Existing home sales slide even as affordability improves
While existing home sales tumbled 4.4% year-over-year in January, improvements in affordability and inventory offer hope for more market activity this spring.
February 12, 2026
Dave Gallagher
Director, News Reporting
Dave's journalism career spans 24 years covering business, the economy and real estate in Northwest Washington. He's also a numbers nerd, examining data to spot emerging trends in industries. Having started his career as a sports writer, he's a lifelong baseball and soccer fan and recently discovered pickleball. He grew up in Yosemite National Park and earned his journalism degree at Humboldt State University in northern California.
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- Only about 1 in 10 households moved in 2024, study findsThe U.S. household mobility rate fell to 11.2% in 2024, Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found — and early 2025 data indicates not much has changed.February 12, 2026
- Surprising jobs data paints a ‘muddy picture’ of the economyThe latest employment report makes a case for “cautious optimism” ahead of the spring homebuying season — if job and wage growth continue.February 11, 2026
- Zillow beats investor forecasts with double-digit revenue gainsThe company’s mortgage and rentals divisions continued to drive growth at the end of 2025, with overall revenue up 18% year-over-year in Q4.Updated February 11, 2026
- Redfin brings its home search to ChatGPT through new appThe announcement comes 4 months after Zillow became the first portal to launch an app in ChatGPT — a move that stirred debate about AI’s wider industry impact.February 6, 2026
- Zillow can continue enforcing private listing ban, judge rulesIn a Feb. 6 ruling, a judge denied Compass’ injunction request, citing insufficient evidence of irreparable harm and skepticism of conspiracy, monopoly claims.February 6, 2026
- 5 more settlements approved in Gibson commissions caseThe formal approval granted in the Gibson case on Feb. 5 adds nearly $40 million to the larger settlement fund, which totals over $1 billion.February 5, 2026
- CoStar continues to refute ‘false narrative’ about Homes.comIn its latest response to investor criticism, CoStar says demands to offload the portal “demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of our business.”February 5, 2026
- Uptick in new listings offers hope for the chilly marketWith rates near three-year lows and new listings on the rise, market conditions are relatively decent for home shoppers ahead of the spring homebuying season.February 5, 2026
- Homeownership rate climbs most among people under 35Slight improvements in affordability helped put more people in homes at the end of 2025, with year-over-year gains among the under 35 and 55-64 age groups.February 5, 2026
- Nearly two-thirds of homebuyers scored a discount in 2025A Redfin report found that the share of buyers paying less than the list price was up last year, and the average discount for those below-ask homes was 7.9%.February 3, 2026
- Keller Williams is first to settle in Batton, will pay $20MAfter five years of litigation, Keller Williams President and CEO Chris Czarnecki said the brokerage is turning its attention “back to what we do best.”February 2, 2026
- Buyers backed out of deals at a record rate last monthHome purchase cancellations hit an all-time high for the month of December, Redfin found, especially in markets where sellers outnumber buyers by a wide margin.January 27, 2026
- Rocket hit with RESPA class-action lawsuitSimilar to recent lawsuits filed against Zillow, the homebuyer plaintiffs say they were pressured by agents who steered them toward Rocket’s lending services.January 26, 2026
- Lower rates, cooling prices prompt cautious optimism for buyersThough recent data offers mixed signals for the spring season, economists believe the year ahead will be “more constructive” for homebuyers.January 22, 2026
- NAR discrimination case dismissed; Zillow clashes with FTCRoshani Sheth’s case was dismissed with prejudice. Plus, Zillow and the FTC bicker over discovery; judge blocks a motion filed by Gibson settlement objectors.January 21, 2026
- Mortgage rates jump as global tensions flareTrump’s vow to seize Greenland prompted threats of retaliatory tariffs from the EU, putting pressure on Treasury bonds and sending rates up (and stocks down).January 20, 2026
- Zillow hit with another lawsuit over allegations of steeringA real estate agent in Washington state filed a class-action case claiming she and her team were penalized after refusing to refer clients to Zillow Home Loans.January 20, 2026
- Affordability forecast indicates ‘small-wins year’ for housingAccording to a new Zillow report, 49 of the 50 largest U.S. markets will see housing costs ease in 2026 — and 20 will meet a key affordability threshold.January 19, 2026
- Builders kick off 2026 in a downbeat moodBuilder confidence dipped in January amid higher construction costs and affordability concerns, according to the NAHB — and many have reported cutting prices.January 16, 2026
