Resale housing market turnover is near a 4-decade low-here's how agents say the industry is shifting

"The U.S. had around 99 million households in 1995, compared to roughly 135 million households in 2025. Adjusted for that larger population base, resale turnover over the past three years has been the lowest in more than four decades."

"We've now been at historically low levels of resale transactions for just over three years-causing a wave of real estate agents and loan officers to already exit the industry."

"In our latest survey, 9 in 10 real estate agents say they still expect to be active in the industry three years from now, indicating much of the industry shakeout has already happened."

"The results suggest an industry that remains committed and forward-looking-though not without tension around commissions, private-listing portals, MLS modernization, and data control."

In 2025, the U.S. recorded 4.06 million existing home sales, marking the lowest turnover in over four decades when adjusted for population growth. The number of households increased from 99 million in 1995 to approximately 135 million in 2025. This decline has led to a significant exit of real estate professionals from the industry. Despite this, a recent survey indicates that 90% of real estate agents expect to remain active in the industry over the next three years, reflecting a commitment to adapt amidst challenges.

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