Americans' Views on Tariffs and AI Impact
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 20 2026
0mins
Should l Buy RKT?
Source: Newsfilter
- Tariff Impact: Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans believe tariffs will cause inflation and keep interest rates high, which not only increases the financial burden on homebuyers but may also suppress activity in the real estate market.
- AI Job Concerns: About 59% of U.S. residents are worried that advances in artificial intelligence will eliminate a significant number of white-collar jobs, making it harder for people to afford homes, and this anxiety could exacerbate volatility in mortgage rates.
- Political Divide: Among political parties, 63% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans believe that advancements in AI will undermine job opportunities and housing affordability, indicating widespread concern about the future economic landscape.
- Immigration Policy Impact: More than half (52%) of respondents believe that reduced immigration will lead to a shortage of construction workers, driving up home prices, while 35% think it will decrease housing demand, reflecting differing views on immigration policy.
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Analyst Views on RKT
Wall Street analysts forecast RKT stock price to rise
11 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
6 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 13.670
Low
18.00
Averages
22.18
High
25.00
Current: 13.670
Low
18.00
Averages
22.18
High
25.00
About RKT
Rocket Companies, Inc. is a fintech platform including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses: Rocket Mortgage, Redfin, Mr. Cooper, Rocket Homes, Rocket Close, Rocket Money, and Rocket Loans. The Company's full suite of products empowers its clients across financial wellness, personal loans, home search, mortgage finance, title and closing. Through these businesses, it delivers client solutions leveraging its Rocket platform. It operates in two segments: Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. In the Direct to Consumer segment, clients have the ability to interact with Rocket Mortgage digitally and/or with the Company's mortgage bankers. It provides client service and leverages its brand to strengthen its wholesale relationships, through Rocket Pro, as well as enterprise partnerships, both driving growth in its Partner Network segment. The Company's capabilities span the entirety of homeownership, such as home search, financing, title, closing and servicing.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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See More
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- Rising Homebuyer Proportion: Single women account for 25% of first-time homebuyers compared to 10% for single men, a significant increase from 11% and 9% in 1985, indicating a growing recognition of homeownership as a wealth-building tool among women.
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- Financial Sacrifices for Goals: Among single women buyers, 41% reported making financial sacrifices to save for a down payment, compared to 31% of men, highlighting women's commitment to achieving homeownership and financial independence despite economic hurdles.
See More
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- Sales Forecast Downgrade: Zillow initially projected a 4.3% increase in existing home sales for 2026, but rising energy prices and inflation concerns have introduced new uncertainties, potentially reducing the sales growth to just 1.21%.
- New Construction Market Struggles: KB Home has lowered its full-year sales forecast following disappointing quarterly earnings, citing that net orders in Q1 fell below necessary levels, reflecting heightened consumer challenges exacerbated by the Middle East conflict.
- Supply-Demand Imbalance: The cancellation rate of home contracts has reached its highest since 2017, with approximately 13.7% of contracts canceled in February, resulting in over 600,000 more sellers than buyers in the market, creating a precarious and unstable housing environment.
See More
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- Market Differentiation: In Tampa, 18.1% of purchase agreements were canceled, making it the highest among 47 major U.S. metros, while San Antonio followed closely at 17.9%, highlighting the abundance of options and negotiating power for buyers in these regions.
- Economic Uncertainty Impact: Concerns over job security and inflation due to economic and geopolitical uncertainties have led to mortgage rate volatility, causing buyers to hesitate and cancel transactions, further complicating the housing market dynamics.
- Rising Cancellations in Southern California: Los Angeles saw its cancellation rate rise from 12.1% last year to 15%, reflecting the pressures of a buyer's market in the region, as buyers are more likely to abandon deals under unfavorable conditions.
See More
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See More
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- Decline in Buyers: The number of homebuyers fell by 2.4% month-over-month in February to approximately 1.36 million, while the number of sellers saw a smaller decline of 0.4% to about 1.99 million, reflecting the impact of high housing prices and economic uncertainty on buyer behavior.
- Strong Southern Markets: Miami emerged as the strongest buyer's market in February, with 163% more sellers than buyers, followed closely by Austin, TX, and Nashville, TN, highlighting the robust appeal of Southern markets.
- Northern Seller's Markets: Newark, NJ, was the strongest seller's market with 31.1% fewer sellers than buyers, while the average home prices in these markets rose by 2.2% year-over-year, indicating a negotiating advantage for sellers in these regions.
See More
