Redfin: The Great Housing Market “Reset” Starts in 2026

Real Estate Rookie

BiggerPockets

How To, Entrepreneurship, Business, Education, Investing

4.7 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 24 December 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Redfin just called it. The housing market will “reset” in 2026…or at least it’ll be the start of it. Chen Zhao, Redfin's head of economics research, has 11 predictions she and her team have formulated for the 2026 housing market. A long, slow period of progress could be upon us, as buyers get what they’ve been asking for: better affordability, a more normal market, and the chance to own where there’s work. But what does this really mean? Will mortgage rates fall? Will home prices drop? We’re going through each of the 11 predictions with Chen, discussing prices, rates, rents, refinances, transaction volume, and even how AI could become the “matchmaker” for Americans looking for their first or next property. Make no mistake, this is good news for many, and could be just the start of a cycle that finally puts average Americans in the position to purchase a home. But, for real estate investors and landlords, there could be another big benefit coming in 2026, one that has a direct impact on your cash flow. In This Episode We Cover Redfin’s 2026 housing market predictions (prices, mortgage rates, and more!) The great “reset” that is coming for the housing market (it’s already begun) Rent growth returns? Struggling landlords could get some relief next year The best and worst real estate markets that Redfin is forecasting for 2026 The AI effect on real estate and why more buyers are using bots to find homes And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-657 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome back to another episode of Real Estate Rookie. I'm Ashley Care. We are heading into the final
0:04.6	stretch of the year. The gifts are piling up under the tree. And while everyone else is winding down for the
0:09.1	holidays, we are teaming you up for what could be one of the most important market conversations of the next few years.
0:15.5	But before we do that, I want to thank the rookie audience for another wonderful year together.
0:20.1	To all the guests that have taken the time to share their story, successes, and lessons
0:24.4	learned, the rookies listening wouldn't be where they are today without you.
0:28.9	I am so inspired all the time by the action taken by you all, the honesty, the vulnerability,
0:34.9	and the community.
0:36.2	I can't wait to see what 2026 brings us all.
0:40.2	Today's rerun is from the podcast on the market. This episode features Redfin's head of
0:45.0	economics research and she talks about the housing market having a full reset in 2026.
0:50.6	Not a flashy overnight change, but the start of a long steady ship that could finally bring buyers
0:55.9	the affordability and normalcy they have been waiting for. In this episode, Chen walks us through
1:01.4	11 predictions her team believes will define the next cycle. We break down what could happen with
1:07.1	mortgage rates, home prices, rents, refinancing opportunities, and overall transaction
1:11.9	volume. We even talk about how AI might soon become a matchmaker for American homebuyers.
1:18.1	And if you are an investor or landlord, pay attention. Hidden inside these predictions is one
1:23.5	trend that could directly impact your cash flow in a very good way as we head into
1:28.3	2026.
1:29.8	Settle in, grab a holiday cookie and enjoy this timely rerun as we look ahead as to what could
1:35.3	be the beginning of a new chapter in the housing market.
1:43.2	2026 is shaping up to be the start of what Redfin calls the Great Housing Reset,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BiggerPockets, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BiggerPockets and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.