Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q1 behind us, let’s have a look at Howard Hughes Holdings (NYSE: HHH) and its peers.

The Consumer Discretionary sector, by definition, is made up of companies selling non-essential goods and services. When economic conditions deteriorate or tastes shift, consumers can easily cut back or eliminate these purchases. For long-term investors with five-year holding periods, this creates a structural challenge: the sector is inherently hit-driven, with low switching costs and fickle customers. As a result, only a handful of companies can reliably grow demand and compound earnings over long periods, which is why our bar is high and High Quality ratings are rare. Real estate services companies provide brokerage, property management, appraisal, and advisory services, earning transaction-based commissions and recurring management fees. Tailwinds include long-term housing demand driven by demographic growth, technology platforms that expand market access, and commercial real estate complexity that sustains advisory needs. Headwinds are pronounced: rising interest rates directly suppress transaction volumes by reducing housing affordability and commercial deal activity. Commission-rate compression, driven by discount brokerages and regulatory changes, erodes per-transaction revenue. The industry is highly cyclical, with revenue swings amplified by leverage. PropTech (property technology) disruptors threaten traditional intermediary models.

The 14 consumer discretionary - real estate services stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 6.7% below.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 8.2% since the latest earnings results.

Best Q1: Howard Hughes Holdings (NYSE: HHH)

Named after the eccentric business magnate and aviator whose legacy lives on in real estate development, Howard Hughes Holdings (NYSE: HHH) develops, owns, and manages master-planned communities and commercial properties across the United States.

Howard Hughes Holdings reported revenues of $235.9 million, up 18.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 20.4%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

“2026 is a pivotal year for Howard Hughes. Our communities are delivering strong land sales, healthy net new home demand, and continued leasing growth, and we are adding a second engine of long-duration earnings with Vantage,” said David R. O’Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of Howard Hughes.

Howard Hughes Holdings pulled off the biggest analyst estimate beat of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 6.3% since reporting and currently trades at $67.50.

Is now the time to buy Howard Hughes Holdings? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI)

Founded in 1971, Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI) specializes in commercial real estate investment sales, financing, research, and advisory services.

Marcus & Millichap reported revenues of $171.5 million, up 18.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.7%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $28.81.

Is now the time to buy Marcus & Millichap? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: RE/MAX (NYSE: RMAX)

Short for Real Estate Maximums, RE/MAX (NYSE: RMAX) operates a real estate franchise network spanning over 100 countries and territories.

RE/MAX reported revenues of $70.23 million, down 5.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 12.7% since the results and currently trades at $9.66.

Read our full analysis of RE/MAX’s results here.

JLL (NYSE: JLL)

Founded in 1999 through the merger of Jones Lang Wootton and LaSalle Partners, JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a company specializing in real estate advisory and investment management services.

JLL reported revenues of $6.39 billion, up 11.1% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 6.6%. It was a very strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

The stock is down 13.6% since reporting and currently trades at $292.75.

Read our full, actionable report on JLL here, it’s free.

Forestar Group (NYSE: FOR)

As a majority-owned subsidiary of homebuilding giant D.R. Horton, Forestar Group (NYSE: FOR) develops and sells finished residential lots to homebuilders, focusing primarily on land acquisition and development for single-family homes.

Forestar Group reported revenues of $374.3 million, up 6.6% year on year. This result met analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a narrow beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Forestar Group had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 9.7% since reporting and currently trades at $29.02.

Read our full, actionable report on Forestar Group here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.