Top Agents Optimistic About 2026 Housing Market, but Buyers Still Face Headwinds

Analysts believe that 2026 will be a more active year for housing but say affordability for first-time buyers will remain a challenge.
Top Agents Optimistic About 2026 Housing Market, but Buyers Still Face Headwinds
A home for sale in Alhambra, Calif., on Aug. 28, 2025. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Mary Prenon
Mary Prenon
Freelance Reporter
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The housing market in 2025 was defined by low sales, steadily rising prices, and uneven inventory across regions. Still, most of America’s top-performing real estate agents are optimistic that declining interest rates could revive activity in 2026 and restore a better balance to the market.

Meanwhile, analysts and economists have highlighted the constraints that homebuyers and sellers continue to face.

Top Agent Insights

In its recent “Top Agent Insights: Housing Market Outlook and Predictions for 2026” survey, real estate technology company HomeLight noted that top-ranked agents believe that the housing market has passed its worst point.
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Mary Prenon
Mary Prenon
Freelance Reporter
Mary T. Prenon covers real estate and business. She has been a writer and reporter for over 25 years with various print and broadcast media in New York.