Q1 2026 Market Pulse Survey Results
The Market Pulse Survey is a poll of licensed real estate professionals and members of the East Tennessee REALTORS®. The Q1 2026 iteration of the survey was conducted online from April 15-May 18, 2026, and received a total of 144 responses.
Key Findings
Buyers and market traffic were especially optimistic at the very beginning of the year compared to prior years, and sellers are jumping in with the expectation of a busy spring season. The high sales in January and February threw off results in March, with members noting that March was unseasonably slow.
79% of respondents expect home sales to stay the same or increase this year over last year, and 83% closed a sale before April.
99% of sold homes appraised at or above the sale price.
More than half of respondents said their last buyer was renting prior to this purchase, in contrast to last year where most buyers were previous homeowners.
60% of reported transactions were residents moving within their own county, in contrast to last year when most were arriving from another state.
Sellers are not offering as many concessions as prior years, but the percentage of sellers willing to help with closing or other financial costs have increased to 67% this year over 45% last year.
Open-format responses about customer feedback indicate that consumers are still very cautious about the market, citing concerns mostly about national news and economic updates. Many members commented that pricing is more important than ever, and buyers have high expectations. Listings must meet all their criteria before they are ready to enter the market.
| Market Outlook | Q1 2026 | Q1 2025 | ||
| Percent who expect seller traffic to increase in next 3 months | 31% | 40% | ||
| Percent who expect buyer traffic to increase in next 3 months | 32% | 44% | ||
| Percent of respondents who expect home sales to increase over the next year | 46% | 41% | ||
| Percent of respondents who expect home prices to increase over the next year | 54% | 60% | ||
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Buyer and Seller Trends |
Q1 2026 | Q1 2025 | ||
| Percent of sellers moving somewhere else in current city/county | 59% | 30% | ||
| Percent of sellers moving somewhere else in Tennessee | 10% | 23% | ||
| Percent of sellers moving to a different state/outside of Tennessee | 31% | 47% | ||
| Percent of buyers moving due to relocation (such as for business or a job change) | 6% | 17% | ||
| Percent of buyers who were previously renting | 53% | 37% | ||
| Percent of buyers who are repeat homebuyers | 77% | 84% | ||
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Other Market Indicators |
Q1 2026 | Q1 2025 | ||
| Percent of buyers who waived at least one contingency | 55% | 68% | ||
| Percent of buyers who waived inspection contingency | 13% | 6% | ||
| Percent of buyers who waived appraisal contingency | 9% | 17% | ||
| Percent of contracts where appraised value met or exceeded the contract price | 99% | 98% | ||
| Percent of contracts in the past 3 months that were terminated | 6% | 0% | ||
| Percent of contracts in the past 3 months that had delayed settlement | 7% | 14% | ||
| Percent of contracts in the past 3 months that closed/settled on time | 86% | 86% | ||
| Percent of respondents who have worked with an investor buyer in the past three months | 9% | 3% | ||
| Percent of first-time buyers | 23% | 16% | ||
| Percent of respondents currently working with 3+ clients actively/seriously looking to purchase | 34% | 34% | ||
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Anecdotal responses (Edited for clarity) "I think the price of homes is correcting as our inventory increases. Buyers are also becoming much more nuanced in their wants and this limits properties that previously would have suited more individuals. Buyers expect homes to be in either pristine condition or listed lower than the current market." "Buyers are still looking but nervous about the market and VERY rate conscious...sellers are still expecting 2020-21 prices, and they need to realize they don't have as much leverage anymore." "I cover 15 states for commercial valuation. We cover 3 states for residential valuation. East TN as a whole is still one of the most positive markets in the Southeast." "Traffic was strong and buyers were optimistic up until the Iran conflict." "I think the overall mental/emotional state of the nation's economy, political environment has cash buyers and sellers alike insecure about making big financial decisions." |
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Source: East Tennessee REALTORS® |
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| Note: Estimates based on East Tennessee REALTORS® quarterly Market Pulse Survey and MLS data. | ||||
| For questions about the survey or its contents, please contact Maria McHale at maria@etnrealtors.com. | ||||
About the Survey
- The Market Pulse Survey gathers on-the-ground information about local market conditions from members of East Tennessee REALTORS® based on their client interactions and real estate transactions in the previous three months.
- The Market Pulse Survey is provided by East Tennessee REALTORS® solely for use as a reference. Reproduction, reprinting or retransmission in any form is prohibited without written permission.
- Media inquiries about the survey should be directed to communications@etnrealtors.com.
Data Attribution: You are welcome to use or reproduce this survey data for your own purposes, but we ask that you attribute any full or partial use of the data to East Tennessee REALTORS® and include the time period when the survey was conducted.
| Copyright © 2026 EAST TENNESSEE REALTORS® |