Inventory is back to normal and mortgage rates are forecast between 5.75% and 6.75%, shaping a steadier housing market in 2026.

That's among U.S. real estate agents surveyed by ResiClub and Zoodealio—and the share is even higher among agents based in the West (90%).

The CNBC Housing Market Survey asks U.S. real estate agents about local market conditions and consumer sentiment. In the final quarter of 2025, respondents saw prices remaining flat or falling in many parts of the country.

The U.S. housing market is expected to show modest improvement in 2026, with mortgage rates dropping slightly and home sales increasing 2%.

With high home prices and mortgage rates, renters and homeowners still won’t have much mobility in the new year.

Buffalo, New York was dethroned after two years as the hottest housing market in the U.S., a status backed by strong home prices and high demand.

Apollo Global Management’s chief economist, Torsten Slok, says the U.S. housing market is beginning to show clearer signs of price pressure as underlying fundamentals shift.

A new analysis from ATTOM, the Q3 2025 U.S. Housing Risk Report, identifies the county-level housing markets most vulnerable to downturns in the third quarter of 2025, highlighting persistent affordability pressures,