Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI America's real estate market was all set for a hot selling season. Those hopes have been dashed. Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI By 2026-04-29T08:24:01.319Z Making it in real estate requires a certain degree of blind optimism: a belief that, despite the market's ups and downs, the buyers will come knocking, the home inspection will come up clean, and both parties will shake off the jitters and sign on the dotted line. Never does that faith flow more freely than in the weeks leading up to the busy spring selling season in March and April, when better weather tends to coax buyers and sellers out of hibernation and into a flurry of dealmaking that sets the tone for the rest of the year. In the past few years , this eternal optimism has not been rewarded. Most recently, President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs spoiled hopes of a spring rebound in 2025. With would-be buyers feeling uneasy about borrowing rates, the economy, and their jobs, many decided to stay put.…