At Green Light Real Estate, we wanted to know what people actually think about the real estate market in Vermont at large, and in Central Vermont in particular.
So we asked.
(Note–This isn’t a scientific survey. We asked a bunch of people, and a bunch of people replied. Some might have been respondents in last year’s survey, some might not. Don’t make big decisions based on this. Rather, think about it and say, “Hmm. That’s interesting!”)
Question 1: In general, do you think that home prices will go up, go down, or stay about the same in the next 12 months?
January 2026–General Public
We took it a step further, and asked the same question to Realtors in the area. Turns out that real estate professionals are a little more reserved in their predictions for home prices in 2026:
January 2026–Vermont Realtors
Among the countless things I would do if I had a time machine, I would go back and ask this question of Realtors in January 2025 (hold your judgement…). The market did see a noticeable increase in the number of listings that didn’t sell in 2025. I wonder if the difference between what the public thinks will happen with prices and what local Realtors think is part of the reason for that increase.
In other words, did more homes that were listed not sell because homeowners thought the market was doing something slightly different than what was actually happening?
How did people’s perceptions of the market change from last year? Good question!
Looks like some uncertainty has entered the housing market. Fewer respondents think prices are going to be about the same as last year. Interestingly, more respondents think that prices will go up and that prices will go down compared to 2025.
Question 2: Are you thinking of buying or selling real estate in the next…
Now, admittedly, people who respond to a real estate brokerage’s survey might skew toward people who are already thinking about buying or selling.
How do those numbers stack up to last year’s responses?
Survey respondents indicate that they’re a lot more likely to buy or sell in 2026 than those who responded in 2025 (32% vs 8% that are planning on buying or selling in the next 12 months.) And fewer reported that they don’t have any plans to buy or sell. Again, interesting.
Side note–everyone has opinions on real estate. You can be the star of any social event if you roll out these numbers. A somewhat peculiar, perhaps overly interested in real estate star, but a star nonetheless.
Side side note–if the above paragraph describes you, have you thought of becoming a real estate agent and joining fellow “stars” at Green Light Real Estate?
Question 3: If you moved, would you…
Technically the respondents aren’t all necessarily in Vermont. But we figure it’s safe to assume that most replies were from Vermonters. Also, when we asked which businesses and organizations are community anchors, 59 out of 63 were in Vermont. So…
Looks to us that people like living in Vermont. Also looks to us that people like the towns and areas where they’re currently living.
Question 4: If you could only have one streaming service, what would it be?
How does it feel to be in 4th place, Amazon?
There you go! Keep an eye out for next year’s survey. I promise that it’ll be just as non-scientifically rigorous,
As always, at Green Light Real Estate, we strive to be the most loved and most professional real estate brokerage in Vermont. Whenever you have questions, or if there’s anything that we can help with, just ask!