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Pending Home Sales

Latest News

Pending home sales sank in August for the fifth time in six months.

Read the full news release.

Next release: Pending Home Sales for September 2017 will be released on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

The Pending Home Sales Index (PHS), a leading indicator of housing activity, measures housing contract activity, and is based on signed real estate contracts for existing single-family homes, condos, and co-ops. Because a home goes under contract a month or two before it is sold, the Pending Home Sales Index generally leads Existing-Home Sales by a month or two.

Pending Home Sales for September 2017 will be released on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

The NAR Public Affairs Office issues a news release on or near the 25th of each month with the latest existing-home sales figures. The releases include analysis and quotes by NAR's Chief Economist Lawrence Yun regarding the sales volume, prices, inventory and interest rates.

NAR Research Data Release Dates

Pending Home Sales data are provided by NAR solely for use as a reference. No part of the data may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or redistributed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without NAR's prior written consent for those who are not members of NAR.

Data

Monthly Index

The monthly index covers the past 12 months for the nation and four regions. The data includes seasonally adjusted as well as not seasonally adjusted figures.

PHSI Overview Chart for printing: phs-07-2017-pending-home-sales-08-31-2017 .pdf (17 KB)

PHSI Overview Chart for database work: phs-07-2017-pending-home-sales-08-31-2017 .xls (38 KB)

Forecast

U.S. Economic Outlook (PDF: 28 KB)

Seasonally-Adjusted Historical Files

Each year, the National Association of Realtors revises Seasonal Adjustment Factors and Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate data with the February release of revised (final) December data. Data affected by this Annual Seasonal Factor revision includes national and regional data for: 

  • Seasonally Adjusted Pending Home Sales Index 

In the Annual Seasonal Factor revision, seasonally adjusted data and components affected by seasonally adjusted data for the past 3 years is revised (i.e. the 2017 release of revised December 2016 data will include revisions for 2014, 2015, and 2016). 

Revision data files from last year are currently available: 
Seasonally-Adjusted Historical Files (MS Excel: 31 KB)

Historical Information

Historical data can be purchased in the REALTOR® Store.

Questions?

If you have questions about this data, please email them to data@realtors.org.

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Contract Signings Fall in August

In this video, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun talks about August pending home sales, the effects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma on the real estate markets in Texas and Florida, and inventory shortages, rising prices, and affordability issues.

Contract Signings Fall in August

Lawrence Yun talks about pending sales, the effects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, inventory shortages, rising prices, and affordability issues.

Tax Reform

Pending tax reform plans threaten to wipe out the tax benefits of owning a home for 95% of American families.
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