Existing-Home Sales Increased 1.5% in September According to NAR Report
MARKET CONDITIONSEXISTING-HOME SALES
Existing-Home Sales Increased 1.5% in September, According to NAR Report
National Association of REALTORS®, Media Relations | October 16, 2026
Month-Over-Month
1.5% increase in existing-home sales to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.99 million in September
1.9% increase in unsold inventory to 1.60 million units, equal to 4.8 months’ supply
Year-Over-Year
2.2% decrease in existing-home sales
1.3% increase in median existing-home sales price to $417,500
WASHINGTON (October 13, 2026) – Existing-home sales increased by 1.5% month-over-month and decreased by 2.2% year-over-year, according to the National Association of REALTORS® Existing-Home Sales report. The report provides the real estate ecosystem, including agents, homebuyers and sellers, with data on home sales, prices and inventory.
Month-over-month sales increased in the South and West, held steady in the Midwest and declined in the Northeast. Year-over-year sales declined in all four regions.
“Despite the small monthly gain on a seasonally adjusted basis, August and September marked the two slowest months for home sales this year,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Further increases in mortgage rates in recent weeks mean fewer buyers can qualify to purchase a home.”
“Higher inventory and lengthening days on market give buyers improved negotiating power. Home sellers need to be realistic about local market conditions, which could require price discounts and other incentives to attract buyers,” Yun said.
National Snapshot
Total Existing-Home Sales for September
Existing-home sales increased 1.5% month-over-month.
Existing-home sales decreased 2.2% year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.99 million.
Inventory in September
Total housing inventory reached 1.60 million units, up 1.9% from August and 4.6% from September 2025.
Unsold inventory represented a 4.8-month supply, unchanged from August and up from 4.5 months one year ago.
Median Sales Price in September
The median existing-home price for all housing types was $417,500.
Prices increased 1.3% from one year ago ($412,300), marking the 39th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains.
Housing Affordability in September
The Housing Affordability Index registered 105.4, down from 106.7 one year ago.
Affordability declined year-over-year in three of the four regions:
Northeast: -4.5%
Midwest: -3.1%
South: -0.4%
West: +1.0%
Single-Family and Condo/Co-op Sales
Single-Family Homes in September
Sales increased 2.0% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.64 million, down 1.9% from September 2025.
The median single-family home price was $422,700, up 1.2% year-over-year.
Condominiums and Co-ops in September
Sales decreased 2.8% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 350,000.
Sales were down 5.4% from September 2025.
The median condo/co-op price was $363,700, up 1.2% year-over-year.
Regional Snapshot for Existing-Home Sales in September
Northeast
Sales declined 2.1% month-over-month to an annual rate of 470,000.
Sales were down 4.1% from September 2025.
Median price: $523,600, up 4.7% year-over-year.
Midwest
Sales were unchanged month-over-month at an annual rate of 930,000.
Sales were down 2.1% year-over-year.
Median price: $329,600, up 3.1% year-over-year.
South
Sales increased 2.8% month-over-month to an annual rate of 1.86 million.
Sales were down 0.5% from September 2025.
Median price: $361,000, up 0.2% year-over-year.
West
Sales increased 2.8% month-over-month to an annual rate of 730,000.
Sales were down 5.2% year-over-year.
Median price: $613,600, down 0.3% from September 2025.
REALTORS® Confidence Index for September
Median time on market: 33 days, up from 31 days in August and unchanged from September 2025.
First-time buyers represented 31% of sales, up from 30% in August and 30% one year ago.
Cash sales accounted for 27% of transactions, unchanged from last month and down from 30% one year ago.
Individual investors and second-home buyers accounted for 20% of transactions, up from 15% last month and one year ago.
Distressed sales represented 2% of transactions, unchanged from both last month and one year ago.
Mortgage Rates
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.86% in September, up from 6.67% in August and 6.35% one year ago, according to Freddie Mac.
About the National Association of REALTORS®
The National Association of REALTORS® is involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Existing-home sales, which include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings from Multiple Listing Services (MLSs). Changes in sales trends outside of MLSs are not captured in the monthly series. NAR benchmarks home sales periodically using other sources to assess overall home sales trends, including sales not reported by MLSs.
Existing-home sales, based on closings, differ from the U.S. Census Bureau's series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. Existing-home sales account for more than 90% of total home sales and are based on a much larger data sample, approximately 40% of MLS data each month.
The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if that month's pace were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used to account for seasonal variations in resale activity.
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