about working at ITR Economics
How election cycles impact economics
Lauren’s predictions for 2025 in comparison to 2024 and what real estate investors should look out for
Disruptions that natural disasters can create, and the impact of population shifts and weather
What regular homebuyers and investors should look for when they make a purchase
The trajectory of real estate for the next five years based on current data
Real estate opportunities that are likely with an economic downturn
Population shifts around the country based on affordability
What Lauren suggests for buyers in 2025 and the continued demand for multifamily assets
Her advice for those who want to remain in real estate but are concerned about economic disruption, and how consumers can remain apprised of economic shifts
What Lauren is doing to prepare for the coming economic depression

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