The national poll results reveal a wealth gap in market sentiment, with higher-income households expressing a 64% confidence rating compared to 55% for lower-income households.

Nearly 60% of homesellers feel confident in the housing market, defying the stubbornly high home values and soaring interest rates that have softened the market in recent quarters, according to a nationwide survey of 1,500 U.S. adults who have recently sold or are currently looking to sell their home.

The poll, conducted online May 15-16 and released by HOMEstretch, a company that supports thousands of U.S. homeowners each year with cosmetic improvements to maximize sales prices, dives into current market sentiment and unearthed a structural shift where the majority of home transactions are being thoughtfully planned over months or years.

“The data demonstrates that, although the housing market is slower, the U.S. homeseller is not panicking,” said Derek Shewmon, founder of HOMEstretch. “Expressing a higher market confidence rating than expected, today’s buyers and sellers are moving forward with highly intentional and deliberate sales rather than pulling back from the market altogether.”

The results reveal that market confidence correlates directly with household income brackets. Confidence metrics peak to 64 out of 100 within the upper-middle income bracket and then plateau to 61 out of 100 from there. Lower-income sellers rank nine points warier (55%) about the market than higher-income brackets, indicating direct pressure from inflation and interest rates. Upfront pricing transparency also remains critical to this group, according to the findings.

Most residential transactions are planned over a long term, versus being a panic sale. Three-quarters of sales are intentional, with 53% of sellers planning their move over a span of several months and 21% mapping out the transition years in advance. On the other hand, 14% of transactions were forced by external circumstances, such as supporting an estate, moving for a new job or a divorce, and 13% of respondents decided to sell within just a few weeks.

This slower pace is also reflected in upcoming listing timelines, with 28% of respondents planning to list their homes within the next 12 to 24 months and 18% planning to list in three-to-12 months.

“The typical home-sale timeline has lengthened, providing today’s homebuyers with far more leverage during transactions,” said Shewmon. “With more time to negotiate, buyers are increasingly conditioning sales on price drops, inspection repairs and even cosmetic updates. We’re seeing more instances where sellers implement home prep services before closing just to keep the deal alive.”

More than 80% of U.S. real estate agents in the poll recommend cosmetic improvements to sellers including: minor repairs (43%); decluttering (37%); painting the interior or exterior (37%); professional cleaning (27%) and/or a light remodel of a kitchen or bath (22%). For sellers, where and how to invest in improvements is driven by maximizing the selling price, minimizing the upfront capital investment, reducing stress and selling as fast as possible, according to the survey.

About HOMEstretch

HOMEStretch is a leading home preparation company operating across 31 states and 80+ markets nationwide. The company has supported thousands of homesellers with pre-sale improvement services, including painting, flooring, landscaping, repairs and clear outs, to ensure homes look their best for a simple, smooth and stress-free listing. HOMEstretch delivers the quick, affordable and worry-free updates necessary to get any home sell-ready. For more information, visit www.home-stretch.com.

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