For decades, my team has trained and coached real estate agents through some of the industry’s most turbulent chapters, from market crashes to booms, from regulatory overhauls to shifting consumer expectations. That long-term, boots-on-the-ground perspective led us to ask a question few industry reports attempt to answer directly: How confident are agents themselves, really?
To explore that question, we partnered with SurveyMonkey to conduct the 2025 Agent Confidence Index, a nationwide survey promoted through email outreach, social media and targeted Facebook advertising. Over a 45-plus-day period, 629 actively practicing real estate agents from across the country completed the survey, offering firsthand insight into how agents feel about their business, their skills, the current market and the year ahead.
Rather than focusing solely on transaction volume, inventory levels or interest rates, the Agent Confidence Index was designed to capture the lived experience of agents working daily with buyers and sellers.
The findings reflect practitioner perspectives — not broker forecasts, economist models or analyst commentary — providing a clearer picture of how agents are navigating today’s market from within their businesses.
What the data reveals is both sobering and instructive.
Agents are significantly more confident in themselves than they are in the market, and that confidence gap may determine who wins in 2026.
A market that feels weak, and agents who don’t
By most traditional measures, the housing market remains challenging. Buyer and seller activity is still below normal for this stage of the cycle, inventory remains tight in many regions, and interest rates continue to influence consumer hesitation.
Nearly half of the agents surveyed described current market conditions as weak or very weak. More than 60 percent reported lower-than-normal buyer activity, and just over half said seller activity was also below typical seasonal levels.
And yet, agent confidence tells a very different story.
Roughly 65 percent of agents report a positive outlook for their real estate career, and more than 86 percent expect to still be in business next year. Nearly two-thirds believe their income outlook is stable or improving.
That divergence, a weak market paired with strong personal confidence, is one of the most important signals in the entire report. It suggests agents don’t view the market as broken. They view it as selective.
The real problem isn’t skill. It’s pipeline
One of the most revealing conclusions from the Agent Confidence Index is what isn’t driving agent anxiety.
Despite a year defined by legal settlements, compensation scrutiny and new buyer representation requirements, agents report strong confidence in their professional capabilities:
- More than 80 percent feel confident explaining compensation changes
- Nearly 87 percent feel confident using the correct forms
- Over 86 percent feel confident in advertising and representing property accurately
In short, agents do not see professionalism or compliance as their weak point.
The struggle is elsewhere.
Across every experience level and business model, the lack of qualified leads and low inventory ranked as the top two business concerns and the top two training priorities. That alignment matters. Agents know exactly where they need support, and it’s not in understanding the rules but in accessing opportunity.
A profession that trusts itself more than its institutions
Another finding that should command industry attention: Agents are increasingly trusting themselves rather than traditional institutions.
While MLS satisfaction remains moderate, more than 70 percent of agents said national association membership is not important to their business, and nearly one-third reported dissatisfaction with local association support.
This doesn’t signal disengagement from the profession. It signals a shift.
Agents are positioning themselves as the primary source of clarity, credibility and calm for clients navigating uncertainty. Rather than relying on institutional authority, they’re leaning on personal expertise, local knowledge and direct client relationships.
That self-reliance helps explain why personal confidence remains high even as broader industry sentiment feels unsettled.
Competition feels real, but beatable
Despite ongoing conversations about agent saturation and attrition, most agents do not view competition as overwhelming.
Nearly half describe it as “challenging,” but the majority say it is manageable. The perceived edge doesn’t come from volume, brand size or pricing. It comes from clear value and consistent prospecting.
Agents who believe they have a defined offer and a repeatable system feel they can still win business, even in a slower, more selective market. For brokers and team leaders planning for this new year, these points to a critical takeaway: success is less about adding more tactics and more about executing fewer fundamentals consistently.
Technology and AI: The quiet divider
The report also highlights a growing divide that hasn’t yet fully surfaced.
Most agents believe that technology and AI offer meaningful upside, but relatively few use these tools regularly. Among those who are, the benefits are clear: time saved, faster follow-up and more efficient communication.
This gap suggests that early adopters are quietly pulling ahead, not by replacing relationships, but by removing friction from routine tasks. In a market where every conversation matters, efficiency becomes leverage.
What the 2026 outlook really signals
Agents aren’t predicting a dramatic rebound. They’re predicting a slow, steady climb. Slight rate relief. Gradual inventory improvement. Strength in new construction and relocation.
That realism may be the most encouraging signal of all. The industry isn’t waiting to be rescued. It’s preparing to execute.
The bottom line
The most important takeaway from the 2025 Agent Confidence Index is this:
The agents most likely to succeed in 2026 aren’t waiting for the market to feel better. They’re building systems that work even when they don’t.
The gap between market conditions and agent confidence isn’t denial; it’s differentiation. In a year defined by noise and uncertainty, the data points to something quieter and far more powerful: resilience backed by self-trust.
And that may be the leading indicator the industry should be watching as 2026 approaches.
Darryl Davis is the CEO of Darryl Davis Seminars. Connect with him on Facebook or YouTube.
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