Housing market still out of alignment despite affordability gains
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.
May 20, 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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- Google home listings are back in 8 major marketsThe pilot program keeps agents “at the center of the transaction” and gives consumers a “simpler” experience, said HouseCanary, which powers the listings.May 18, 2026
- Redfin debuts ‘Early Access,’ giving homesellers ‘more control’“Early Access” gives homeowners who “want to sell, but are not ready to commit to full exposure” more options, Chief of Real Estate Services Jason Aleem said.May 18, 2026
- Mortgage rates jump as inflation reality sets inWith 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.May 15, 2026
- Are homebuyers ready to look past current market conditions?Rising pending sales and loan activity suggests some buyers have “shrugged off the current economic and mortgage rate uncertainties and returned to the market.”May 14, 2026
- Homie takes ‘conspiracy’ argument to appeals courtIn making its case against NAR, Anywhere, REMAX and HSoA, the flat-fee brokerage claimed Realtors conspired to boycott the firm due to its low commission rates.May 14, 2026
- Inflation data deals ‘a double-blow’ to housing affordabilityConsumer confidence and purchasing power are weakening, with inflation jumping 3.8% in April amid rising energy prices.May 12, 2026
- Home sales disappoint as consumer confidence hits a 70-year lowApril existing sales were flat year-over-year despite improving affordability, with an annual pace of just 4.02 million — below analysts’ expectations.May 11, 2026
- Jobs report encouraging, but consumers remain pessimisticApril employment numbers were better than expected, but for buyers and sellers, “positive momentum matters more than any single month of data,” economists say.May 8, 2026
- Rocket confident of ‘ability to outperform’ in down marketBorrower demand remains high, Rocket reported, and investments in AI will help it “take even more ground when the market improves,” CEO Varun Krishna said.May 7, 2026
- Pending sales data brings ‘good news’ to lagging housing marketWhile 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.May 7, 2026
- eXp enters the franchise business with NextHome acquisitionThe brokerage giant embraces the M&A trend, inking a deal eXp says will create “a more robust company” and give agents more choices as consolidation ramps up.May 7, 2026
- New MoxiWorks platform ‘moves beyond reactive AI’The company’s latest release of RISE includes client follow-up tools, marketing integrations and other features to “drive an entire business workflow.”May 7, 2026
- Compass stock price jumps on promise of ‘durable profitability’The company gets a vote of confidence from investors after reporting $2.7 billion in Q1 revenue — its first earnings report since the Anywhere deal closed.May 5, 2026
- Rise in new home sales shows demand exists — but it’s ‘fragile'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.”May 5, 2026
- Most homebuyers go over budget — a concern for lendersA survey of recent buyers and LOs found that affordability is a top stressor, and nearly half of young buyers have been at risk of missing a mortgage payment.May 4, 2026
- Many homebuyers held back by financing misconceptionsA 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.May 4, 2026
- KW’s CEO ready to turn tech, development strategies into actionNow that he’s spent a year assessing the company and strategizing its next moves, Chris Czarnecki says it’s time to start rolling out new tools and programs.April 30, 2026
- ‘April delivered’ as spring homebuying season picks up momentumNew data shows increases in pending sales, new listings and touring activity — but geopolitical and job market concerns continue to challenge the spring market.April 30, 2026
- Fed keeps rates frozen as Powell prepares for leadership handoffIn what may be his final press conference as Fed chair, Jerome Powell urged support for a central bank “free of political influence.”April 29, 2026
