LOCATION

The Chattanoogan (1201 Broad Street)

DESCRIPTION

Join us for our annual Economic Outlook Breakfast featuring:

•  Nationally recognized housing expert Dr. Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS® and

•  Howard J. Wall, Director and Chief Economist for the Center for Regional Economic Research at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business

Dr. Lautz will share timely data on housing market trends, generational shifts, buyer and seller behavior, and what’s ahead for the real estate industry. Attendees will also gain valuable regional economic insight from Howard Wall, helping connect national trends with what we are seeing here at home.

Enjoy breakfast, connect with peers, and gain a better understanding of the trends shaping real estate in 2026 and beyond.

SCHEDULE

8:30 AM – Doors Open

9:00 AM – Program Begins

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Dr. Jessica Lautz

Dr. Jessica Lautz is the Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS®. She has been with NAR since 2007.

The core of her research focuses on analyzing trends for both NAR members and housing consumers. She is in demand as a speaker and by major media outlets to provide commentary on the real estate market. She has testified before Congress on behalf of NAR.

She also volunteers at Nottingham Trent University as an industry fellow mentoring real estate graduate students, is a committee chair at the National Association of Business Economics, bakes birthday cakes for underserved youth with Cake4Kids, and sits on the board of the Food Recovery Network.

Dr. Lautz has been recognized by Housing Wire's Women of Influence and RISMedia's Newsmaker award.

Jessica received her Doctorate of Real Estate from Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom. She also holds a Master's in Public Policy from American University and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Law and Justice from Central Washington University.

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Howard Wall

Howard Wall is the Director and Chief Economist of the Center for Regional Economic Research and a professor of practice in the Department of Finance and Economics. He joined UTC and the Rollins College of Business in January 2024.

Before joining UTC, Dr. Wall was a professor of economics and director of the Center for Applied Economics at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, where he was a vice president and regional economics adviser. At the St. Louis Fed, he was responsible for briefing the bank president and others on local economic conditions, coordinating the St. Louis Fed’s Beige Book and Burgundy Books, and drafting speeches for the bank president.

Before to his time with the Federal Reserve, Dr. Wall taught economics at West Virginia University and Birkbeck College, University of London. He is a native of upstate New York and received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his M.A and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

COST

Open to the Public! $35 by August 6 | $45 for Walk-Ins

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