65% of agents expect housing market to improve: CNBC Housing Market Survey

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 08, 2026 at 15:47  |  3:24  |  CNBC
Speakers
Diana Olick — CNBC Real Estate Correspondent
Carl Quintanilla — Anchor, CNBC

Summary

CNBC's Diana Olick discusses the latest quarterly CNBC Housing Market Survey, which shows more real estate agents expecting the housing market to improve and a shift toward a balanced market. She also addresses President Trump's proposed executive order to ban large investment firms from buying single-family homes, noting institutional investors are a small share of the rental market and that some large rental owners also build rental communities. The segment highlights cautious optimism for the spring housing market but notes dependence on the economy and interest rates.

  • CNBC Housing Market Survey: 65% of agents expect improvement, up from 48% in Q3.
  • More agents see a balanced market; 92% report at least one seller price cut.
  • Buyers are adapting to lower prices, with fewer leaving or delaying purchases.
  • Spring market described with stabilization, cautious optimism, and pent-up demand.
  • Outlook remains dependent on the economy and interest rates.
  • President's proposed executive order targets large investors buying single-family homes.
  • Institutional investors own about 3% of single-family rentals, concentrated in certain markets.
  • Large rental owners like Invitation Homes and American Homes 4 Rent also build rental communities.
Ideas
Diana Olick CNBC Real Estate Correspondent 0:38
Agents expect housing market improvement, cautious optimism.
CNBC's quarterly housing survey shows 65% of real estate agents expect the housing market to improve in Q4 versus 48% in Q3, with fewer expecting deterioration. More agents describe a balanced market, 92% report at least one seller cutting prices, and buyers are adapting to lower prices with fewer leaving or delaying purchases. Agents characterize the upcoming spring market with stabilization, cautious optimism, and pent-up demand, though the outlook still depends on the economy and interest rates.
ITB MED
Diana Olick CNBC Real Estate Correspondent 3:07
Policy overhang for single-family rental landlords.
The president's potential executive order to ban large investment firms from buying single-family homes creates a regulatory overhang for large single-family rental owners such as Invitation Homes and American Homes 4 Rent. However, Diana Olick notes institutional investors owning more than 1,000 properties make up only about 3% of the single-family rental market—less than half a million of 14 million homes—and these companies also build entire rental communities, so the impact is uncertain and can be viewed either way.
INVH AMH MED
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This CNBC video, published January 08, 2026, features Diana Olick discussing ITB, INVH, AMH. 2 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Diana Olick  · Tickers: ITB, INVH, AMH