Survey: Home Buyers, Sellers, and Real Estate Agents Make 2026 Housing Market Predictions

Unease About U.S. Economy and Inflation | Buyers, Sellers See a Good Year for the Real Estate Market | Top Challenges for Home Buyers | Top Challenges for Home Sellers | More Focus on Saving Money in 2026 | Strong Agent Expectations for 2026 | Warning Signs for Agents and Brokerages

Even by the standards of the 2020s, 2025 was a tumultuous year in many respects. A year that started with a change in presidential administrations also saw changes in the nation’s real estate market and economy that are still shaking out, from declining mortgage rates to new tariff costs. 

As the calendar flips to 2026, Americans are speaking out about the year ahead. Clever Offers surveyed 500 people who plan to buy or sell a home in 2026, as well as 500 other Americans, to learn more about their housing- and economic-related predictions, worries, and plans for the coming year. 

Clever Offers also checked in with 804 real estate agents, who provided their expert view on the American real estate market and shed light on their expectations for 2026 home buyers and sellers. 

The survey found just 40% of those who plan to buy or sell in 2026 think the U.S. economy is heading in the right direction, with 40% also saying they expect the economy to get worse in 2026, compared to just 27% who foresee improvement. 

Nevertheless, 86% of those planning to buy or sell a home in 2026 think next year will be a good time to do so, slightly more than the percentage of real estate agents who say the same (77% for buying, 75% for selling). 

The consensus is less clear, however, when these groups are asked whether the 2026 market will favor buyers or sellers, how their home sale or purchase will compare to the asking price, and what real estate and financial challenges they expect for the year ahead.

Read on for a deep dive into real estate and economic expectations in 2026, straight from those who will feel much of the impact.

Widespread Unease About the U.S. Economy and Inflation in 2026

At the broadest level, there’s little to look forward to for many Americans when it comes to the economy in the year ahead.

Just 40% of those who plan to buy or sell a home in 2026 believe the U.S. economy is heading in the right direction.

Much of this may stem from their feelings about the Trump administration's priorities. Fewer than half of 2026 home buyers or sellers (48%) believe the federal government is taking the right actions to address economic concerns, while the same number (48%) say they’re falling behind financially under the current administration’s economic policies.

Regardless of who they blame, a near-unanimous 93% of those buying and selling homes in 2026 expect challenges to their financial stability in the year ahead.

On the most fundamental level, this starts with keeping a roof over their heads. About 40% are worried they won't be able to afford their housing payments in 2026 due to the economic climate.

The general cost of living also remains a prominent and persistent concern, as it has for the past half-decade.

Buyers and sellers expect inflation and rising costs to be the top economic issue facing the country in 2026 (33%). Two-thirds of 2026 buyers and sellers (65%) expect inflation to get worse in 2026, as do 77% of other Americans. 

With numbers like these, it should be of little surprise that inflation and the cost of living are what concern respondents the most in 2026 — 82% of those buying or selling homes and 91% of others. 

Trade wars and tariffs are the No. 2 economic issue of 2026. About 19% of buyers and sellers say tariffs will be the top economic issue of 2026, compared to 26% of those who don't plan to buy or sell. 

Almost half of buyers and sellers (43%) expect tariffs and trade war issues to worsen next year, more than twice the number who think the situation will improve (19%).

In addition, although steady stock market gains have fueled rising net worths for many Americans over the past few years, most don’t expect the rally to continue over the next 12 months. 

Fewer than half of 2026 home buyers and sellers (47%) are confident in the stock market in the year ahead. 

The top financial challenges 2026 home buyers and sellers expect to face include:

• Rising inflation (44%)
• Tariffs affecting prices (33%)
• Health care costs (29%)
• Insurance costs (29%)
• Taxes and government policy changes (29%)

2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Expect a Recession and Higher Costs in the Year Ahead, Despite Personal Optimism

Despite the upheaval of 2025 and worries about the coming year, a majority of 2026 home buyers and sellers (51%) say they feel better off financially than they did in 2024.

Even as 40% of buyers and sellers expect the economy to worsen in 2026, 48% predict their personal finances will stay the same. Still, barely 1 in 3 buyers and sellers (36%) expect their own finances to get better, and just over 1 in 4 (27%) think the same for the U.S. economy. 

Also notable is the fact that fewer than one-fourth of 2026 home buyers and sellers (22%) expect the real estate market to improve next year, far below the 47% who expect it to stay the same and the 30% who expect it to worsen. 

A closer look reveals that those buying and selling homes in 2026 are seemingly in a dour mood about the coming year in many other ways, too. 

Almost half of this group (48%) say they have more difficulty affording basic necessities than in 2024, and nearly the same percentage (47%) expect to have more trouble affording them in 2026 than they do now. 

Roughly 1 in 4 of those buying and selling homes (24%) predict groceries and food prices will rise more than other common expense in 2026, far ahead of the next most common category: rent- or mortgage-related costs (15%). 

Overall, more home buyers and sellers expect housing affordability to decrease (39%) in 2026 than to improve (23%). An underrated contributor to this equation may be the cost of home maintenance, which 43% say will worsen in 2026, compared to just 18% predicting improvement. 

Nearly three-quarters of those buying or selling homes (71%) in 2026 also expect utility costs to increase in the year ahead. Additionally, 57% of 2026 buyers or sellers expect prescription and other medical costs to rise next year.

Significant numbers predict even more dire events in the year ahead: 63% of those buying or selling homes in 2026 expect an increase in political violence in the United States, while 55% expect a recession or economic depression. 

A substantial 40% of those who expect to buy or sell a home in 2026 are also bracing for a potential real estate market crash.

Three-Quarters of Home Buyers and Sellers Think 2026 Will Be a Good Year for Buying and Selling

Despite some overall unease about the economy, the housing market appears to be a bright spot for many Americans. 

A majority of those who plan to buy or sell a home (55%) in 2026 expect the price of homes to rise in their local market next year, a noteworthy difference from the 42% of real estate agents who say the same. Meanwhile, 2026 home buyers and sellers are just half as likely to say home prices will fall (16%) compared to real estate agents (30%). 

At the same time, a narrow plurality of 42% of buyers and sellers foresee a buyer’s market in the year ahead. That’s slightly higher than the 34% who predict a seller’s market. Roughly another quarter (23%) expect a relatively balanced market, favoring neither buyers nor sellers.

However, a near-majority of real estate agents (48%) expect a buyer’s market in 2026 — 20 percentage points higher than those predicting a seller’s market (28%) or a balanced market (24%). 

No matter what kind of market may be on the horizon, nearly three-quarters of those buying a home next year (73%) think 2026 will be a good time to buy, while 72% of sellers think it will be a good year to sell a home.

Meanwhile, around three-quarters of real estate agents also believe 2026 will be a good time to buy (77%) and sell (75%) a home. 

That’s not to say 2026 buyers and sellers don’t have some regrets about their timing. Nearly half of sellers (48%) admit they’re concerned about having to sell for significantly less than they would have been able to at the recent peak of their local real estate market. 

For some in fast-growing Sunbelt or Western markets, this may have been as far back as 2022 or 2023, while some areas of the Northeast continue to test new highs well into 2025. 

There’s likely some pent-up demand after a tumultuous last few years in many real estate markets, though. A majority of 2026 buyers (51%) say they put off buying a home in 2024 or 2025 because of concerns about the market. 

Luckily for them, they might find some extra inventory becoming available in 2026. About 42% of 2026 sellers reveal they put off selling a home over the previous two years because of concerns about the market.

Still, a troubling two-thirds of 2026 buyers (66%) are concerned that a potential recession could impact their plans to buy a home in the year ahead.

Sellers and Buyers Split on Asking Price Expectations

Regardless of the price for a given home, buyers and sellers are always seeking to maximize the deal in their favor, whether that’s scoring a discount as a buyer or leveraging multiple offers into a bidding war as a seller. 

Unlike the scorching hot markets of the recent past, a majority of those who will buy a home in 2026 (54%) expect to pay the asking price for their new property. That’s over 3x the percentage who think they’ll pay over asking price (16%). 

What's more, nearly twice as many 2026 buyers think they’ll pay below asking price (30%) as above (16%). That means 84% of next year’s buyers foresee paying the asking price or less on their new home. 

2026 home sellers generally agree, with 61% expecting to sell their properties for asking price. However, the situation is flipped otherwise: 27% of 2026 home sellers believe they’ll sell for more than asking price. That's more than double the 12% who think they’ll sell for less than asking price. 

Over two-thirds of sellers (69%) expect to negotiate multiple offers as part of their selling process. 

2026 Buyers and Sellers Are Twice as Likely to Upgrade to a Larger Home Than Downsize

Home buyers' top motivation for buying in 2026 is to upgrade to a larger space (28%). The same is, unsurprisingly, true for sellers. The largest percentage of sellers (27%) are selling to find a more spacious home.

In contrast, just 1 in 8 sellers (13%) and 1 in 12 buyers (8%) are motivated by a desire to downsize in 2026. 

About 1 in 4 of those buying (22%) or selling (26%) next year are relocating for personal reasons, such as a desire for different weather, to be closer to family, or unhappiness with state and local politics.

Notably, personal relocations are about 4x more common than expected relocations for work or professional reasons for both buyers (5%) and sellers (6%). 

Financially motivated moves are also relatively uncommon, cited by just 10% of buyers and 9% of sellers. 

Home Prices, Availability Among Top Challenges for 2026 Home Buyers

A near-unanimous 98% of those who plan to buy a home in 2026 expect to face challenges in their buying process. Almost half (45%) are encountering these types of challenges for the first time, as this is their first home purchase. 

The top challenges home buyers expect to face in 2026 are:

• Finding the right home (46%)
• Staying in their budget (44%)
• Mortgage interest rates (36%)
• Moving (32%)
• Finding a home in a good neighborhood (28%)
• Saving for a down payment (26%)

Finding the right home is the biggest challenge (46%), a tough task in any type of real estate market or economy. About 1 in 5 buyers are seemingly concerned about finding any home at all, expecting challenges related to low housing inventory (21%) or competing with other buyers (20%). 

However, as a result of soaring home prices over the past five years, nearly half (44%) say they expect to face challenges finding a home within their budget. Specifically, over a quarter (26%) point to saving for a down payment, a difficult challenge amid rising costs for everyday essentials. A similar percentage (24%) think they’ll be challenged by closing costs. 

Another 17% expect issues finding affordable home insurance, an increasingly dire concern in some markets. Nearly three-quarters of those buying a home in 2026 (72%) say the potential cost of homeowners insurance is an important factor, up from 66% who said so last year. 

Property taxes are also a significant concern, with 80% of 2026 buyers saying they’re an important factor when looking at homes.  

Although inflation has come down from recent highs, it remains elevated enough that nearly two-thirds of 2026 home buyers (63%) believe it will impact their ability to buy. Notably, 65% of 2026 sellers also expect inflation to impact their ability to sell their homes. That’s a steep jump from the 54% who said so last year.

Rising Home Prices Could Cause 2 in 3 Buyers to Delay Purchases

Altogether, a whopping 64% of 2026 buyers worry that rising home prices will delay their decision to buy, while 66% are concerned a potential recession could impact their buying plans. With this in mind, it’s little surprise that nearly half of those who plan to buy a home next year (48%) expect to need financial assistance, such as down payment assistance programs, to buy a home.

Meanwhile, over a third of 2026 buyers (36%) foresee challenges from mortgage interest rates. Although they’ve fallen from recent highs, rates remain elevated compared to the rock-bottom rates many locked in during the COVID-19 pandemic or the years following the Great Recession. 

However, for half of 2026 buyers, the rate may be the least of their mortgage-related concerns, as 50% are concerned about even qualifying for a mortgage. Only 41% of buyers said this last year. 

The lack of affordability and other factors has forced some of next year’s home buyers and sellers to consider alternatives they might not have in a different housing market. Nearly two-thirds of 2026 buyers (63%) would be open to buying a fixer-upper, compared to 53% who said the same in 2025.

Two-Thirds of 2026 Home Sellers Would Pull Their Listing If They Couldn’t Get Their Desired Price

Just like buyers, nearly every 2026 home seller (98%) thinks they’ll face challenges selling their home. However, they see far different challenges from those on the opposite side of the transaction.

The top challenges home sellers expect to face in 2026 are:

• Preparing their home for sale (40%)
• Negotiating offers (36%)
• High mortgage rates affecting buyers (35%)
• Moving (35%)
• Pricing their home correctly (31%)
• Finding the right buyer (29%)

Although homes in nearly any condition often sold within just days in the post-COVID market, sellers seem to see that changing in 2026. Half (50%) expect to make significant repairs or renovations before selling their home next year, up from 35% last year. 

Others are just hoping for the best, with 48% of 2026 sellers saying they’d omit mentioning minor needed repairs to make their home seem more appealing to buyers. 

An eye-popping 40% would go even further into ethically, or legally, questionable territory, admitting they would try to cover up issues in their home when a prospective buyer tours it, such as covering a hole or mold, painting over cracks, and more. 

Other top challenges are entirely outside of sellers’ control, such as:

• Competition from newly constructed homes because of increased builder incentives (49%)
• Competing with other homes on the market (24%)
• Low buyer demand (19%)

More broadly, 58% of sellers are concerned about their homes sitting on the market too long, and 68% would even consider pulling their home off the market if they couldn't get their desired price for it.

Sellers Expect Economy and Listing Price to Most Affect Selling Speed

Those who expect to sell their homes in 2026 are relatively divided when it comes to the factor that will most influence selling speed.

Sellers say the top factor that will impact selling speed in 2026 is:

• Overall economic conditions (21%)
• Listing price (18%)
• The property's location (16%)
• Buyer demand (12%)
• The property’s condition (11%)
• Housing supply (9%)
• Marketing and listing exposure (4%) 

The order is flipped when it comes to real estate agents, who most commonly say listing price (32%) is most important, outpacing overall economic conditions (24%) by eight percentage points.

2026 home sellers (16%) are also more than twice as likely as agents (7%) to say their property’s location will be the single most important factor, suggesting the old real estate maxim of “location, location, location” may not be as important in 2026 as it once was. 

Over half of 2026 sellers (52%) expect to offer concessions to buyers, such as covering closing costs or repairs. This has soared 14 percentage points from 2025 sellers (38%), another sign that sellers are recognizing they have less leverage in a potentially weakening market.  

A similar drop in sentiment can be seen in the 69% of 2026 sellers who are confident in their ability to sell their home at their desired price — a 13 percentage point decline from last year (82%). 

Another significant difference between 2025 and 2026 sellers is government policy. Over half (51%) expect tax incentives, property laws, and other similar factors to affect their 2026 sale. That’s nearly double the 26% of 2025 sellers who believed this.

Nearly All 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Are Changing Habits to Save Money in 2026

As Americans continue to adapt to the changing economy, 93% of 2026 home buyers and sellers say they plan to change their habits to save money in the year ahead, whether it’s for their upcoming home purchase, to finance their move, or for other financial goals. 

Buyers and sellers also plan to make these financial changes in 2026: 

• Swap dining out for cooking and eating at home (49%)
• Use more coupons, discounts, or cashback rewards (42%)
• Shop less frequently (36%)
• Reduce non-essential spending (35%)

A significant number 2026 buyers and sellers are using their move itself to save money, with 1 in 5 (20%) saying they expect to save money by moving to a lower-cost area. 

Although Americans may broadly be tightening their belts in 2026, it seems apparent that those who are planning on buying or selling homes in the coming year are also financially secure enough to plan some other big purchases in 2026:

• Car: 31% of 2026 home buyers or sellers, versus 19% of others
• Major home improvement or renovation project: 24% versus 13%
• Major electronics: 25% versus 15%
• Large appliance: 24% versus 14%

Real Estate Agents Look for Mortgage Rate Declines to Power a Strong 2026

Unlike the mixed emotions of those planning to buy or sell a home in 2026, real estate agents have an optimistic eye toward next year. 

A majority of agents (51%) believe 2026 will be better for the real estate market than 2025, and nearly the same number (47%) think it’ll top 2024, as well.

Unfortunately, most don’t expect a return to the heady low-interest, high-demand days of 2020 and 2021, with 44% and 46% saying 2026 will be worse than those years, respectively.

About 42% of agents expect home prices to increase in 2026, with more than 1 in 5 (21%) predicting that prices will rise by at least 5%. In contrast, 30% of agents think prices will come down next year, although only around 1 in 7 (14%) think they’ll see a significant decline of 5% or more. 

Overall, most don’t expect big moves from the market in 2026. Two-thirds of agents surveyed (66%) foresee prices moving less than 5% one direction or another. 

Agents expect 2026 sellers to continue prioritizing their bottom line, with 57% saying sellers will look for the highest sale price rather than a fast sale (35%). 

Naturally, the flip side is true for buyers, with agents expecting 43% of them to prioritize finding an affordable home, more than twice the percentage who said finding a move-in-ready one (19%).

Despite predictions of modestly rising prices, more than half of agents (54%) say they’re optimistic about housing affordability in 2026, likely fueled by the nearly three-quarters (73%) who express optimism about next year’s mortgage rate outlook. 

Agents cite interest rates (39%) more than any other factor when it comes to influencing the 2026 housing market, and over two-thirds (69%) expect mortgage rates to fall in 2026. 

Meanwhile, a quarter of agents (27%) point to overall economic trends, such as a recession or unexpectedly strong growth, as the most influential factor, with other choices far behind. 

Agents Are Overwhelmingly Optimistic About Buyer Demand, Housing Availability, and the Real Estate Industry

One thing real estate agents certainly aren't worried about is buyer demand: 77% say they’re optimistic about it in the year ahead, along with 62% who think first-time home buyers will have more opportunities in 2026. That’s nearly matched by the 76% who say they’re optimistic about housing availability, altogether a recipe for a hot market. 

However, agents broadly don’t expect the volatility that’s characterized some recent years, with 63% saying they expect more stability in the market in 2026. 

These agents see good news not just for buyers and sellers, but also for their own industry. A substantial 80% have an optimistic outlook for real estate agents and brokerages in 2026. Roughly 83% say the same for their personal real estate career, with 81% expressing optimism that real estate will remain a viable full-time career path in 2026.

Despite General Optimism, Over Half of Agents Think They’ll Have More Trouble Closing Deals in 2026 Due to Economic Uncertainty

Despite overall optimism in the year ahead, agents don’t see a universally positive situation for the housing market. Almost all (96%) expect challenges for the market, with economic uncertainty (56%) far ahead of others.

Despite predictions for a decline, about 42% still foresee challenges from high interest rates, followed by:

• Low housing inventory (25%)
• Difficulty finding qualified buyers (25%)
• Changes in government regulations (24%) 

Almost two-thirds (62%) think average days on market will increase, and 53% think they’ll have more trouble closing deals.

More than 1 in 4 agents (28%) even worry the housing market might crash in the year ahead. 

Warning Signs: More Home Buyers and Sellers Considering Not Using an Agent in 2026

There are some significant warning signs for real estate agents among those who expect to buy a home in 2026. Nearly half of that group (47%) is considering buying without a real estate agent. That’s six percentage points higher than last year (41%). 

There’s a similar rise among those considering selling without an agent. Almost half (45%) say so now, while just 33% put themselves in this group last year. 

Agents aren’t oblivious to these changing attitudes: 60% expect competition from alternative selling models, such as iBuyers or for sale by owner, to increase in 2026, while 76% think real estate agents will face more competition from AI, automated platforms, and other technologies in 2026.

It’s worth noting that more than 1 in 5 home buyers (21%) and sellers (23%) in 2026 expect challenges finding the right real estate agent, suggesting those who make the process simple could benefit. 

Agents looking for opportunities to address buyer anxieties should also consider that 20% of buyers foresee challenges negotiating with the seller, and 19% say the same about coordinating a home sale and purchase. 

For sellers, they may do best addressing expected seller challenges in pricing homes correctly (31%), as well as coordinating a home sale and purchase (28%) and dealing with buyer contingencies (27%). 

Post-NAR Settlement, 70% of Home Buyers Still Expect Sellers to Pay Their Agent’s Commission

Although some predicted a major shakeup in the real estate industry following the changes related to the National Association of Realtors settlement in 2024, it doesn’t appear that many buyers have noticed or cared. 

Approximately 70% of 2026 buyers still expect the seller to pay for their agent’s commission, as sellers have in the past. Agents should take note of this when discussing compensation with clients, as only 45% of 2026 sellers say they plan to cover the buyer's agent commission as an incentive.

Almost three-quarters of 2026 buyers (71%) claim they’ll budget for their agent’s commission in case the seller refuses to pay it. However, some may be in for a rude awakening when they realize that, based on the median U.S. home sale price, this cost can top $5,000 to $10,000 or more, on top of other closing costs. 

In any case, 63% of buyers say they plan to negotiate their agent’s commission. However, this is virtually unchanged from the 62% who said so last year, suggesting the NAR settlement hasn’t dramatically changed the process for determining how buyer’s agents are compensated. 

At the end of the day, most agents don’t expect much change in their commission rates in 2026. About two-thirds say that buyer’s agent commission (61%) or seller’s agent commission (65%) won’t go down in their area in 2026.

That doesn’t mean agents expect 2026 to be without shakeups in their industry. Approximately 86% plan to use AI in their business in some capacity in the coming year, including for the following tasks:

• Writing property descriptions and listings (51%)
• Marketing and lead generation (46%)
• Social media content creation and management (45%)
• Market analysis and price predictions (34%)

Methodology

Clever Real Estate conducted a survey of 804 real estate agents, asking them questions concerning their predictions for the real estate market in 2026.  This survey was conducted from Oct. 3 to Oct. 21, 2025.

In addition, Clever Real Estate conducted a survey of 500 Americans with plans to buy and/or sell a home in 2026, as well as 500 Americans with no plan to buy or sell a home in 2026, asking about their real estate and economic expectations for 2026. This survey was conducted from Oct. 2 to Oct. 5, 2025.

About Clever Offers

Clever Offers is a platform that empowers sellers who need to sell quickly or for cash to compare their options and make informed decisions. Clever Offers' free service connects sellers with vetted cash buyers and top local realtors, allowing them to evaluate traditional cash offers alongside options such as cash offers with a second payment upon resale, listing on the MLS for as little as seven days, and standard open-market listings.

More Research From Clever Offers

Articles You May Like

FAQ