Why economists see the housing market flattening in 2026

Economists I polled this week had some interesting opinions about the housing market, the broader economy and President Donald Trump.

Mark Vitner, chief economist at Piedmont Crescent Capital, explained the heart of the flat housing market. “People don’t buy homes when they are worried about the job market,” he said. “When people land jobs, they buy things, clothes, cars and houses.

Vitner said it’s hard to get the market rolling with light job expansion.

Pointing to growth in artificial intelligence...