By giving homebuyers and homeowners historical perspective, brokers can help them overcome hesitation
As mortgage applications continue to decline week over week, one broker believes it is up to loan professionals to give potential customers a historical perspective to help educate them to overcome new mortgage hesitation.
Alex Shekhtman (pictured top), mortgage broker, CEO and founder of LBC Mortgage, believes brokers should give perspective to potential homebuyers and mortgage customers to help cut through the daily headlines.
“When you turn on the news, you’re going to hear that prices are too high, and homes are unaffordable,” Shekhtman told Mortgage Professional America. “Our job is to explain to them that if you’re going to wait another 10 years, you’re going to hear the same story. You’re going to buy the same property, just more expensive.”
Brokers are hearing buyers not only hesitate based on the market turmoil but also show signs of burnout. The market has been shaken up since the Trump administration announced its tariffs earlier this month. Rates have bounced around, and home prices have also shown fluctuations.
According to Shekhtman, there has been a lot of information for buyers and sellers to digest, but they must keep their current situation in mind when deciding on a new home.
“You have to look at your own situation and see if you are comfortable with the payments,” Shekhtman said. “Don’t look at the rate. If the payment is comfortable to you, and you have reserves and you have a stable job, you should move forward.”
Pausing for more information
Shekhtman believes that potential customers haven’t disappeared completely, but rather they’re waiting to see where the markets end up before making a major purchase or completing a refinance.
“What I’m seeing on the ground is that buyers and refinancers haven’t vanished, they’ve simply paused to gather more information,” Shekhtman said. “Media headlines about rate fluctuations and economic uncertainty make people hesitate, especially first-time buyers who haven’t built confidence in the process yet. Serious clients, though, are still moving forward once they understand their options and feel they have a trusted advisor in their corner.”
He believes brokers should be able to fill in the gaps in information. Customers should also find a broker they have full faith in and can trust who will have their best interests in mind. Once that relationship is built, customers can tune out the headlines and focus on what is best for them.
“When I talk with clients, they describe the current economic and political landscape as cautious but not bleak,” Shekhtman said. “They’re not panicking about a downturn. They’re simply looking for clarity in an environment of mixed signals: trade talks, tariff rumors, shifting Fed guidance. My job is to cut through the noise, explain how those factors really affect mortgage costs and housing availability, and put their long-term goals front and center.”
One thing that perplexes Shekhtman is how people treat the rising costs of houses differently from the increasing costs of everyday items.
Privately owned housing starts fell 11.4% in March, according to HUD and Census Bureau. Odeta Kushi from First America attributes the decline to rising material costs and tariff uncertainty.https://t.co/sDp92Mwo3f
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) April 17, 2025
“They agree that [things] cost more now, and they agree to pay more because of inflation,” Shekhtman said. “But when the price of a house goes up, they say, ‘No. It has to drop.’ I tell them, if you believe that your car, your food, insurance, everything will be more expensive if you wait 10 years, houses are the same. A dollar today is going to be another dollar two years from now.
“If you buy right now, whatever price you pay right now is still going to be a better deal for you than if you wait three years.”
House bought at the worst possible time
Shekhtman knows all about jumping into the housing market at the wrong time.
“My first property I bought was in 2007 or 2008,” Shekhtman said. “And then we had the housing crash. And what happened? Nothing happened because I had to have somewhere to live. I didn’t care about the property value because I had to live somewhere with my family. After seven or eight years, I sold the property and still made a profit.
“So, I’m a good example. I’m in the industry, and I bought a house at the worst time you could ever buy in probably the last 60 years, and I was still okay, in terms of prices going up again.”
He tells his story to potential homebuyers when they are hesitating about entering the market. In the end, the customer is still buying an appreciating property that will be a good investment for years to come.
“Nobody has a crystal ball or knows what will happen tomorrow,” Shekhtman said. “With all this news we hear today, people are getting scared of buying. But again, we’re going to hear the same thing in two or three years. Nothing is going to change.”
Shekhtman has one final piece of advice for brokers who are working with buyers and refinancers who are considering putting big plans on hold during the current market situation.
“Slow down and listen harder,” Shekhtman said. “Today’s buyer isn’t looking for a fast close. They’re looking for education, transparency, and a partner who understands their life beyond the loan application. Meet them there, tailor your solution, and you’ll build trust that turns hesitation into commitment.
“In a market defined by uncertainty, empathy and expertise are your strongest differentiators.”
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