If the last two years of the housing market were a movie, they’d be a gritty survival drama where the protagonist spends 90 minutes eating tree bark. We’ve been staring at 35-year lows in home sales, leaving many of us wondering if "Sold" signs were becoming historical artifacts. However, according to the latest data from Zillow, the industry is finally trading its apocalypse gear for something that resembles it. Most agents surveyed expect transaction volumes to climb over the next twelve months. It turns out that when you hit rock bottom, the only way left to look is up, preferably at a house with a reasonable interest rate.
For a long time, sellers held all the cards, the table, and probably the house keys too. But the tide has officially turned as Zillow’s latest sentiment survey shows that over half of agents now see a buyer's market, a massive flip from the seller-dominated chaos we saw in early 2025. Real’s monthly index backs this up, noting that buyers finally have the upper hand. Economists are calling for a "healthier state" where price stability actually exists. Basically, sellers are finally realizing they can't list a fixer-upper for the price of a small island and expect a bidding war by Tuesday.
The phrase "improved affordability" usually feels like a cruel joke, but the math is actually starting to back it up. Analysts suggest that the average household has gained significantly more buying power compared to last year. It’s not exactly "winning the lottery" money, but it’s enough to get people off the sidelines. In the Real survey, nearly three-quarters of agents expect this spring to beat out 2025. Even with market activity sitting just below the threshold for true expansion, the majority of agents say they feel better today than they did last month.
Just as things start looking bright, the world reminds us why we can't have nice things. While affordability remains the biggest hurdle, economic and geopolitical uncertainty is keeping up fast. Between concerns over oil prices and general job security, agents have seen clients pull the "let's just wait and see" card. It’s hard to commit to a 30-year mortgage when the morning news feels like a season finale of a disaster show.
If you thought agents were worried about AI stealing their jobs, think again. Most of them are too busy using it to write listing descriptions. An overwhelming 86% of agents in the Real survey reported using AI tools, with many actively increasing their usage to stay ahead of the "disruption" headlines. While some clients are starting to ask questions about how AI impacts the market, half of the agents surveyed say it hasn't even come up in conversation yet.
