Skip to main content

Pending Home Sales

Latest News

Pending home sales overall slipped in November, but saw minor increases in the Northeast and the West. The latest decline in contract signings implies more short-term pull back in the housing sector and does not yet capture the impact of recent favorable conditions of mortgage rates.

Read the full news release.

Next release: Pending Home Sales for December 2018 will be released on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 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 December 2018 will be released on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 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.

Members of the media who need copies of previous months' pending home sales news releases can contact the NAR media communications team at 202-383-7515.

Data

Citation guidelines for NAR research and statistics

Expand all

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.

PHS Overview (PDF: 23 KB)

Forecast

U.S. Economic Outlook (PDF: 157 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.

Advertisement

Contract Signings Dip

Lawrence Yun discusses November pending sales, effects of the government shutdown on flood insurance and contracts, and gives his 2019 forecast.
December 28, 2018

Video: Contract Signings Dip

In this video, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun talks about November pending home sales, big swings in the West region, affordability, the effect of the government shutdown on flood insurance and home sales, and gives his forecast for 2019.
December 28, 2018

Video: October Contract Signings Continue to Fall

Contract signings were down for the 10th consecutive month, due to rising interest rates and increased housing prices in the west region, according to NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

November 29, 2018
RSPS logo

RSPS Certification

Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) is a REALTOR® certification for specialists in buying and selling resort and second home properties.