"Let's Wait and See": 46.2% Plan to Sell Homes Next Year, Down 8 Percentage Points from First Half [Real Estate AtoZ]

Survey of Zigbang App Users
69.9% Plan to Buy a Home Within a Year
Fewer Intend to Sell, Market Adopts Wait-and-See Approach

Seven out of ten respondents said they plan to purchase a home next year. The proportion of those willing to sell was 46%, an 8.6 percentage point decrease compared to the first half of the year.

On December 29, Zigbang announced the results of its 2026 housing market outlook survey, conducted from December 3 to December 17 among 485 users of its app. According to the survey, the proportion of respondents planning to buy a home within the next year decreased from 73.1% in the first half of the year to 69.9% as of this month. The proportion of those planning to sell fell from 54.8% to 46.2%.

Looking at the reasons for purchase, demand for home buying for actual residence was strong. The most common response was "moving from jeonse or monthly rent to homeownership" at 46.6%. This was followed by "relocation to a different residential area" (22.7%) and "moving to a larger or smaller space" (10.3%). In contrast, the proportions for "investment purposes such as capital gains" (7.4%) and "rental income purposes" (2.9%) were low.

Regarding the purchase price, the most frequent answers were "300 million won or less" (31.9%) and "over 300 million won to 600 million won or less" (38.9%). Responses for homes priced at 600 million won or less accounted for 70.8% of the total. "Over 600 million won to 900 million won or less" was 16.8%, and "over 900 million won" was about 12%, indicating that demand is relatively concentrated in the mid- to low-priced housing segment.

As for the timing of home purchases, "the first quarter of 2026" was the most common response at 45.7%. Including "the second quarter" (18.3%), 64% of respondents were considering buying in the first half of the year. This result reflects a tendency to make decisions centered on the first half of next year, rather than planning purchases over a long period.

The willingness to sell has decreased compared to the survey in the first half of the year. This is interpreted as being influenced by the upward trend in housing prices since the first half, with respondents wanting to wait and see if prices will rise further. The main reason for planning to sell was "relocation to a different residential area" at 34.8%, followed by "moving to a larger or smaller space" (17.4%), indicating that most sales are based on actual residential needs. The most common timing for sales was "the first quarter of 2026" (48.2%), followed by "the second quarter" (17.0%).

Among those with no plans to sell, the most common reason was "for actual residence (one household, one home) or because they do not own a home" (55.6%). This was followed by "because housing prices seem to be rising" (11.5%) and "to wait for the right timing to sell" (10.7%).

Experts point out that changes in internal and external factors such as interest rates, exchange rates, and loan regulations could alter market conditions, so it is important to comprehensively examine the supply and demand structure in areas of interest.

Kim Eunseon, Head of the Big Data Lab at Zigbang, explained, "Core areas where demand is proven are likely to see relatively stable price trends, but regions with supply pressures or weak demand bases are showing differences in recovery speed, which is likely to continue in 2026. Since the experience may differ depending on local conditions, individual housing purposes, and financial situations, it is more important than ever to carefully review these conditions."