NAR Existing-Home Sales Report Shows 1.7% Decrease in July

MARKET CONDITIONSEXISTING-HOME SALES

National Association of REALTORS®

8/12/20263 min read

NAR Existing-Home Sales Report Shows 1.7% Decrease in July

National Association of REALTORS®, Media Relations | August 11, 2026

Month-Over-Month

1.7% decrease in existing-home sales to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million in July.
1.9% decrease in unsold inventory to 1.54 million units, equal to a 4.6-month supply.

Year-Over-Year

0.7% increase in existing-home sales.
2.0% increase in median existing-home sales price to $434,100.

WASHINGTON (August 11, 2026) – Existing-home sales decreased by 1.7% month-over-month and increased 0.7% 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 Northeast, held steady in the West, and declined in the Midwest and South. Year-over-year sales rose in the Midwest and West and were flat in the Northeast and South.

“Home sales have been remarkably stable, even amid the rising mortgage rate environment of the past few months,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Year-to-date sales are up 2.4% and there’s no doubt that the housing market would be thriving if average mortgage rates were to return near 6%.”

“Though the national data shows stabilization, there are notable local market variations,” Yun said. “In smaller cities, and particularly in the Midwest, an annual household income of $60,000 would be sufficient to buy a median-priced home. Working with an agent who is a REALTOR® will help you better pinpoint what’s happening in your area.”

National Snapshot

Total Existing-Home Sales for July

1.7% decrease in existing-home sales month-over-month.
0.7% increase year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million.

Inventory in July

1.54 million units: Total housing inventory, down 1.9% from June and down 0.6% from July 2025.
4.6-month supply of unsold inventory, unchanged from last month and one year ago.

Median Sales Price in July

$434,100: Median existing-home price for all housing types.
2.0% increase from one year ago ($425,700), marking the 37th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

Housing Affordability in July

The Housing Affordability Index registered at 103.3, up from 98.3 a year ago.

Year-over-year affordability improved across all regions:

Northeast: +1.5%
Midwest: +4.0%
South: +6.1%
West: +7.3%

Single-Family and Condo/Co-op Sales

Single-Family Homes in July

1.9% decrease in sales month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.69 million, up 0.8% from July 2025.
$440,300 median home price, up 1.9% from last year.

Condominiums and Co-ops in July

No change in sales month-over-month, with a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 370,000.
Unchanged from last year.
$371,800 median price, up 2.2% from July 2025.

Regional Snapshot for Existing-Home Sales in July

Northeast

2.0% increase in sales month-over-month to an annual rate of 500,000.
Unchanged from July 2025.
$563,800 median price, up 5.2% from July 2025.

Midwest

2.0% decrease in sales month-over-month to an annual rate of 970,000.
Up 2.1% year-over-year.
$342,900 median price, up 2.8% from July 2025.

South

3.1% decrease in sales month-over-month to an annual rate of 1.86 million.
Unchanged from July 2025.
$371,700 median price, up 0.9% from July 2025.

West

Sales were unchanged month-over-month at an annual rate of 730,000.
Up 1.4% year-over-year.
$622,200 median price, up 0.2% from July 2025.

REALTORS® Confidence Index for July

Median time on market: 29 days, up from 28 days last month and one year ago.
First-time homebuyers accounted for 29% of sales, down from 33% in June and up from 28% one year ago.
Cash sales represented 26% of transactions, up from 25% last month and down from 31% one year ago.
Individual investors or second-home buyers accounted for 14% of transactions, up from 13% last month and down from 20% one year ago.
Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) represented 2% of transactions, unchanged from last month and one year ago.

Mortgage Rates

6.54%: Average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in July, according to Freddie Mac, up from 6.49% in June and down from 6.72% 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.

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