FHFA's Bill Pulte shakes up agency with social media push

Bill Pulte, the newly appointed Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), has adopted a highly visible social media strategy in his first weekend in office, signaling a departure from traditional agency communication.

This approach, characterized by frequent updates on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), aligns with the communication style of President Trump, who appointed him. It contrasts sharply with his predecessor, Sandra Thompson, who maintained a low profile on social media during her tenure.

Since his confirmation on Thursday, Pulte has used X to document his activities, including references to meetings and planned agendas.

On his first full day, Pulte solicited public feedback on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac via X.. 

He posted, "If you have any ideas on what Fannie or Freddie could be doing better, please let me know in the replies. All feedback is welcome. ALL!" 

Pulte also reported having 'good conversations' with the CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, stating that fraud prevention would be a key priority for the GSEs and the Federal Home Loan Bank system.

Prior to his first full day, Pulte noted that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae had been underperforming, while also pointing out that both employed a combined workforce of 15,000. Over the weekend, he acknowledged the contributions of employees.

He posted, 'There are some really great people inside of these businesses, and the good news for them is there is a lot of upward mobility, to earn and grow MORE!' In a separate post, he mentioned 'tremendous opportunities' for high-performing employees. 

Prior to his appointment, Pulte was an active social media user. According to a Rolling Stone article, he deleted over 24,000 posts on X in November. As an investor in the platform, he has previously engaged with retail investors during the 2021 'meme stock' events involving companies like GameStop and Bed Bath & Beyond. This deletion could indicate a desire for a fresh start in his new role.

While discussing necessary changes at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Pulte did not address privatization plans. Although calls for ending their conservatorship increased after President Trump's election, many industry analysts now anticipate this as a future, rather than immediate, policy shift.

In his confirmation hearing before the Senate in February, Pulte said that a conservatorship exit should be done carefully to avoid putting upward pressure on mortgage rates. 

Ed Groshans, senior policy analyst at Compass Point Research and Trading, stated in a March 14th note, 'The conclusion from the totality of Pulte's comments are the GSEs should not be in conservatorship forever but taking any action to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is not a Trump administration priority and will not be rushed.' Groshans estimates an over 80% likelihood of the GSEs eventually exiting conservatorship."

Industry groups, such as Community Home Lenders of America, have expressed interest in the possibility of privatization.

"We look forward to working with him on issues like preserving a broad base of GSE lenders, which benefits consumers, and taking Fannie and Freddie out of conservatorship in an orderly way," said Scott Olson, executive director of Community Home Lenders of America in a statement following Pulte's confirmation.

Any release would require Pulte to strike a balance to ensure Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac activity would still meet their mandates to provide liquidity and affordability for the housing system, while also encouraging market development, especially in the multifamily segment, the CRE Finance Council said. 

"Even under conservatorship, or even not under conservatorship, it is kind of closely tied to the government, and you don't necessarily want to crowd out private capital there too," said David McCarthy, CREFC's managing director and chief lobbyist and head of legislative affairs.