Auction buyers turned more bearish in their outlook for 2026 after a burst of optimism in early 2025, according to Auction.com’s 2026 Buyer Outlook Report. Despite that bearish outlook, a record-low 36 percent of buyers described their local market as overvalued, indicating that an increasing number of markets are the most affordable they’ve been in five years.
“Local community developers buying at auction expect a slow-motion housing correction to continue in 2026,” said Jason Allnutt, Auction.com CEO. “The silver lining is they are also reporting improved affordability in an increasing number of local markets.”
Based on a survey of more than 400 Auction.com buyers in February 2026, the full report explores:
- How buyers expect home prices and rents to change in 2026
- How buyers expect their purchase activity to change in 2026
- Which barriers are limiting additional purchases on Auction.com, led by lack of well-priced inventory and competition from other buyers willing to pay more