Pending Home Sales Moved Up in November 2024

Pending Home Sales Moved Up 2.2% in November, Fourth Straight Month of Increases

National Association of REALTORS®, article by Lauren Cozzi | December 30, 2024

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Pending home sales in November increased 2.2%.

• Compared to one month ago, pending sales rose in the Midwest, South and West but declined in the Northeast.

• Year-over-year, contract signings grew in all four U.S. regions, with the West showing the biggest jump.

WASHINGTON (December 30, 2024) – Pending home sales gained 2.2% in November – the fourth consecutive month of increases and the highest level since February 2023 – according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Midwest, South and West experienced month-over-month gains in transactions, while the Northeast decreased. Year-over-year, contract signings increased in all four U.S. regions, with the West leading the pack.

The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* – a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings – advanced 2.2% to 79.0 in November. Year-over-year, pending transactions improved 6.9%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.

“Consumers appeared to have recalibrated expectations regarding mortgage rates and are taking advantage of more available inventory,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Mortgage rates have averaged above 6% for the past 24 months. Buyers are no longer waiting for or expecting mortgage rates to fall substantially. Furthermore, buyers are in a better position to negotiate as the market shifts away from a seller’s market.”

Pending Home Sales Regional Breakdown

The Northeast PHSI fell 1.3% from last month to 67.8, up 5.6% from November 2023. The Midwest index increased 0.4% to 78.1 in November, up 1.6% from the previous year.

The South PHSI improved 5.2% to 94.5 in November, up 8.5% from a year ago. The West index rose by 0.5% from the prior month to 64.3, up 11.8% from November 2023.

“It appears that some markets will outperform, driven primarily by local job gains and the flow of new inventory supply,” explained Yun.

About the National Association of REALTORS®

As America’s largest trade association, 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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*The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.

Pending contracts are good early indicators of upcoming sales closings. However, the amount of time between pending contracts and completed sales is not identical for all home sales. Variations in the length of the process from pending contract to closed sale can be caused by issues such as buyer difficulties with obtaining mortgage financing, home inspection problems, or appraisal issues.

The index is based on a sample that covers about 40% of multiple listing service data each month. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months.