NAR Existing-Home Sales Report Shows 0.2% Increase in April
MARKET CONDITIONSEXISTING-HOME SALES
NAR Existing-Home Sales Report Shows 0.2% Increase in April
National Association of REALTORS®, Media Relations | May 11, 2026
Month-Over-Month
0.2% increase in existing-home sales—seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million in April
5.8% increase in unsold inventory—1.47 million units equal to 4.4 months’ supply
Year-Over-Year
No change in existing-home sales
0.9% increase in median existing-home sales price to $417,700
WASHINGTON (May 11, 2026) – Existing-home sales increased by 0.2% month-over-month in April, 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 the level of home sales, price, and inventory.
Month-over-month sales increased in the Midwest and the South, were unchanged in the Northeast, and declined in the West. On a year-over-year basis, sales rose in the South, were flat in the West, and fell in both the Northeast and Midwest.
“Despite mixed macroeconomic signals—including a record-high stock market and historically low consumer confidence—home sales were modestly boosted by the continued improvement in housing affordability,” said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun. “Mortgage rates are lower from a year ago, and average income growth is outpacing home price gains.”
“Inventory still remains tight,” Yun added. “Multiple offers, though not as intense as a few years ago, are still occurring. At the same time, days on market are lengthening on average, implying that consumers are taking their time before making decisions.”
“The increase in second-home purchases reflects stronger finances among higher-income households, as well as the post-COVID rise in remote work and hybrid job schedules.”
National Snapshot
Total Existing-Home Sales for April
0.2% increase in existing-home sales month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million.
No change in sales year-over-year.
Inventory in April
1.47 million units: Total housing inventory, up 5.8% from March and 1.4% from April 2025.
4.4-month supply of unsold inventory, up from 4.2 months last month and up from 4.3 months one year ago.
Median Sales Price in April
$417,700: Median existing-home price for all housing types
0.9% increase from one year ago ($414,000)—the 34th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.
Housing Affordability in April
The Housing Affordability Index registered at 110.6, up from 101.4 a year ago.
Year-over-year, affordability improved across all regions.
Northeast +4.7%
Midwest +5.9%
South +9.6%
West +12.5%
Single-Family and Condo/Co-op Sales
Single-Family Homes in April
No change in sales month-over-month with a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.64 million, down 0.3% from April 2025.
$422,300: Median home price, up 1.0% from last year.
Condominiums and Co-ops in April
2.7% increase in sales month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 380,000; 2.7% increase from last year.
$374,100: Median price, up 1.1% from April 2025.
Regional Snapshot for Existing-Home Sales in April
Northeast
Unchanged sales month-over-month at an annual rate of 450,000; Down 8.2% year-over-year
$510,800: Median price, up 4.8% from April 2025
Midwest
2.2% increase in sales month-over-month to an annual rate of 950,000; Down 1.0% year-over-year
$324,500: Median price, up 3.6% from April 2025.
South
0.5% increase in sales month-over-month to an annual rate of 1.87 million; Up 2.7% year-over-year
$366,600: Median price, up 0.4% from April 2025
West
2.6% decrease in sales month-over-month to an annual rate of 750,000; Unchanged from last year
$619,600: Median price, down 1.4% from April 2025.
REALTORS® Confidence Index for April
32 days: Median time on market for properties, down from 41 days last month
Up from 29 days in April 2025
33% of sales were first-time homebuyers, up from 32% in March
Down slightly from 34% one year ago
25% of transactions were cash sales, down from 27% last month
Unchanged from 25% in April 2025
16% of transactions were individual investors or second-home buyers, down from 18% last month
Up slightly from 15% one year ago
2% of sales were distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales)
Unchanged from last month and a year ago.
Mortgage Rates
6.33%: The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in April, according to Freddie Mac, up from 6.18% in March and down from 6.73% one year ago.
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, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings from Multiple Listing Services. 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. In addition, existing-home sales, which account for more than 90% of total home sales, are based on a much larger data sample – about 40% of multiple listing service data each month – and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.
The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.