Survey: Industry Leaders Show Record Confidence in 2018 Economy, Housing

An unprecedented 73 percent of top real estate executives say the U.S. economy will improve or improve significantly. That's the highest level of confidence real estate leaders have expressed since Imprev started its annual Thought Leader Economy & Housing Outlook Study in 2012.

These numbers are simply stunning. Top real estate executives' confidence in America's economy has more than doubled since October 2016. Then, just 32 percent said the U.S. economy would improve or improve significantly. The 2016 survey was conducted immediately prior to the U.S. presidential election. The highest confidence level prior to the current study was 54 percent in 2012.

The biggest surprise in the survey data: for the first time, it broke the "closer to home" trend. Every year, the Imprev Thought Leader Survey asked top real estate leaders about their confidence in the economy, the broke it down: local economy, state economy, U.S. economy and world economy.

And every single year, the same results: real estate leaders expressed the most confidence in the local economy, second most confidence in the state economy, third most confidence in the U.S. economy, and the least confidence in the world economy. It made sense: one has more influence and knowledge about one's local economy, so naturally, the closer to home the economy, the greater the confidence.

Except when it's not: As in 2018.