The Real Brokerage Inc. (NASDAQ: REAX), a prominent real estate technology platform, has released results from its July 2025 Agent Survey, indicating a significant rebound in agent optimism and a continued shift toward a buyer’s market, alongside highlighting the crucial role of communication and responsiveness from mortgage and title service providers.
According to the survey, agent optimism reached its highest level in four months, with Real’s Agent Optimism Index climbing to 67.2 in July from 59.5 in June. This increase reflects that 63% of agents felt more optimistic about their local markets compared to the previous month, with 15% reporting significantly increased optimism. Concurrently, the Transaction Growth Index, which tracks year-over-year changes in home sales activity, rose to 49.3 in July from 46.2 in June, suggesting a moderating pace of decline in transaction volume. While 37% of agents observed fewer transactions year-over-year, 34% reported an increase, and 29% noted flat activity.
The data reinforces a strong shift to a buyer’s market, with 52% of agents in July stating their local market favored buyers, an increase from 48% in June. Conversely, only 19% reported conditions favoring sellers, down from 26%. Affordability remains the primary challenge for buyers, cited by 58% of agents in July, up from 51% in June. Economic uncertainty was also a significant hurdle for 22% of agents. Inventory constraints and buyer competition were identified as lesser concerns.
The survey highlights the influential role agents play in guiding clients through real estate transactions, particularly concerning recommendations for mortgage and title service providers. A notable 62% of agents reported that their clients nearly always (75%-100% of the time) use their recommended title provider. This compares to 40% for mortgage providers, suggesting clients are more inclined to shop for mortgage rates but defer more to agent judgment for title work.
When agents were asked about the most crucial factor in recommending a closing services provider, responsiveness and communication were paramount. For mortgage services, 55.7% of agents cited the responsiveness and communication of the loan officer. Competitive rates/loan products (20.8%), speed/certainty of closing (13.3%), and existing relationships (10.3%) were also significant. For title services, responsiveness and communication of the title officer were cited by 39.0% of agents, followed by accuracy/efficiency of title work (29.8%), existing relationship (16.1%), and speed/certainty of title clearance and closing (15.2%).
Beyond pricing, agents identified specific motivators for switching closing service partners. Faster and more reliable closings were a key driver, cited by 29.9% for mortgage providers and 25.7% for title providers. The availability of a dedicated support team with proactive communication for their brokerage was another major factor (25.9% for mortgage, 26.3% for title). Superior, easy-to-use technology was also significant, noted by 14.7% for mortgage and 17.8% for title. A segment of agents (15.2% for mortgage and 18.6% for title) indicated that nothing currently listed would prompt them to switch providers.
Tamir Poleg, Chairman and CEO of Real, commented on the findings, stating, “Our July survey confirms that the ongoing pressure from affordability and macroeconomic concerns is cementing a firm shift to a buyer’s market across the industry.” He added, “The survey also shows that clients lean heavily on their agents for advice and guidance on which ancillary service providers to use, indicating that providers who deliver transparent communication and timely service stand out. We believe in the future, greater adoption of technology and AI can enhance service levels and better address this critical need for clients.”
The Real Brokerage July 2025 Agent Survey collected responses from over 550 real estate agents across the United States and Canada. It was conducted between July 31, 2025, and August 14, 2025. Responses for transaction growth and agent optimism were calibrated on a 0-100 point index scale, where readings above 50 indicate an improving trend and below 50 indicate a declining trend. These indices reflect agents’ perceptions of local market trends rather than Real’s company-specific transaction volume.
