Fed holds rates steady, but inflation could stymie spring sales
Mortgage rates didn’t shift significantly after the Fed’s unsurprising announcement, but rising prices — not rates — could be a bigger concern for homebuyers.
March 18, 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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- MRED MLS moves to make association membership optionalOn March 19, the large Midwest MLS’s board will consider dropping association membership as a requirement for MLS data access.March 18, 2026
- HomeServices CEO ‘skeptical’ of real estate’s litigation trendAs a “recovering” lawyer, Chris Kelly doesn’t think issues like private listings should be decided by a court — especially if consumer interests get overlooked.March 18, 2026
- Housing market conditions ‘fragile’ as pending sales lagThe year-over-year decline suggests factors like economic uncertainty, affordability may “further tighten the market just as the buying season hits its stride.”March 17, 2026
- Howard Hanna takes a ‘middle ground’ approach to pre-marketingCEO Hoby Hanna believes the new HannaList initiative, which he says will abide by MLS rules, offers sellers a chance to build momentum prior to a public launch.March 12, 2026
- Economic unease threatens early-year housing market momentumConcerns about the war in Iran are adding to widespread economic anxiety as mortgage rates — which recently hit three-year lows — start ticking back up.March 12, 2026
- Zillow pushes for a stay in RESPA case; Anywhere notches a winIn a March 11 filing, Zillow reiterated a request to pause the Taylor case. Meanwhile, five Gibson deals were appealed; Anywhere settlement approved in Tuccori.March 12, 2026
- HomeServices CEO: We’re ready to be the ‘adults in the room’As the industry shifts, “it’s really important that HomeServices steps up and fulfills its obligation” as one of the nation’s top brokerages, Chris Kelly said.March 11, 2026
- Uptick in home sales could signal a modest reboundExisting home sales rose slightly in February, but lagged behind last year’s pace. How consumers react to economic uncertainty may be key to sales this spring.March 10, 2026
- Home sales off to a slow start in March as Iran war unfoldsThe Middle East conflict “just added to the anxiety pile” for buyers and sellers already concerned about economic uncertainty, dampening sales activity.March 5, 2026
- How will the war in Iran impact the US housing market?After hitting three-year lows last week, mortgage rates jumped in the war’s first few days — but the rise could be temporary if the conflict doesn’t last long.March 3, 2026
- ‘Deeply rooted’ housing shortage worsened in 2025The U.S. had a deficit of 4.03M homes in 2025 — up from 3.8M in 2024 and the third-largest supply gap of the past 14 years, according to Realtor.com data.March 3, 2026
- Anywhere rejects Batton plaintiffs’ ‘reverse auction’ claimsAnywhere’s attorneys are asking the judge in the Batton case to not intervene in a proposed opt-in settlement with a similar case known as Tuccori.March 2, 2026
- New pre-showing tool aims to quickly ID serious buyersA veteran real estate agent has rolled out an AI-assisted “buyer profile” site to help fellow agents avoid wasting time on clients who aren’t ready to act.March 2, 2026
- Have mortgage rates finally reached the magic number?The average weekly rate dipped below 6% for the first time in more than three years — a threshold that could unlock buyers (and sellers) this spring.February 26, 2026
- Home shoppers have more buying power heading into springWhile affordability remains a challenge, lower mortgage rates and increases in inventory are giving buyers some wiggle room as they search for their next home.February 25, 2026
- Revenue inches up as eXp focuses on efficiency, agent retentionWhile revenue beat expectations, losses increased in 2025 as the company worked to create "a boundary-less platform where technology and community converge.”February 25, 2026
- Zillow moves to dismiss RESPA case: ‘Thin on substance’The Taylor case, filed in September 2025, claims Zillow Flex agents are pushed to steer clients to Zillow Home Loans — allegations the home search giant denies.February 20, 2026
- Are mortgage rates about to drop below 6%?Rates fell to 6.01% this week, the lowest level in more than three years. But homebuying activity remains sluggish even as affordability steadily improves.February 19, 2026
- Builder confidence slips again amid cost pressuresThe National Association of Home Builders’ monthly sentiment score — which has hovered below 40 since April 2025 — dropped another point this month.February 18, 2026
