Any shifts or emerging trends in the market—how many home shoppers show up to an open house, how long negotiations take or how long a listing stays on market—are first experienced by agents on the front lines of U.S. real estate transactions, and a new survey shows practitioners on the ground are feeling a renewed sense of energy heading into the summer market.
That’s according to Zillow’s Q1 2026 Agent Sentiment Survey, a quarterly read of residential agents’ expectations for transactions, prices and market conditions. Confidence in the short-term trajectory rose sharply in the first three months of 2026—a signal that agents are seeing reasons for optimism even amid broader economic uncertainty.
Agent optimism about near-term activity rebounds sharply
After a cautious fourth quarter, agents entered 2026 with conviction about where things were heading.
About half of agents (51%) said they expect an increase in home transactions over the next 30 days—a significant jump from 32% last quarter and a return to the levels seen at the start of 2025. Looking further out, 62% of agents expect transaction volume to increase over the next 12 months, unchanged from Q4.
Price expectations tell a similar story. About 3 in 5 agents anticipate home prices will rise over the next year, while only about 1 in 5 expect declines. In the near term, the mood has been measured but stable—42% of agents expect prices to remain more or less flat over the next 30 days, with only 18% anticipating a dip, according to the survey.
Taken together, the data points to a market where agents are increasingly willing to call a bottom and bet on what comes next, Zillow says.
The market continues to favor buyers—and agents see that trend holding
For the second consecutive quarter, more agents described the market as favoring buyers than sellers. In Q1, 49% of agents described their local market as favorable for buyers, compared to 35% who said it favored sellers. That marks a meaningful reversal from a year ago, when sellers held the edge: 47% of agents said sellers had the advantage in Q1 2025, compared to 42% who said buyers did.
That balance appears to be settling in. The share of agents describing a sellers market has held at 35% for two straight quarters now, suggesting this isn’t a blip.
For buyers who have been waiting out years of limited inventory and compressed competition, Zillow notes that steady signal from agents on the ground is meaningful.
Zillow’s Agent Sentiment Survey is a monthly survey of 300–450 real estate agents that’s reported on a quarterly basis. Results are representative of the population of U.S. adults with nonzero income who identify their primary occupation as real estate brokers and sales agents. To read the full survey, click here.
