INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis is one of the top places for home-buyers; that's according to a new report from Zillow, ranking the city as the most buyer-friendly housing market of 2026.
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WRTV spoke with some local real estate agents on Monday to hear their thoughts on the ranking and how it could shape the future of the city.
“It is such a big need that people can have a place that they can call home where they can still enjoy their lives," Dan O'Brien, a residential real estate agent with Trueblood Real Estate, stated.
A lone "For Sale" sign sits outside a home in Indianapolis, indicating what could be the calm before the storm.
“Buyers have more choices, but the playing field has evened out a little bit, too," Laura Turner, a broker and owner of F.C. Tucker Laura Turner Realty Group, said.
Snyder believes Indianapolis has a lot to offer, which is helping attract more people to the area.
“Visitors come into Indianapolis, many times through the power of sports," Morgan Snyder, Senior Director of Public Relations with Visit Indy, explained. "And then they have these moments where they can go out and explore our neighborhoods, and they fall in love with Indy.”
Local realtors said they've seen this same trend.
“People are coming here from California or other coastal cities," O'Brien said. "[They] are coming here and saying ‘Wait, I can buy this much house for $500,000 or $300,000?' — whatever the budget may be.”
“People are gravitating towards this area due to the market affordability," Turner stated. "Nationally, they may be spending 50 to 60% of their income [on their mortgage], here it’s 30% or less of their income.”
To make the rankings, Zillow looked at several criteria. Indianapolis took the top spot due to its affordability, lower competition, and a combination of cooling home value growth now and forecasted appreciation ahead. That means it's a great time for buyers to enter this market.
“We’ve hosted Super Bowls and Final Fours, low property taxes, growing jobs, a great market here in the area," O'Brien stated.
“The affordable housing, the hospitality... just Indiana is a fantastic place to raise a family," Turner said with a smile.
Those are just some of the reasons many are excited to see what the future holds.
“People want to be around locals that love their community, and you see that and feel that in Indianapolis," Snyder exclaimed.
“Companies are going to be looking at this area to say we want to locate headquarters to Indianapolis," Turner said. "Because of the affordable housing, because this is a destination that people are wanting to raise their families in.”
“The area’s going to continue to grow. Home values are going to go up," O'Brien stated.
O'Brien told WRTV the median sales price for a home in Indianapolis is a little more than $300,000.
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Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.
