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 ImagesThe 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 InsightsIn its recent “Top Agent Insights: Housing Market Outlook and Predictions for 2026” survey, real estate technology company HomeLight noted that top-ranked agents believe the housing market has passed its worst point.