The REALTORS® Confidence Index surveys 50,000 real estate professionals across the country. The survey is a key indicator of housing strength in the U.S. Here are several takeaways from the most recent survey published in December 2018: • Properties were typically on the market for 46 days (compared to 40 days in December 2017). • First-time buyers accounted for 32 percent of sales (32 percent in December 2017). • Cash sales made up 22 percent of sales (20 percent in December 2017). • From October–December 2018, 75 percent of contracts closed on time (71 percent in December 2017). • REALTORS® report “interest rate” and “low inventory” as the major issues affecting transactions in December 2018.
