New Survey Reveals Real Estate Leaders’ Confidence in US Economy and Business at Three-Year High

Real estate brokerage leaders report record-high optimism in profitability, transactions, and market growth.

CANTON, Ohio, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real estate brokerage leaders are overwhelmingly optimistic about their economic, housing, and business outlooks for 2025, according to the latest Delta Real Estate Leadership Survey. The annual study, now in its third year, surveyed over 100 brokerage executives whose firms collectively generated more than half of all US residential real estate transactions last year.

For the first time since the survey’s inception, confidence in profitability, transaction volume, and market share has reached record highs, signaling a strong rebound from previous economic uncertainty.

Key findings

Brokerage leaders express record-high confidence in their business performance, market conditions, and transaction growth. This year’s survey reveals a significant shift toward optimism across all major economic and business indicators:

• Profitability expectations are at a three-year high. Nearly two-thirds of brokerage leaders expect higher profitability in 2025, up from 48% in 2024 and just 18% in 2023.
• Market share growth optimism surges. More than two-thirds of brokerage executives believe their market share will increase over the next 12 months, compared to 58% in 2024 and 56% in 2023.
• Transaction volume expectations are the highest on record. More than seven in ten brokerage leaders anticipate an increase in total transaction sides, compared to 60% in 2024 and just 20% in 2023.

Economic confidence soars

The overall economic outlook among brokerage leaders has dramatically improved, particularly for the US economy. Leaders show renewed confidence in broader economic conditions, reinforcing the belief that 2025 will be a year of strong business performance.

• Confidence in the US economy has skyrocketed. In 2023, only 10.6% of brokerage leaders were confident in the US economy—by 2025, that number has surged to 66.3%.
• State and local economies continue to stabilize. Confidence in state economies has steadily improved from 12% in 2023 to 37% in 2025, while local economy optimism has jumped from 9% in 2023 to 42% in both 2024 and 2025.
• Global economic confidence remains the weakest but is improving. More brokerage leaders are optimistic about global market conditions, with 16% expressing confidence, up from just 3% in 2023 and 2024.

“This year’s survey confirms what we’ve been hearing from top brokerage leaders – they believe their business and the economy will improve this year,” said Michael Minard, CEO and owner of Delta Media Group.

“After several years of uncertainty, brokerages are navigating market changes with renewed optimism and strategic focus. They see opportunities in technology, talent acquisition, and overall market share growth. Despite the challenges 2025 will present, the brokerage leaders we surveyed are bullish on success,” Minard added.

Top business challenges for 2025

Even with rising optimism, brokerage leaders face crucial challenges, impacting operations, growth, and profitability. The top five business challenges this year reflect ongoing industry shifts and emerging pressures:

• Recruiting agents remains the No. 1 challenge. Brokerages continue to struggle with attracting top talent in an increasingly competitive hiring environment.
• Reduced profit margins remain a major concern for firms navigating competitive pressures, rising costs, and commission structure changes.
• Agent adoption of brokerage-provided technology is becoming a greater priority as firms invest in AI and automation tools but face challenges driving widespread adoption.
• Managing the impact of AI is now a top-five concern for the first time, replacing commission lawsuits from 2024. Brokerages recognize the potential of AI but also remain cautious about risks and implementation hurdles.
• Cutting the right expenses is a continued focus, with brokerages refining cost structures to balance growth and efficiency.

Shifting confidence by brokerage size and market

The survey also revealed distinct trends based on brokerage size and market location:

• Larger firms are consistently more optimistic about market conditions and transaction growth.
• Mid-market firms (101-500 agents) are more confident in transaction growth than general economic conditions.
• Major-market brokerages (over 1,000 agents, $10B+ transactions) report over 90% optimism about growth.

About the survey

The 2025 Delta Real Estate Leadership Survey was conducted in December 2024 and includes responses from more than 100 broker-owners and top brokerage executives, collectively representing over half of all US residential transactions.

More than one in seven (14%) leaders surveyed manage brokerages with more than $3 billion in projected transactions, while 21% manage brokerages with $1 billion to $3 billion. Another 32% manage firms with $100 million to $500 million transactions, with 13% overseeing brokerages with less than $100 million annual transactions.

Brokerage leaders surveyed include firms of all sizes, with 12% managing more than 1,000 agents, 10% managing 500 to 1,000 agents, 40% managing 101 to 499 agents, 15% managing 51 to 100 agents, 18% managing 20 to 50 agents, and 5% managing 1 to 19 agents.

The survey also captured demographic insights: 48% of respondents are 60 years or older, 31% are 50 to 59 years old, 15% are 40 to 49 years old, and 6% are 39 years old or younger. Additionally, 72% of respondents are male, 23% are female, and 5% chose not to answer.

For a copy of the 2025 Delta Real Estate Leadership & AI Survey results, visit https://bit.ly/deltaAI.

About Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group, Inc. is America’s largest family-owned real estate technology provider for brokerages. Located in Canton, Ohio, it is the inventor of DeltaNET, known as the industry’s most advanced CRM-based, all-in-one digital marketing platform. One of the largest real estate technology solutions firms in the US, Delta Media is the trusted technology partner for more than 80 LeadingRE Affiliates and over 50 top-ranked brokerages nationwide. Discover more at deltamediagroup.com.

Media contacts:
Kevin Hawkins (206) 866-1220
kevin@wavgroup.com

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