Most Texas realtors said their clients had plenty of homes to choose from when it came time to purchase, but they still reported some competition in the real estate market, according to a new first-of-its-kind poll.
Texas Realtors, an advocacy group for real estate agents, conducted a poll of realtors for the very first time, covering homebuying experiences from the first half of 2025.
Two-thirds of buyers felt they had enough homes available to choose from, according to the poll, which surveyed more than 350 realtors about their clients. Twenty percent of buyers said there were fewer homes available than they would like.
“The timing that's right for the individual buyer is the right timing every time," said Christy Gessler, Chairman of Texas Realtors. "The key isn't to predict the future of mortgage rates or home prices; it's to fully understand what clients need in the present. Realtors see it all in the homebuying process — the ups, the downs, the pain points, and the shifts in mood. And no one has a better on-the-ground understanding of homebuyers and their experiences than the Texas Realtors who are there helping them every step of the way."
The survey collected anonymous feedback from realtors, including some who said an increase in available homes does not necessarily translate to a healthier housing market.
The vast majority of buyers, nearly three-quarters, said they had enough time to purchase their home, with 18% saying they felt at least some pressure about the amount of time they had.
When it comes to the market itself, competition for houses is still there, according to the survey. The polling reports that 39% of buyers had to compete against other offers, while 57% said they didn't. A majority of buyers, 63%, said they had made offers on other homes before purchasing.
A plurality of buyers — 44% — said they had toured between four and ten houses before purchasing. Thirteen percent said they went to between 11 and 20 houses, and 4% said they visited more than 20 houses.
Of the realtors whose clients stopped looking for a house, 42% said it was because the homes were too expensive, while another 30% said the home features they were looking for weren't available.
According to the surveyed realtors, homebuyers were split on increasing their price range: half did while the other half did not. But far fewer homebuyers decreased their price range, with just 31% doing so.
Because this is the first poll from Texas Realtors about homebuyers' experiences, trends in the real estate market attitudes are not immediately obvious at the local level.
"We talk about ‘the market,' but there are so many micro-markets," said Gessler. "Buyers appreciate how Realtors can drill down on the data that is relevant to their particular situation."
Copyright 2025 Houston Public Media News 88.7