Surveyed Real agents bet on busier spring despite soft winter sales
A winter slowdown did not seem to dent optimism among agents at The Real Brokerage, who expect this year’s spring selling season to beat last year’s even as recent data showed a fragile recovery in US home sales.
In its February 2026 Monthly Agent Survey, Real found that 73% of participating agents expect a stronger spring than in 2025, including 36% who anticipate a “significantly stronger” market, citing pent‑up demand from sidelined buyers.
The firm’s Agent Optimism Index came in at 70.3, comfortably above the 50 mark that signaled a positive 12‑month outlook, even though its Transaction Growth Index slipped to 48.1 as many agents reported fewer deals than a year earlier.
“Our February survey shows a decoupling between current market challenges and forward expectations,” said Tamir Poleg, chairman and CEO of Real.
“While the broader macroeconomic uncertainty persists, our agents are not in a 'wait‑and‑see' mode. They are proactively leaning into AI to gain a competitive edge, while signaling confidence in a strong 2026 spring selling season.”
Agents lean into optimism despite weak start
Roughly 45% of respondents describe their local markets as favoring buyers, up from 40% in January. Only 21% said sellers hold the upper hand and 34% report balanced conditions.
Affordability remains the top headwind, cited by 41% of agents, although that share ticked lower from January as some buyers benefit from marginally improved mortgage‑rate and price conditions.
The survey came out as national data showed a mixed picture. Existing‑home sales rose in December on lower mortgage rates, then fell again in January. Overall activity stayed near multi‑decade lows, even though inventory and affordability improved slightly in some markets.
AI tools moved from experiment to necessity
Real’s February results also highlighted the speed of AI adoption on the front lines. Eighty‑six percent of agents reported using AI tools, with 59% “actively increasing usage” in response to recent headlines about automation.
Only 9% reported no change in their workflows, suggesting AI has moved from experimental add‑on to core business support for many.
Despite recent equity‑market swings and high‑profile layoff announcements in tech and other sectors, half of surveyed agents said those developments have not meaningfully changed client behavior.
Another 25% heard more questions from buyers and sellers but still saw transactions proceed, while 15% observed clients becoming more cautious and 10% said such worries were not a factor in their markets.
Economic uncertainty still weighs on buyers
By contrast, broader economic anxiety appears to be a more powerful brake. Seventy‑six percent of agents said clients delayed home‑buying or selling decisions because of general economic or job‑security concerns, with 30% saying such delays occurred frequently.
Similarly, according to a Redfin‑commissioned Ipsos survey of 1,005 US residents conducted March 5–6, one‑quarter of Americans reported canceling or delaying a major purchase such as a home or car because of the Iran war.
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