NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 1.8% Increase in February

WASHINGTON (March 17, 2026) – Pending home sales in February increased by 1.8% from the prior month and declined 0.8% year over year, according to the National Association of REALTORS® Pending Home Sales report. The report provides the real estate ecosystem—including agents and homebuyers and sellers—with data on the level of home sales under contract.

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

“The slight gain in pending contracts appears to be driven by improved affordability conditions. However, those conditions could reverse if higher oil prices lead to an uptick in mortgage rates,” said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun. “The Midwest—the most affordable region of the country—was the strongest performer in February. But the Northeast was held back by a combination of higher home prices and a shortage of supply.”

“For first-time homebuyers, purchasing a home is not a snap decision,” Yun added. “It takes time to build credit, save for a down payment, and fulfill existing rental lease agreements. Still, there is sizable pent-up demand that could be released into the market. Although job gains have been sluggish in recent months, there are still 6 million more jobs in the country than in the pre-COVID period.”

February 2026 National Pending Home Sales

• 1.8% increase month over month
• 0.8% decrease year over year

February 2026 Regional Pending Home Sales 

Northeast

• 3.6% decrease month over month
• 12.1% decrease year over year

Midwest

• 4.6% increase month over month
• 0.1% decrease year over year

South

• 2.7% increase month over month
• 1.2% increase year over year

West 

• 0.9% increase month over month
• 3.2% 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 Realtor.com® Economics:

1. San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad, CA (+13.5%)
2. Jacksonville, FL (+12.1%)
3. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA (+10.6%)
4. Denver–Aurora–Centennial, CO (+10.5%)
5. Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach, FL (+10.0%)
6. Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler, AZ (+9.8%)
7. Sacramento–Roseville–Folsom, CA (+9.3%)
8. Kansas City, MO-KS (+8.7%)
9. Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos, TX (+8.1%)
10. Oklahoma City, OK (+8.7%)

About the National Association of REALTORS®

The National Association of REALTORS® is involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict 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 March will be reported on April 13. The next Pending Home Sales Index will be released on April 21. All release times are 10 a.m. Eastern. View the NAR Statistical News Release Schedule.