North Georgia Faces Shifting Real Estate And Energy Trends

The start of 2026 has brought a flurry of forecasts, expert panels, and industry reflections, all aiming to make sense of the shifting economic, technological, and real estate landscapes across the United States—nowhere more so than in north Georgia. At the heart of these conversations is the Norton Native Intelligence 2026 Forecast, an annual event that has become a barometer for regional market sentiment and a microcosm of broader national trends.

Held at Lanier Technical College's Ramsey Conference Center on January 28, 2026, the event opened with a poignant moment of silence for Betty Norton, a pillar of the community who passed away late last year. Frank Norton, Jr., CEO of the Norton Agency, set the tone with a parable about a black dot on a blank sheet of paper—a reminder, he said, to focus on the opportunities that surround us, not just the obstacles. "Our objective is to look at those opportunities, shape our communities, and build a faster, stronger community," Norton told attendees, as reported by AccessWDUN. "We need to quit tearing our community apart with harsh words, criticism, and needless noise. We are opportunity people."

That sense of optimism, however, was tempered by a candid assessment of the region’s—and the nation’s—housing market. Norton predicted that 2026 could mark a turning point: "It is starting to turn into a buyer's market," he said, but warned that affordability remains out of reach for many. The challenge, he argued, is to "figure out how to get that price down to the $250,000 or $300,000 level." The days of the true "starter home," it seems, have faded, replaced by sprawling subdivisions catering more to developers and investors than to first-time buyers.

But the forecast was not all numbers and projections. Norton used the platform to issue a rallying cry against what he sees as a growing threat to private property rights, fueled in part by unchecked online discourse. "Your property is not your property, it's your next-door neighbors telling you what to do. It's the local governments who impose excessive tax regulations, ordinances overlaying district standards and codes," he declared. He went on to criticize social media groups for creating "electronic feeding frenzies of half-truths, blow-by-blow video commentary, vicious characterization ... sometimes slander and libel." His solution? "We must figure out how to fight and protect the value of our number one asset, which is our real estate. We have worked hard and long to build that real estate portfolio. We must push back. Make equally loud noise for our property rights."

Asked if his comments targeted any specific group, Norton clarified that his concerns were directed at "overall social media throughout northeast Georgia." He called for better fact-checking and even joked that "the best Facebook invention would be an enhanced AI fact checker, but then it would probably put [them] out of business, because it would cause 90% of the content to evaporate."

On the substance of the real estate market, Kim Waters, Associate Broker and Partner at the Norton Agency, highlighted the gulf between luxury and everyday homes. The former, she said, have become collectibles for the wealthy, while the latter are increasingly out of reach for ordinary families. Contrary to popular belief, Waters noted that most investor-owned homes are held by small investors—families with fewer than five properties—who account for 85% of all such properties. While nearly 27% of homes sold in the first quarter of 2025 went to investors, large private equity firms own only about 500,000 homes nationwide. Waters was skeptical of policy proposals to ban corporate home purchases, saying President Donald Trump’s recent plan "is not going to change anything."

Stephen Lovett, another Norton Agency broker, pointed to local regulations as a barrier to affordable housing. "We need starter homes," Lovett argued, lamenting that early 20th-century zoning changes have made such entry-level housing all but illegal. "Historically, traditional communities began with what we would today call a tiny house, something currently illegal in most communities," he said, describing these as 600-square-foot homes adaptable for growing families. Lovett contended that modern zoning and overregulation have inadvertently priced out first-time buyers, a sentiment echoed by many in the industry.

But the conversation didn’t end with housing. Lovett, who specializes in commercial properties, also addressed the impact of technology on local economies, noting that "a typical circa 2025 AI driven data center consumes as much electricity as 100,000 households, and it also consumes a lot of water." Despite these demands, he said, "they're here in Georgia, and they're not going away." Retail, too, is evolving rather than disappearing, with grocery stores proving "nearly Amazon-proof."

Tommy Howard, CEO and President of the brokerage division, offered a sobering look at the numbers: the average home price in north Georgia now stands at $511,000, with median monthly homeowner costs rising to $2,035 in 2025 from $1,960 in 2023 (adjusted for inflation). Rents increased by 2.7% in the same period. While home prices have dipped from their 2022 highs, they remain up nearly 25% since 2020, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency recorded a 2.2% increase from the third quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025. Howard described the current economic climate as a "silent recession," marked not by job loss but by diminished purchasing power: "From 2021 to 2025, food prices are up over 30% ... gas is up 30% ... housing is up 50% to 60% ... but wages only went up 18%." He also noted that the average age of first-time homebuyers has climbed to 40 years old.

These local concerns resonate with broader national and global trends. As energy analyst Nat Bullard explained on the Catalyst podcast, 2025 was a paradoxical year for clean energy. Despite political antagonism and a steep drop in U.S. energy startup investment—from over $8 billion in 2022 to $2 billion in 2025—the S&P Global Clean Energy Transition Index soared 40%, outperforming the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100. Bullard’s analysis also revealed that while solar hardware costs continue to fall, total project costs in the U.S. rose by 9% in 2025, driven by increasing "soft costs" like engineering, labor, and tariffs. Notably, solar prices per watt remain much lower in countries like Australia and Germany.

Looking ahead, Bullard noted that the drivers of global electricity demand are shifting. While data centers and AI are often blamed for surging power needs, industrial electrification, electric transport, and household appliances are actually expected to contribute more to new electricity demand through 2030. "Consider this very much a moving target," Bullard cautioned, acknowledging that the landscape could change rapidly.

Meanwhile, in the world of branding and technology, Drew Ungvarsky, CEO of Grow, outlined three key trends for 2026 in a Branding in Asia interview: the rise of experience platforms that reward repeat engagement, the seamless integration of creativity and technology, and the emergence of AI-collaborative teams that use artificial intelligence thoughtfully rather than performatively. Ungvarsky also noted a growing backlash against unlabeled AI-generated content and praised Google’s Flow TV campaign as a standout example of generative AI’s potential for video content.

As 2026 unfolds, the convergence of real estate, technology, and energy trends suggests that adaptation—and a willingness to look beyond the "black dot"—will be essential for communities hoping to thrive in a rapidly changing world.