NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 1.4% Increase in April

Month Over Month

• 1.4% increase in pending home sales
• Gains in the Northeast, Midwest and West; decline in the South

Year Over Year

• 3.2% increase in pending home sales
• Gains in the Midwest, South and West; decline in the Northeast

WASHINGTON (May 19, 2026) - Pending home sales in April increased by 1.4% month over month and rose 3.2% year over year, according to the National Association of REALTORS® Pending Home Sales report. The report provides the real estate ecosystem-including agents, homebuyers and sellers-with data on the level of home sales under contract.

Month over month pending home sales rose in the Northeast, Midwest and West, and declined in the South. Year over year pending home sales rose in the Midwest, South and West, and declined in the Northeast.

"Buyers are coming out with cautious optimism despite increasing economic uncertainty and a slight rise in mortgage rates," said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun. "Demand will easily be even higher once mortgage rates retreat to the levels they were at earlier this year."

"Historically low foreclosure sales imply minimal price discounts, with a majority of markets selling at a higher price from a year ago," Yun said. "Unless supply meaningfully increases, home price growth could outpace wage growth and further erode the homeownership rate. All efforts need to be focused on boosting housing supply."

April 2026 National Pending Home Sales

• 1.4% increase month over month
• 3.2% increase year over year

April 2026 Regional Pending Home Sales

Northeast

• 6.6% increase month over month
• 0.6% decrease year over year

Midwest

• 3.0% increase month over month
• 2.7% increase year over year

South

• 0.7% decrease month over month
• 4.7% increase year over year

West

• 0.4% increase month over month
• 3.8% increase year over year

At the local level, several markets posted notable year-over-year gains in pending home sales. Among the 50 largest metro areas, the following 10 markets posted the biggest annual increases in pending home sales, according to data from Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes - from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation - visit facts.realtor.

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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.

An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined. By coincidence, the volume of existing-home sales in 2001 fell within the range of 5.0 to 5.5 million, which is considered normal for the current U.S. population.

NOTE: Existing-Home Sales for May will be reported on June 9. The next Pending Home Sales Index will be released on June 17. All release times are 10 a.m. Eastern. View the NAR Statistical News Release Schedule.