Land Use Efficiency and Housing Affordability: Why Local Policy Matters to Real Estate

Real estate agents and brokers spend their careers working inside the housing market, yet too often we are left out of the local conversations that shape it. One of the biggest drivers of housing affordability and housing supply is not a headline issue at all. It is local land use policy.

My interest in land use efficiency is not theoretical. I spent many years as Chairman of the Town of Cicero, New York Planning Board, where I was directly involved in zoning discussions, development reviews, and long-range planning decisions that shaped local housing outcomes. That experience reinforced a simple truth: local land use decisions affect inventory, pricing, and neighborhood stability in ways the public often does not see until it shows up in higher costs and fewer choices.

What Is Land Use Efficiency

Land use efficiency is a practical idea: using land wisely so communities can grow without unnecessary barriers that inflate costs. It includes reasonable zoning, predictable approvals, and aligning infrastructure with housing demand. When land use policy is efficient, builders can build, buyers have more options, and communities can plan responsibly.

Why This Matters in Everyday Real Estate

When land use policy becomes overly restrictive or the approval process becomes unpredictable, the results are predictable too:

• Tighter housing supply
• Higher prices and higher rents
• Fewer options for first-time buyers and workforce households
• Move-up and downsizing bottlenecks for existing homeowners
• More pressure on aging housing stock

Agents and brokers see this daily in showings, offers, inspections, and negotiations. This is exactly why land use efficiency should be on every real estate professional’s radar.

A Practical Resource to Share With Local Officials

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) created an easy-to-understand explainer on land use efficiency designed for non-industry audiences. It is especially useful for local decision-makers and community leaders, including:

• Planning and zoning board members
• Town and city council members
• County legislators
• Economic development leaders
• Local staff involved in permits and development review

If you have ever wished that local housing discussions could move from general opinion to practical outcomes, this is a helpful tool to bring to the table.

Watch the Video

The short video below explains land use efficiency in plain language and is a good conversation starter for anyone involved in local housing policy.

Video and land use efficiency framework courtesy of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). This article reflects the author’s independent commentary and professional experience and is not an official NAHB publication.

From Voting to Ongoing Engagement

In an earlier post, we encouraged real estate professionals to get involved and vote on local issues that impact housing and community development. That remains essential. But engagement does not stop on Election Day.

One practical next step is sharing credible, easy-to-understand information that helps decision-makers connect land use choices to real housing outcomes. This is where land use efficiency becomes a useful framework. It helps communities talk about growth, affordability, and neighborhood character with more clarity and less heat.

A Simple Call to Action for Agents and Brokers

If you work in real estate, you already understand how local policy affects buyers, sellers, and renters. Here are a few easy ways to use this resource:

• Email the NAHB video link to a planning board or zoning board member with a brief note
• Share it with a town or city council member ahead of a housing discussion
• Reference it during public comment at a planning or zoning meeting
• Post it within your professional network to encourage informed discussion

Real estate professionals have valuable, experience-based perspectives. When paired with clear educational tools like this one, those perspectives can help local leaders make better housing decisions.

Housing outcomes are local, and effective engagement should be local too.