If you’re shopping for a home, 2026 could offer new opportunities. Some markets, including parts of Florida, began shifting from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market in 2025. That trend may strengthen in 2026, depending on location. Even in competitive areas, buyers may have more leverage than in recent years.

“The dreaded mortgage rate ‘lock-in’ effect is fading,” said real estate investor and Reventure CEO Nick Gerli.

A new analysis from Redfin shows a historically large imbalance between home sellers and buyers in the U.S. housing market, one which significantly strengthens buyers’ negotiating leverage. In December 2025,

Chief Executive Paul Romanowski said in the company’s earnings call that the company’s incentives increased during the quarter and that based on December incentive levels, margins would likely decline in the second quarter.

People are loath to sell their homes when it means giving up a cheap loan for a significantly more expensive one. Mortgage rates have more than doubled since 2021, when a 30-year loan could be had for less than 3%, Federal Reserve data show, and they have remained above 6% for more than three years.

According to Zillow’s Home Value Index, the New York City housing market is seeing a 3% value increase over the past calendar year—well over the national value at +.1%. With typical home values around $806,834 and 21.8% of sales closing over list price, the Big Apple’s market is one of the most volatile in the country.

Rising inventory and steady prices signal a more balanced U.S. housing market in 2026 as spring activity builds.

“The biggest mistake I see isn’t tactical—it’s systemic,” the housing market expert told Newsweek.

Trump’s proposed ban on institutional homebuyers purchasing single-family homes sounds bold, but will it fix housing shortages or affordability challenges?