Today's Market News:
At Last: The Return of the Balanced Market
CNBC's latest Housing Market Survey included some positive news: after years of challenges, agents are seeing more balance in their markets.
44% of real estate agents who responded to the survey said they were seeing a balanced market between buyers and sellers during the second quarter of 2026. This share is up 30% from Housing Market survey results for the third quarter of 2025.
Home sales in May were up slightly as prices eased and inventory increased. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), sales were 3% higher than in May 2025.
Agents have commented that sellers are becoming more realistic when pricing their homes in line with market prices in their area. A Florida agent explained her philosophy: "I always tell sellers that I'm in the business of selling homes, not storing them."
The CNBC Housing Market Survey is a national inquiry of real estate agents selected randomly across the United States. Responses to this survey were collected from 53 agents between June 23rd and June 30th, 2026.1
Kelley Blue Book Enters the Home Valuation Market
After a century of making vehicle pricing accessible to consumers, Kelley Blue Book (KBB) has launched Kelley Blue Book (KBB) Homes, a residential valuation and seller lead platform similar to Zillow and Realtor.com.
The platform is currently live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. It will begin distributing leads to agents on August 1st, 2026.
Homeowners planning to sell can submit their property details on the KBB Homes platform. Within 24 hours, they'll receive a report with a low-to-high estimated value range. The company is targeting accuracy within 3% of the final sale price.
In early test markets, 17% of homeowners who received a report listed their property on the MLS within 90 days, although it's too early to report the sale prices of these homes. Verified Agent applications open this week, with placement tied to performance metrics including sales volume, days on market, and sale-to-list ratio.
Agent commissions will be different than Zillow's model, which charges agents up to 40% of their commission on referred leads, while KBB Homes operates on a subscription.2
Warm Up to Your Community During Hot Days
The current summer weather is making headlines as the El Niño climate pattern continues to heat up the nation. Here are some ways to help your community stay safe and hydrated.
Host a half-day cooling station with a local cafe, bistro or ice cream shop. Offer to cover the cost — either partially or completely — of certain cold drinks. Ideally, you'll be present to hand out premium items and introduce yourself. Be sure to mention the event on your social media.
Add local "splash zones" to your social media. Create and share a digital guide or printable map with details of nearby public pools and splash pads. Depending on your territory, you can also mention lakes and/or rivers with inflatable swim lines or safety buoys that keep boats away from swimmers.
Distribute emergency water supplies. If you're in an area with a heat advisory, volunteer to help distribute chilled, bottled water. These can go to construction crews, landscapers, or kids at community parks.
If you're not able to devote the time required for these, consider ordering personalized bottles of water to keep handy — and cold — all summer. You can keep a few available at your next Open House or any other event.3
Stale Listings Aren't What They Used to Be
You may be working with buyers who assume that if a listing's been active for a month or two, there must be something wrong with it. Or you may be working with a seller who's anxious as their property's been on the market for longer than they expected. Here are some facts to consider and share with clients.
This year's market is vastly different from the hyperactive market we experienced during 2020-2023. Higher interest rates are keeping some, but not all, would-be buyers on the sidelines. And while some sellers are accepting today's prices, quite a few are still insisting on starting out with a too-high price.
One way to assist buyers? Suggest they search for the oldest listings that match their "must haves". Sellers of these homes may be ready to negotiate. A Realtor.com study found that once a property has been on the market for four weeks, the seller begins to lose their negotiating power. Some, but not all, will be able to pull their listings...so you may be able to negotiate a deal that a buyer will appreciate enough to send referrals your way.
When assisting sellers whose listings have gone stale, explain how buyers often search for potential homes by the maximum price they can pay, and how a small price reduction on their part may help. For example, a home priced at $300,000 will end up in more buyer searches if the seller adjusts the price to $297,000.4
TikTok: More Than Dance Moves
Gen Z and Millennial home buyers who are researching the market are increasingly using platforms like TikTok to find information about potential neighborhoods, properties and agents.
If you're thinking about opening a TikTok account but you're not sure what to post, relax — the video topics that earned positive feedback on your existing social media will also work on TikTok. Share your expertise and explain home buying basics.
You can encourage more viewers by thinking like a search engine. Adding phrases that mention your territory and any specialties work well, such as "moving to Houston" or "condos in New Jersey".
If you're still looking for inspiration, check out Atlanta agent Glennda Baker's TikTok presence. She currently has over 800,000 followers, and her variety of posts have earned her over 17 million Likes.5
Sources: 1nationalmortgageprofessional.com, 2redfin.com, 3nar.realtor, 4redfin.com, 5redfin.com.
Recent Comments