When asked about their outlook on the housing market over the next 12 months, 48% of real estate agents were more optimistic in June compared to May, according to a survey from real estate brokerage Real. In contrast, 17% of agents surveyed were more pessimistic, while just over one-third reported no change in opinion.

The Agent Optimism Index collects survey data from agents to create a scale from zero to 100, with anything above 50 signalling an optimistic outlook of the real estate market. In June, the index was 59.5, a slight increase from May. This is roughly the same as June 2024, but is a drop from a high of 76.4 last December.

"Our June survey shows a continued moderation in transaction volume, leading to an even more buyer-friendly market," said Tamir Poleg, chairman and CEO of Real, in a press release.

This optimism comes as housing inventory has been increasing while economic concerns continue to weigh on consumers. In the report, 48% of agents said their market has moved to favor buyers, a major change from a year ago when only 20% felt that way. In January, 10% of agents surveyed cited "economic uncertainty" as a challenge for buyers; in June, that number had more than doubled to 26%.

AI use is growing, but concerns remain

The report also offered new insights into how agents are deploying artificial intelligence in their work, with 58% of agents saying that they used it on a daily basis, eight points higher than last year. AI proved to be critical in helping agents with marketing, including writing property descriptions and virtual staging. Many agents also described using AI to follow up with customers and generate emails as well as having it analyze price and sales trends in certain neighborhoods.