Real Estate Market Balancing Out: Agent Insights
Housing Market Shifts Toward Balance in Early 2026
The U.S. housing market remains sluggish at the start of 2026, but real estate agents report a growing sense of balance, according to the CNBC housing Market Survey. While a notable surge hasn’t materialized, conditions are shifting away from a strong buyerS market.
Mortgage rates remained relatively stable in the fourth quarter of 2025, fluctuating between 6.2% and 6.4% after a sharp decline in the third quarter. This stability hasn’t spurred a rush of buyers.
However, early indicators suggest potential for increased activity.
“The buyers I have seen have been buying as of life circumstances, whether its having a baby or moving for a job or retiring or downsizing,” said Ashley Rummage, a real estate agent in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The CNBC survey revealed that 37.5% of real estate agents described the market as balanced in the fourth quarter of 2025,compared to 30% in the third quarter. This shift coincides with declining consumer confidence amid rising job losses.
“The people who had been moving and the momentum that we had were definitely slowed down, far, far less by interest rates than the intrinsic factors, the cost of living,” said Heather De