Spotlight On: Quinn Arnau, President, Atlanta REALTORS Association

Key points:

• • Atlanta’s housing market is becoming more balanced as inventory rises and buyers gain more options.
• • Affordability concerns are pushing more development toward the outer edges of the metro area.
• • As AI expands access to information, trust and expert guidance are becoming even more valuable in real estate.

June 2026 — In an interview with Focus:, Quinn Arnau, president of the Atlanta REALTORS Association, discussed Atlanta’s housing market, affordability, technology, and the association’s priorities. “I’m optimistic about housing and the housing market in Atlanta,” Arnau said.

Join us at caa’s upcoming leadership summits! These premier events bring together hundreds of public and private sector leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities for businesses and investors. Find the next summit in a city near you!

How would you describe the state of Atlanta’s housing market right now?

It depends on which part of the Atlanta market you are looking at. We have everything from multiple-offer situations for move-in-ready homes at certain price points to inventory sitting in other areas and price points.

Attached housing, meaning townhomes and condominiums, has more inventory than it has had in over 10 years. That is partly because new units have come online and partly because people in attached housing sometimes move into detached housing as families grow or tastes change.

The market has been pretty flat, maybe down a little, while inventory has continued to increase.

How is Atlanta’s growth affecting housing demand and development?

We are fortunate in Atlanta. Centennial Yards and the South Downtown project are moving forward. Depending on which measure is used, our airport is the busiest in the world, and the port in Savannah also helps drive the Atlanta economy. We have so much driving the economy that we are able to see growth continuing.

One challenge is that housing near town has become so expensive that people are making choices that move them further out. The majority of new construction we are seeing is toward the outer reaches of the metro because that is where builders can find space and build at prices more people can afford.

In town, we are seeing infill at higher price points and many discussions around ways to increase density and affordability. There is a broad scale of opinions on the best way to do that, and we are seeing different solutions tested in the marketplace. I’m optimistic about housing and the housing market in Atlanta.

The market after 2020, when interest rates were artificially low, was the exception and not the rule. Now that we are in a more balanced, historically average market, it can feel slow to sellers, when in reality it is fairly balanced.

Where are you seeing pockets of growth around the metro area?

If you take any of the major highways and drive out of town, you will find growth in many areas. Some places that felt far outside the perimeter when I was younger are now part of the metro area’s continued expansion.

It is about hitting price points that serve different communities. In town, we have seen a continuation of townhomes being built anywhere there is enough space. That has been the trend, particularly east of I-75/I-85, south of Highway 85, and along the I-20 corridor.

What solutions could improve housing access and affordability?

One thing that can improve housing access is allowing property owners to build what they would like to build. Atlanta has relaxed its rules around accessory dwelling units, where there is another housing unit in the yard of a main house.

Parking minimums are another important issue. If we were able to eliminate parking minimums, the math would work much better for smaller developments. People refer to this as missing middle housing.

The trouble now is that if you want to build something like that, you need a certain number of parking spots, which means finding land for that. Neighborhood pushback often centers on where people will park because many houses rely on street parking.

Ultimately, there is no sense in having a developer incur the cost of more parking when they could be building retail or more housing units at a more affordable rate.

What are buyers and sellers most concerned about today?

Sellers feel like the market is slow, while buyers still feel under pressure from prices and interest rates. Buyers are now dealing with higher insurance, higher taxes, and higher prices all at once.

For first-time homebuyers, that is a lot to stomach. It creates a buyer who is more selective, especially as more inventory comes online. Buyers today are often more likely to look across the metro area to find the right fit, rather than saying they only want to be in one specific place.

Prices have been relatively flat, but the original list price to sales price ratio has started to creep down. That means sellers are still pricing ambitiously, as though the market is more of a seller’s market. That also leads to houses staying on the market longer.

How is the role of real estate agents changing?

The business is still very similar to how it has been since I entered the industry about 13 years ago. It all comes down to providing excellent service, being responsive to clients, and understanding their true housing needs.

Real estate agents are often viewed as transactional agents, but I do not view the work that way. We spend our entire careers going through this decision-making process with buyers and sellers. Ideally, we should listen to the needs of clients and help them find the solution that works best for them and their families.

How are technology and AI changing the real estate industry?

Like every other industry, we have gone from a situation where information was scarce and held in silos by experts, to one where information is everywhere. The problem now is determining what is good information and what is the latest information.

I am excited about the future of AI. I think it will ultimately benefit the economy and create more room for craft work and small business, but it will not be painless to get there.

We have gone from being information finders and gatherers to being decipherers. We need to understand what clients know, what they want to know, and make the information digestible.

A specific example is the due diligence period after a buyer goes under contract. People will put inspection issues online, and it can be like trying to get a medical diagnosis on the internet.

Our role is to work with experts, including inspectors, structural engineers, and contractors, to help clients understand what something will actually cost and what it really means.

Trust in a client relationship is more important than ever. When you hire someone to represent you, you need to be able to trust the information they are giving you.

What are the Atlanta REALTORS Association’s top priorities this year?

We consider it our responsibility to help provide education and set standards not only for Atlanta, but for the real estate industry at large. Our advocacy efforts help guide housing decisions at the legislative level, and we look out for private property rights. That might mean protecting what a person can do with land they own. Atlanta is unique with its NPU system, where the community has a chance to give significant feedback before things are done.

Advocacy can also include working to protect the tax benefits of homeownership. One of the largest benefits a homeowner has is the capital gains deduction when they sell a primary residence. The lock-in effect is not only about interest rates. We have an aging population that may be looking to downsize but does not have anywhere to go without spending more money. Capital gains taxes can be another disincentive to exchanging a housing unit in the market.

We also have a responsibility to individual agents and realtors. Most of us are independent contractors affiliated with brokerages. We develop leaders in the community, and we want people in our profession to continue doing better work that impacts the community.

What is your outlook for Atlanta’s housing market over the next several years?

I am optimistic. We hear a lot about doomsday scenarios in housing, and there are some tough numbers and signals. The average age of a first-time homebuyer is too high, and that is something we need to address.

The good news is that there are solutions. Housing represents a large part of GDP when you consider everyone involved. By the time a house is built, transacted, maintained, insured, and handled through legal and governmental processes, many people may have interacted with that transaction.

Technology and mobility will also have a major impact. I believe autonomous transportation will eventually have massive impacts on the economy and real estate. There is a scenario where people are more mobile and able to travel further. That will impact how downtowns, suburbs, and exurbs function as people become more comfortable with longer commutes or are able to work during their commutes.

The Atlanta Beltline also shows the high desire for walkability and community. I have lived close to the Beltline since it was still a plan on paper, and the amount of investment along the trail shows what people want. If we want mass adoption of mass transit, people have to be able to get to it.

Want more? Read the Focus: Atlanta report.