The U.S. housing market is frozen—and the chill extends far beyond real estate. In this episode, we quantify the slowdown in existing home sales (from ~5–5.5M annualized pre-pandemic to ~4M projected in 2025), unpack why the “rate-lock” squeeze is stalling churn, and explain the housing turnover multiplier that drags on furniture, appliances, logistics, and retail. Then we break down a four-part playbook companies are using right now—new business models, experience-led stores, AI shopping agents, and intelligent scenario modeling—to decouple growth from home-sale cycles and be ready when demand returns.