M
arket Sentiment Shifts as Spring Selling Season Surpasses Expectations
A recent survey of real estate agents reveals a surprising resilience in the existing home sales recovery, with nearly half of respondents indicating that the spring selling season is stronger than anticipated. This shift in market dynamics is attributed to buyers gaining more negotiating power and sellers becoming increasingly flexible on pricing and concessions.
According to Tamir Poleg, Chairman and CEO of Real, "While economic uncertainty looms large, our agents are witnessing a clear adjustment in buyer and seller behavior. Buyers now have more leverage, and sellers are adapting by offering concessions or pricing homes competitively."
Key findings from the survey include:
* Transaction growth rebounded slightly in March, with the Transaction Growth Index rising to 50.2.
* Agent optimism remains high, with 70.4% of agents reporting a positive outlook on their local market over the next 12 months.
* For the first time since the survey's inception, more agents described their market as a buyer's market (35%) than a seller's market (32%).
Buyer power is overtaking seller power for the first time in the survey's history. This shift reflects growing inventory levels and sellers adjusting pricing expectations.
Affordability remains the biggest challenge facing buyers, cited by nearly half of agents (48%). However, economic uncertainty is rising sharply, with 21% of agents pointing to it as the primary obstacle for buyers.
The spring selling season has outperformed expectations, with 45% of agents reporting stronger-than-anticipated activity. Economic uncertainty is influencing buyer and seller decisions, with one in four agents observing a significant impact on client behavior.
Buyers are becoming more price-sensitive, with 37% of agents noting an increase in requests for seller concessions and 34% observing reduced budgets or greater price sensitivity.
Sellers are growing more flexible, but divided on timing to list. While 41% of agents reported sellers offering concessions or pricing homes competitively, many remain uncertain about when to list due to market conditions.
The Real Brokerage March 2025 Agent Survey included responses from approximately 500 real estate agents across the United States and Canada. The survey was conducted between March 31, 2025, and April 8, 2025.
