Is Real Estate Still the #1 Long-Term Investment in 2026? Survey Says Yes!

Every year, Gallup asks Americans a simple question: 

What's the best long-term investment? 

Real estate won again in 2026, for the 14th year running.

I get why people ask if that's still true. Crypto has its true believers, and while the stock market has had a rough stretch lately, it’s a popular option. 

Here's what Americans actually said this year, and what a 14-year streak like this really tells you about where to put your money for the long haul.

What Americans Said in the 2026 Gallup Poll

Gallup asks the same question every year: which investment do you think is best over the long run? Here's how people answered in 2026:

• Real estate: 38%

• Stocks/mutual funds: 20%

• Gold: 18%

• Savings accounts/CDs: 12%

• Bonds: 4%

• Cryptocurrency: 2%

Real estate's lead is nearly double the next closest answer. Stocks climbed a bit since last year, up from 16% to 20%, and gold cooled off from its 2023 peak of 25%. Cryptocurrency, for all the attention it gets on social media, still can't crack 3%.

A 14-Year Streak, With Two Exceptions

I'll say this plainly: 14 years is a long time for anything to stay in first place. Real estate has topped this poll every single year since 2013, through a pandemic and a wave of interest rate hikes.

The streak has broken exactly twice.

• 2008 to 2009: During the financial crisis, savings accounts and CDs edged out real estate, 31% to 26% in September 2008 and 34% to 33% in April 2009.

• 2011 to 2012: Gold took the top spot for two years running, 34% to 19% in 2011 and 28% to 20% in 2012, while people were still spooked from the crash.

Both times, real estate came right back. It reclaimed the lead in 2013 and hasn't let go since.

Why Real Estate Keeps Winning

Here's my take on why this keeps happening. A home is something you can actually touch and use. It's not a ticker symbol on an app. It's where someone raises kids and slowly builds equity.

It’s true that stocks have historically offered higher returns. From 1990 to April 2024, the S&P 500 surged by 1,325%, while the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index rose by 308%.

However, stocks also come with higher volatility, while real estate typically provides more stable growth. Even during economic downturns, such as the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, real estate has shown resilience and recovery.

This is highlighted when you look back at U.S. home price growth by the decade:

Source: ResiClub

U.S. home price growth by decade:

• 1990s: +30.1%

• 2000s: +47.3%

• 2010s: +44.7%

• 2020-2024: +47.1%

Every decade, even during the 2000s, home price growth has increased by 30% or more. 

Of course, buying a home is a long-term investment. If you plan to move in a few years, it may not be the best fit. 

While poll results show that Americans prefer real estate as a long-term investment, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Always consult with your financial advisor when planning to invest for your future, as the best option depends on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment timeline.

53% of Americans Now Prefer Buying Over Renting. Here's What That Means for You

For the first time since 2023, more Americans say buying beats renting. 

That’s the headline stat from Bank of America’s 2026 Homebuyer Insights report. Based on responses to their national online survey, 53% of respondents say it’s better to buy a home in the current market than to rent or move in with family (47%). 

Aside from that, other stats from the survey reveal some interesting trends, including improved levels of optimism around buying a home, despite ongoing affordability challenges. 

Read on to see why and how this impacts you as a buyer or seller in [Your Market]. 

How Americans Feel About Homeownership Right Now

According to the methodology details for Bank of America’s 2026 survey, respondents are adults 18 years of age or older who “make or share in household financial decisions, and who currently own a home/previously owned a home or plan to own a home in the future.”

Of the 2,000 respondents in BofA’s survey: 

• 1,000 are homeowners

• 1,000 are renters who have either owned homes previously or plan to own a home

The resulting data is compared to last year’s survey results, showing an overall improvement in consumer sentiment on homeownership and homebuying conditions: 

• 90% say a home is a valuable investment (up from 79%); 

• 94% say it provides stability (up from 83%); 

• 87% say it feels like a milestone (up from 78%); 

• 86% say it brings emotional fulfillment (up from 75%)

Beyond the abstract numbers, the data provides a signal of where consumer sentiment is heading, at least on a national level. But without the breakdown by respondent type (owners and renters separately), it’s unclear what percentage of renters are feeling better about their homebuying prospects this year compared to last. 

Fewer Buyers Are Waiting for the Perfect Moment

Plenty of homebuyers in 2026 are still holding out for lower home prices and lower mortgage rates, but that share has dropped from 75% in 2025 to 71% in 2026. 

Gen Z and Millennial buyers are especially motivated to buy, driving this year’s shift toward action: 

• Gen Z (68% are holding out in 2026 vs. 74% in 2025) 

• Millennial (70% holding out in 2026 vs. 77% in 2025)

As for Gen Z, survey data highlighted three specific ways they’re adapting to today’s market: 

1. 28% are taking on extra jobs

2. 32% are considering co-buying with friends or family

3. 31% are planning to leverage down payment assistance programs

Data comparing 2026 to the previous couple years is also showing an increased willingness to move across all three well-known compromise scenarios: 

1. A more affordable area: 76% in 2026 vs. 71% in 2025 and 68% in 2024

2. Their dream home becoming available: 75% in 2026 vs. 69% in 2025 and 67% in 2024

3. A better location: 71% in 2026 vs. 65% in 2025 and 63% in 2024

Also, 52% of the homeowners in BofA’s survey say they expect to buy again, while 22% plan to move within the next year (up from 15% in 2025). 

Why Affordability Is Still the Biggest Hurdle

Bank of America’s data for 2026 showed a year-over-year increase in survey respondents citing affordability constraints as an obstacle to homeownership: 

• 58% cited expensive home prices as a top barrier, up from 46% in 2025

• 47% cited high interest rates, up from 40% in 2025

Based on their responses, renters are also trading down to cut housing costs.

For some, that means moving to a more affordable rental complex. For others, it could mean moving to a unit with fewer bedrooms. In some markets, a drop from a two-bedroom to a one-bedroom unit can save a renter around $200 a month. 

What This Means If You're Thinking About Buying or Selling 

The biggest takeaway from Bank of America's survey isn't that the market suddenly became easy. Affordability is still a challenge, and mortgage rates remain higher than many buyers would like.

What's changing is consumer mindset.

After several years of waiting for the "perfect" time to buy, more Americans appear to be accepting that today's market may simply be the market they'll have to navigate. Instead of waiting indefinitely, many are adjusting their expectations, exploring different neighborhoods, considering smaller homes, or taking advantage of down payment assistance programs.

That's an important shift because housing markets don't move based only on prices and interest rates. They also move based on confidence. When more buyers decide they can make today's conditions work, activity tends to follow.

National surveys can only tell part of the story, and every local market behaves differently. But they do offer a useful glimpse into how consumers are thinking. Right now, that thinking seems to be moving away from waiting for perfect conditions and toward finding opportunities within the market that exists today.

Stafford & Rebecca | Compass Real Estate Atlanta

43% of Homeowners Are Equity Rich. Are You One of Them?

If you own a home in Metro Atlanta, there's a good chance you're sitting on more equity than you realize.

New data shows 43.3% of mortgaged homes across the country are equity-rich right now.

At the same time, a separate survey from Point found that 48% of homeowners say they aren't planning to move this year, but not for the reasons you may think. 

A lot of them assume they're stuck, mostly because of where mortgage rates are sitting. But being equity-rich changes the calculation in ways most people haven't thought through yet.

So, today, I’m breaking down what the data actually shows, why so many homeowners feel locked in place, and what your equity could actually mean for your options.

What Does "Equity Rich" Actually Mean?

"Equity-rich" is a specific term used in real estate. It means you owe less than 50% of what your home is currently worth.

So if your home is worth $400,000 and your remaining mortgage balance is $180,000, you're equity-rich. You have more than half the home's value sitting on your side of the ledger.

Equity-rich means you don't just have equity in your home. It means you have a lot of it, enough to give you real financial options you may not have considered.

What the Numbers Show

Why So Many Homeowners Feel Stuck

If you locked in a mortgage rate at 3% a few years ago, the idea of selling and buying again probably doesn't sound appealing. 

With 30-year rates currently sitting at 6.42% and no Fed cuts expected until late 2027, trading your current payment for one that's nearly double is a hard sell. No one would blame you for hesitating.

After all, a recent survey from Point found 48% of homeowners (nearly half) say they aren't planning to move this year, with rate lock-in and general uncertainty cited as the main reasons.

What that rate calculation doesn't account for, though, is how much equity you have, and how much that could save you each month on your next mortgage payment. 

How Your Equity Changes the Math

When you're equity-rich, you're not approaching your next purchase the same way you did the first time. 

A larger equity position means a larger down payment, which means a smaller loan, which means your monthly payment on a higher-rate mortgage may not be as painful as you'd expect.

Depending on how much equity you've built, you may have more options than you think:

• Put a significantly larger down payment on your next home, reducing the loan amount and softening the rate impact

• Use a HELOC to access equity without selling

• Sell, then rent temporarily while you wait for rates or prices to shift

• Buy your next home outright, with no mortgage at all

Most homeowners run the math on today's rates without accounting for what their equity actually does to that number. The monthly payment picture looks very different when you're bringing 50% or more to the table.

What This Could Mean for You

The bigger takeaway here is this: A lot of homeowners are making decisions based on the market from 2-3 years ago, not the market we’re actually in today.

Yes, rates are higher.

But home values are also dramatically different, and for many homeowners, the amount of equity they’ve built changes the conversation more than they realize.

You may still decide staying put is the right move. A lot of people are. But it’s worth understanding your position before assuming you don’t have options.

Because the homeowners making the best decisions right now aren’t guessing. They know their numbers. ATTOM’s Q1 2026 report shows 43.3% of mortgaged U.S. homes are equity-rich, meaning owners owe no more than half of what their home is worth. Georgia is slightly below the national figure at 41.9%, down from 44.0% last quarter and 43.7% a year ago. Atlanta’s market is also shifting: April 2026 data showed pending sales down year over year, while median sales price rose to $417,000, which points to a more selective market rather than a collapsed one.

Atlanta homeowners are still sitting on real equity.

ATTOM’s Q1 2026 report shows that 41.9% of mortgaged homes in Georgia are considered “equity rich,” meaning the owner owes less than half of what the home is worth.

Nationally, that number is 43.3% — the lowest level since late 2021, but still a powerful reminder of how much wealth homeowners have built over the last several years.

Here’s why that matters in Atlanta:

Many sellers have options.
Many buyers are waiting for the right home.
And the homes that are well-prepared, well-priced, and well-positioned are still the ones creating movement.

This is not the 2021 market. It is also not a market to sit out if your move would improve your life.

Equity gives sellers leverage. More inventory gives buyers opportunity. And strategy matters more than ever on both sides.

If you’re wondering what your home is really worth in today’s Atlanta market — or how much equity you may have to work with — message me. This is exactly the kind of conversation worth having before you make your next move.