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📊 Every Friday at 6 AM
The Friday Rate Sheet
The rates + the scripts + the texts. Every Friday.
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#2 · FEBRUARY 27, 2026
Every major outlet is running the same headline today: "Rates break below 6%." Your clients are going to see it. The question is whether they hear from you first or from someone else.
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This Week's Numbers
Source: Freddie Mac PMMS® · Week ending 2/25/2026
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30-Year Mortgage Rate
5.98% ↓ first time below 6% since Sept 2022
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What that means on a $400K loan
~$2,393/mo ~$204/mo less than a year ago
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10-Year Treasury (CNBC)
4.03% near 3-month low
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Savings vs. one year ago ($400K loan)
~$2,448/yr that's a car payment
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⚠️ Next big rate mover: February Jobs Report, Friday, March 6
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Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), week ending 2/25/2026. Rates shown are national weekly averages for a conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and do not represent a personal rate quote or offer to lend. Payment example assumes a $400,000 loan amount, 30-year fixed term, 20% down payment, and does not include taxes, insurance, or PMI. Your actual rate, payment, and costs may vary based on your financial profile. Rate ≠ APR.
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Your Scripts & Texts for This Week
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🗣️ For Calls & Meetings
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What to Say to a Buyer
"[Name], have you been watching the news today? Every outlet is running the same story: mortgage rates just broke below 6% for the first time since 2022. That's going to bring a wave of people back into the market. Here's what I'd be thinking about if I were you. Right now, before that wave shows up, sellers are still flexible. You've got room to ask for closing costs, repairs, price reductions. Once the spring rush hits, that goes away. The rate is the headline, but the real advantage is the timing."
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What to Say to a Seller
"[Name], I want to walk you through what's about to happen in the market. Rates dropped below 6% this week. That's all over the news. Every buyer who's been sitting on the sidelines for the past year is getting a reason to come back. But here's the part most people miss: every seller is seeing the same news. In two or three weeks, you're going to see a wave of new listings. The sellers who are already on the market when those buyers come back are the ones who get multiple offers. The ones who wait end up competing against more inventory. The window to list first is right now."
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📱 Copy-Paste Texts: Tap, Copy, Send
Buyer Nudge (active buyers)
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Have you looked at your phone today? Rates below 6% is everywhere. Your competition just got bigger. Call me when you have 5 min and I'll tell you exactly what this means for the places you've been looking at.
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Buyer Sphere (quiet/past leads)
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Random question. If I could show you that buying right now would cost you $200/mo less than it would have last year, would that change anything for you? Not trying to sell you. Just saw the numbers this morning and a few people came to mind.
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Seller Nudge (listing prospects)
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I'm watching three homes in your neighborhood right now. Two listed this month. One is still "thinking about it." The two that listed are getting showings. The one that waited is going to list into a more crowded market. Just something to think about. I'm around if you want to talk through timing.
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Seller Sphere (past clients)
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Hey [name]! Two things I thought you should know. One: rates just broke below 6% so buyer activity is picking up fast. Two: I ran comps on your street this week and your equity has probably grown more than you think. Want me to send you the numbers?
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Client Forward Block
Copy the section below and forward it to a buyer or seller who needs this week's update. No jargon, no industry-speak, just the facts they care about.
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Market Update, February 27, 2026
You're going to see a lot of headlines today about mortgage rates dropping below 6%. Here's what that actually means for you.
The average 30-year rate is now 5.98%, the lowest since September 2022. On a $400K home, that works out to roughly $2,393 per month. A year ago the same loan would have cost you about $2,597 per month. That difference adds up to around $2,400 a year.
There's a jobs report coming out next Friday (March 6) that could move rates in either direction. Nobody knows where things go from here. But right now, the combination of lower rates, more homes on the market, and sellers who are still willing to negotiate is about as good as the setup gets.
If you've been waiting for a sign, this is probably it. Hit reply and I'll connect you with my team.
Rates shown are national averages from the Freddie Mac PMMS® for the week ending 2/25/2026 and are not an offer to lend. Your actual rate and payment may vary. Cole Brantley, NMLS# 1905939. Mpire Financial, NMLS# 2108504. Equal Housing Lender.
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🤖 AI Tip of the Week
Show Claude a screenshot and let it solve the problem
Most people don't know this, but you can paste or upload a screenshot directly into Claude and ask it for help. Stuck on a CRM issue? Screenshot it. Confused by a lender's rate sheet? Screenshot it. Not sure how to set up a filter in your email? Screenshot it.
Claude can read what's on your screen and walk you through what to do next, step by step. It's like having a tech-savvy assistant sitting next to you. No more Googling for 20 minutes or waiting on hold with support.
Try it: take a screenshot of something that's been bugging you, paste it into Claude, and type "What am I looking at and how do I fix this?"
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What Moved Rates This Week
The context behind the numbers, for agents who want to go deeper.
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The big story. Three major things happened on the same day last Friday (Feb 20), and all of them pushed rates lower.
1. The Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court said the President can't use IEEPA (an emergency powers law) to impose tariffs. That wiped out most of the tariffs from the past year. Markets got volatile. Investors moved money into bonds for safety, which pushed bond rates (and mortgage rates) down. Trump responded the same day by imposing a new 10% global tariff under a different law, later raised to 15%. That added uncertainty, which kept money flowing into bonds.
2. The inflation report came in hot. The Fed's preferred inflation measure (PCE) hit 3.0% year-over-year, higher than the 2.9% forecast. Normally that would push rates up. But the growth data that came out at the same time told a different story.
3. Economic growth slowed sharply. Q4 GDP came in at just 1.4%, well below the 2.8% forecast and way down from Q3's 4.4%. A big chunk of that was the government shutdown dragging things down. But the bond market focused on the weakness, not the excuse.
What's next? The February jobs report drops Friday, March 6. If hiring looks weak, rates could keep falling. If it comes in strong, expect a bounce back. The next Fed meeting is March 17-18, but markets are still pricing in almost zero chance they cut rates.
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What This Means for Buyers & Sellers
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The refi wave is already here. Refinance applications are up 150% year over year. That tells you something: homeowners with rates in the high 6s and 7s are already moving. If you have past clients who bought in 2023 or 2024, this is a good reason to reach out. A quick rate check costs them nothing and reminds them you're still paying attention.
The "5-handle" is a psychological trigger. Freddie Mac's chief economist said this rate will bring more buyers into the spring market. Zillow's economist said the same thing: round numbers matter. The headline alone will pull people off the sidelines. For buyers, that means more competition is coming, not less. For sellers, it means the audience for your listing just got bigger.
Tariffs still matter for housing costs. The IEEPA tariffs on lumber, cabinets, and building materials got struck down, which could ease pressure on new construction costs. But the new 15% global tariff under Section 122 is temporary (150 days) and already being challenged. Builders are watching closely. If you're working with clients looking at new builds, pricing could shift in either direction over the next few months.
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How to Refer a Client to Me
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Have a client who needs financing? Here's exactly what happens.
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Step 1
Reach out to me first. Text, email, or call me with the client's info and any notes about their situation. The more context upfront, the better I can serve them.
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Step 2
Introduce me in a 3-way text. A group text with you, me, and the client. Something like: "Hey [name], this is Cole Brantley, the mortgage broker I told you about. He's going to reach out to set up a time to talk through your options."
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Step 3
I take it from there. I reach out to the client 7 times over the next 4 days with a mix of phone calls and text messages to set a consultation. After every conversation, I send you a recap of where things stand and what the next steps are.
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Step 4
No one gets forgotten. If the client doesn't respond after the first week, they move into a biweekly follow-up cadence from my call center team. No lead gets dropped.
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Lower-intent client? Just note it in your initial referral and my team follows up on whatever cadence you want.
I specialize in: Purchase | Refinance | VA/FHA | New Construction | Builders | Investors | First-Time Buyers
Cole Brantley | 813-579-8812 | [email protected] | ColeBrantley.com
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That's the Sheet
See you next Friday.
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If you only do one thing this weekend: send the "below 6%" headline to three clients who've gone quiet. You don't need a pitch. The headline does the work. Just forward it with "saw this and thought of you." That's it.
Know an agent who could use a Friday cheat sheet? Forward this or share: ColeBrantley.com
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Cole Brantley | Loan Officer | NMLS# 1905939
Mpire Financial | NMLS# 2108504
189 S Orange Ave #2020, Orlando, FL 32801
Rates referenced in this newsletter are sourced from the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) and represent national weekly averages. They are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to lend, a loan commitment, or a guarantee of any specific rate. Your actual rate, terms, and monthly payment will depend on your individual financial profile, including credit score, down payment, loan type, property type, and other factors.
Payment examples in this newsletter are estimates based on a $400,000 loan amount at a 30-year fixed rate with 20% down payment. They do not include property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, or private mortgage insurance (PMI), which would increase the total monthly obligation. Rate does not equal Annual Percentage Rate (APR). APR reflects the total cost of borrowing including certain fees.
This newsletter is intended for real estate professionals and is not directed at consumers. All loan programs are subject to credit approval and property appraisal. Not all applicants will qualify. Programs, rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice.
Verify licensing information at nmlsconsumeraccess.org
Equal Housing Lender
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