The HousingWire Pulse Survey for Q4 2024 provides valuable insights into the current state of the real estate market from various perspectives: brokerage leaders, mortgage professionals, and real estate agents.

The quarterly survey gathered responses from three groups: real estate brokerage leaders, real estate agents and appraisers, and mortgage professionals. This diversity allows for a comprehensive understanding of the market dynamics.

Respondent demographics

• Real estate brokerage leaders: The majority of responses were from individuals in leadership roles, including brokers and team leaders.
• Mortgage professionals: Lenders primarily consisted of loan originators and mortgage brokers, providing a perspective on financing.
• Real estate agents: Real estate agents provided insights based on their direct interactions with buyers and sellers.

Home sales outlook

The outlook for home sales shows a mixture of optimism and caution among respondents across all groups.

Home price predictions

The expectation for home prices reflects a more conservative outlook.

Interest rate projections

Interest rates are a significant concern for all respondents, but, according to the survey, the outlook reflects a consensus on potential mortgage rate declines.

Overall Market Sentiment

The overall sentiment towards the housing market remains cautiously optimistic, with most respondents expressing neutral to optimistic views.

Regional analysis

Geographically, responses varied, with the Southeast being the most represented region among brokerage leaders and lenders, followed by the Northeast and Midwest.

Challenges facing the industry

The challenges identified by respondents highlight several areas of concern.

Brokerage Leaders

1. Increasing per-agent production: 26% highlighted this as a significant challenge.
2. Training agents on new business practices: 16% noted this as a concern.
3. Reducing operational expenses: 11% identified this as an ongoing challenge.

Lenders

1. Loans falling through: 11% cited this as a primary issue.
2. Lender stability: 8% expressed concerns here.
3. Lead generation: 13% highlighted challenges in generating leads.

Agents

1. Low inventory: 37% of agents identified low inventory as their biggest challenge.
2. Getting listings: 22% indicated difficulty in securing listings.
3. Business planning: 2% mentioned challenges in planning their business.

While expectations for home sales remain positive, the outlook on home prices shows a more reserved stance, suggesting that stakeholders are preparing for a stabilized housing market. The overwhelming anticipation of declining interest rates offers a glimmer of hope for buyers and sellers..

Looking ahead, it is essential for industry leaders to foster collaboration, share best practices, and adapt to the shifting market dynamics, particularly in the new post-NAR settlement real estate market.

HousingWire Pulse is a quarterly, forward-looking housing market and industry trend survey that focuses on the real estate and mortgage industries. The Q4 2024 survey had 602 respondents, 56% in the real estate industry and 44% in the mortgage industry.