4 key trends shaping consumer demand

According to Zonda's building products expert Todd Tomalak, higher prices are on the way. And it's about more than just tariffs. "We think the industry should be prepared for an increase of about 9.3% to 'sticks and bricks,' taking into account not only direct costs from tariffs, but also baseline inflation and knock-on costs from domestic manufacturers," he says. "With that, we looked at trends that we believe will impact U.S. consumers, what compromises they'll consider and ultimately what we think consumers will buy in 2025."