For the past nine years in a row, the lament among residential real estate brokers was unanimous: There’s not enough inventory. Now, the larger problem is that many cannot afford the inventory.
While concerns over housing affordability are on the rise, brokers are also seeing a return to a more balanced market, according to the findings of RISMedia’s 2026 Power Broker Report. In addition to ranking the Top 1,000 U.S. brokerage firms by 2025 sales volume, the 38th annual survey of the nation’s top brokerages offers exclusive insights on forward-looking broker sentiment and business strategies, serving as an important barometer for the year ahead.
Affordability challenges persist
The results of RISMedia’s 38th Annual Power Broker Survey underscore the impact of escalating prices on the housing market in 2025. While year-over-year transactions for the Top 1,000 Power Brokers remained flat at 3.6 million, collective sales volume for 2025 was more than $100 billion higher than 2024, with the average sales price rising by more than $20,000 year-over-year.
A mostly positive outlook—for now
Two important—and somewhat paradoxical—shifts were revealed in this year’s Power Broker Report. While the Top 1,000 Power Brokers ranked affordability as the biggest challenge to business—trumping lack of inventory for the first time in nine years—the majority of respondents (51%) also described current market conditions as “balanced/healthy.” This is a marked change from the past three years where most Power Brokers described their markets as “challenged.” Important to note, however, RISMedia’s 2026 Power Broker Survey was distributed throughout January and February, prior to the war in Iran.
The gameplan for growth
According to this year’s Power Broker Report, the Top 1,000 brokerage firms are increasingly acquisitive, with more respondents planning to open/acquire new offices compared to last year. The top area of resource spending, however, reflects brokers’ steadfast focus on agents, with recruiting and retention, followed by training, taking the No.1 and No. 2 spots for nine consecutive years now.
Results based on the Top 1,000 respondents to RISMedia’s 2026 Power Broker Survey. Stay tuned to RISMedia for further findings and analysis from the 2026 Power Broker Report.
