By the Numbers

Contract signings remain sluggish compared to pre-pandemic norms, but new data suggests 2026 has shown improvement over the past few spring homebuying seasons.

Pending sales and purchase applications fell this week as average mortgage rates topped 6.5%, narrowing “the pool of buyers who can make the numbers work.”

Though construction activity in April was mixed, recent data indicates home builders are being cautious about the types of projects they’re willing to take on.

A new Listing-Income Alignment Score finds “a shortage of options” for buyers looking to purchase a home they can afford, according to NAR and Realtor.com.

The housing market may be stabilizing, but many economic factors are still in flux — and could tip home sales in a less rosy direction over the summer.

Still, most renters lack the funds for a down payment, and more buyers are turning to government-backed loans, suggesting that affordability remains a problem.

With no end in sight for the war in Iran, investors are growing increasingly nervous about how sky-high energy prices are impacting the U.S. economy.

A new Zillow analysis found that homesellers collectively lost nearly $1.5B on dual agency transactions in three years — and over $1.3B on off-MLS listings.

Rising pending sales and loan activity suggests some buyers have “shrugged off the current economic and mortgage rate uncertainties and returned to the market.”

Consumer confidence and purchasing power are weakening, with inflation jumping 3.8% in April amid rising energy prices.

April existing sales were flat year-over-year despite improving affordability, with an annual pace of just 4.02 million — below analysts’ expectations.

April employment numbers were better than expected, but for buyers and sellers, “positive momentum matters more than any single month of data,” economists say.

While economic uncertainty persists amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, “the math has shifted in favor of buyers,” according to Zillow’s chief economist.

Sales of new single-family homes climbed 3.3% year-over-year in March as builders continued offering incentives, giving buyers “some serious purchasing power.”

In the wake of the popular chatbot’s launch, home sale prices in San Francisco’s poshest ZIP codes saw an outsized surge compared to the market overall.

A recent survey found that many prospective buyers are in possession of incorrect or outdated information. It’s up to agents to set the record straight.

New data shows increases in pending sales, new listings and touring activity — but geopolitical and job market concerns continue to challenge the spring market.

More than 40% say rates would have to fall below 4% before they’d consider selling, but 10-20% do intend to move in the next five years, two surveys suggest.

Over the past five years, the average payment has jumped 44% — and breached $2,000 per month for the first time late last year, according to Realtor.com data.

Mortgage rates fell again, but economic uncertainty remains a stubborn headwind. A bump in purchase applications may signal a shift — if buyers don’t back out.