Next year should be a plentiful one, if the results of a recent RE/MAX survey are any indication.
In a poll of 1,000 men and women between 18 and 65, it was found that nearly nine in 10 plan to buy a home in 2026. More than seven in 10 said they would have done so already if it weren’t for market conditions.
Economic uncertainty and rising costs have led many prospective buyers to delay their purchase plans – but not abandon them, the real estate brokerage firm said.
Some 88% of the survey’s respondents said they are “very” or “somewhat likely” to purchase a home in 2026. About 78% said more affordable prices would prompt them to act within the next six months or less, and 58% said lower mortgage rates would expedite their plans.
The poll also found that today’s buyers are looking for a sense of community as much as a house itself.
“Today’s buyers aren’t just looking for a house,” said Chris Lim, RE/MAX’s chief growth officer. “It’s clear that lifestyle and connection are just as important as the property itself.”
Three out of five respondents said they would pay extra for shared community amenities, with younger buyers being the most inclined to do so.
That tracks with a report from Zonda, the marketing and research firm which concentrates on the new construction segment of the housing market, That report said that sales in active adult master planned communities “significantly outpace their standalone counterparts.”
In the third quarter, houses in master-planned communities (MPCs) sold 55% faster than in individual active adult communities on a monthly pace basis. This follows a long-running trend. Back in 2019, active adult MPCs outsold non-MPC projects by 108%, averaging four sales per month compared with 1.9 sales per month.
“Even though national sales paces have moderated from pandemic peaks, the MPC performance premium has held steady,” Zonda said in its findings.
The reason is scale. Active adult buyers gravitate toward communities where amenities, programming and neighborhood design feel cohesive.
“MPCs can deliver this in a way standalone subdivisions often cannot,” the company said.
Beyond amenities, buyers, especially GenZers and millennials, are focused on building a sense of community in their future neighborhood, RE/MAX found. A strong neighborhood vibe and future development potential are now seen as key contributors to purchasing decisions, according to RE/MAX.
Half of the respondents said they are looking to buy in the suburbs, while one-third want to call urban areas their home.
