Realtor.com® Market Clock® Tool Expands to 100 Metros, Reveals the Most Buyer-Friendly Spring in Years

Q: How many U.S. metros does the Realtor.com Market Clock cover in Q2 2026 for NWS?

The Market Clock now covers the 100 largest U.S. metros , double its original scope. According to Realtor.com, this expanded coverage highlights significant regional variation in buyer versus seller leverage that a single national reading cannot capture for NWS-focused investors.

Q: Which regions show the strongest buyer’s markets in the Realtor.com Market Clock Q2 2026 data?

Buyer’s markets are concentrated in the South , which accounts for 18 of 19 such metros. According to Realtor.com, the West is largely balanced-loosening, the Midwest still tilts to sellers, and the Northeast holds all balanced-tightening markets in Q2 2026.

Q: What does the Q2 2026 Market Clock say about pending home sales and market activity?

Pending home sales have risen for seven consecutive months , marking the most active spring in four years. According to Realtor.com, this momentum coincides with increased pricing realism, especially in Southern and Western metros where prices and price-cut shares are declining together.

Q: How does the Realtor.com Market Clock methodology work in the 2026 Q2 release?

The Market Clock assigns each metro a position from 12 o’clock (peak seller) to 6 o’clock (peak buyer) . According to Realtor.com, it combines listing data, deed records, market pace, balance, momentum and pricing pressure, using April 2026 transactions for this quarter’s readings.

Rhea-AI Impact

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Rhea-AI Sentiment

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Rhea-AI Summary

Realtor.com Market Clock, a tool of News Corp’s NWS portfolio, has doubled its coverage to the 100 largest U.S. metros and shows the most buyer-leaning spring since 2018. The national market sits at 3 o’clock, a balanced but loosening phase trending toward buyers, according to Realtor.com.

Realtor.com reports that 70% of metros either favor buyers or are shifting that way, up from 52% a year ago, while outright buyer’s markets have risen to 19% of metros and seller’s markets have shrunk to 25%. Regionally, most buyer’s markets are in the South, the Northeast holds all balanced-tightening readings, and Hartford is the only peak seller at 12 o’clock.

Seller behavior is adjusting: listing prices per square foot fell year over year in 60 of 100 metros, and the national median list price is down about 2.5%. In buyer’s markets, typical list price per square foot is also down 2.5% and price-cut shares are easing, while pending sales have increased for seven consecutive months.

News Explained

Restated history and Rochester’s exclusion mean this quarter’s Market Clock is not a fully like-for-like comparison with prior readings.

The Q2 2026 update uses a refined Market Clock methodology; historical readings were restated, and Rochester was excluded because of a county-level data outage, leaving 99 metros plus the national reading in the tables.

The tool translates local housing conditions into a clock position by combining measures of market balance, pace, momentum and pricing pressure.

For the back half of 2026, the company flags Memphis, San Antonio and Houston as near a possible move into buyer territory, while Cape Coral and North Port have moved back from peak looseness.

News Market Reaction – NWS

-3.10%

1 alert

-3.10% Session close to close

$17.57B Market Cap

5.04K Volume

In the Jul 21 session, NWS declined 3.10%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

Recent Realtor.com-related events ranged from -1.21% for news_id 1079148 to 1.64% for news_id 108191...

Analysis

Recent Realtor.com-related events ranged from -1.21% for news_id 1079148 to 1.64% for news_id 1081912. That mixed record frames this market report; regional variation remains the principal risk to interpretation.

Key Figures

Market coverage: 100 largest U.S. metros Buyer-favoring markets: 70% Outright buyer markets: 19% +5 more

8 metrics

Market coverage 100 largest U.S. metros Expanded Realtor.com Market Clock tool coverage

Buyer-favoring markets 70% Markets favoring buyers or trending toward buyers

Outright buyer markets 19% Top 100 markets in Q2 2026

National clock reading 3 o'clock Balanced-loosening national housing phase

Markets loosening 36 metros Moved toward buyers over the past year

Markets tightening 4 metros Moved toward sellers over the past year

Declining listing prices 60 metros Listing prices per square foot fell year over year

Pending sales growth seven straight months Year-over-year increase in pending sales

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jul 15 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Jul 15	Luxury housing report	Neutral	+1.6%	Luxury thresholds declined while high-end homes sold faster year over year
Jul 14	Rent report	Neutral	-0.8%	National asking rents declined while select high-cost markets posted increases
Jul 08	Sports conference announcement	Neutral	-1.2%	News Corp announced its inaugural sports business event in New York
Jul 08	Housing forecast update	Negative	-1.2%	Home-price growth forecast was reduced below anticipated inflation
Jul 07	Foreclosure market report	Neutral	+1.5%	Foreclosure listings reached their highest level in six years

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent Realtor.com-related news produced mixed reactions, with the forecast update's negative reaction providing the clearest directional match.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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07/21/2026 - 06:00 AM

A Record 70% of Markets Favor Buyers or Are Trending That Way as Sellers Price More Realistically and Pending Sales Rise Year over Year for a Seventh Straight Month

AUSTIN, Texas, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Realtor.com^® Market Clock^® tool now spans the 100 largest U.S. metros, double its original coverage, and the expanded view confirms what monthly data have hinted at all season: this is the most buyer-friendly spring since since 2018, even as the national reading holds steady at a balanced, buyer-trending 3 o'clock. A full 70% of markets favor buyers right now or are trending in that direction, up from 52% last year. Outright buyers markets hold their largest spring share (19%) since 2019 and 50 of the top 100 markets are balanced but trending in buyers' favor.

The Market Clock^® tool distills local housing conditions into a single position on a 12-hour clockface from 12 o'clock (peak seller's market) to 6 o'clock (peak buyer's market), so buyers, sellers and market watchers can see at a glance who holds the leverage in a given metro, and which way it's moving.

This quarter the Realtor.com^® Market Clock^® places the national housing market at 3 o'clock, a "Balanced-Loosening" phase, heading toward buyer-friendly conditions, though not necessarily approaching them quickly. But a single national aggregate masks substantial variation below. Beneath it, local markets occupy nine of the twelve positions on the clockface, some still favoring sellers but a growing number favoring buyers.

"A national number can only tell you so much," said Jake Krimmel, senior economist, Realtor.com^®. "What the Market Clock^® shows this quarter is a country moving toward buyers, but at very different speeds depending on where you live. Doubling our coverage to 100 metros lets us show that fragmentation and broad-based buyer-friendly momentum in a way a single headline number never could."

Variation Is the Story — And It's Regional

Of the top 100 metros, 25 remain seller's markets, 50 sit in balanced-loosening territory (buyer-trending), 19 are outright buyer's markets, and 5 are balanced-tightening (seller-trending). That spread across nine of the clock's twelve positions is the most even distribution Realtor.com^® has recorded since spring 2020. No quadrant holds more than half of all metros, and every quadrant holds at least a handful.

The divide tracks geography almost perfectly. The South accounts for 18 of the 19 buyer's markets; the Northeast holds all 5 balanced-tightening markets; the Midwest still claims half of the seller's quadrant; and the West is overwhelmingly balanced-loosening as it trends towards buyers. When it comes to outliers, Hartford, Connecticut, is the lone metro left at 12 o'clock, the clock's peak-seller position.

"Two-thirds of Midwestern metros are still tilted toward sellers, and not one has crossed into buyer's territory," said Krimmel. "Meanwhile, a buyer shopping in the South is working with nearly the opposite market and it's the clearest regional split we've measured."

The Most Buyer-Friendly Spring on Record

Buyer's markets now make up 19% of the top 100, their largest second-quarter share since 2019, a stark reversal from 2022, when 96% of metros were seller's markets. Seller's markets, by contrast, have shrunk to 25% of metros. Fully 70% of markets now favor buyers or are trending in that direction. That's because over the past year, movement along the Market Clock^® tool has been almost entirely one-directional: 36 metros loosened toward buyers while only 4 tightened, a 9 to 1 ratio. Of the 24 metros that changed their level of balance since last year, 23 moved in buyers' direction.

Twenty-one metros loosened a full two hours on the clock over the past year — Augusta, Bakersfield, Charlotte, Cleveland, Greenville, Nashville, Portland (Maine), Providence, San Antonio and Syracuse among them. Colorado Springs moved further still, traveling from a balanced 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock — the far side of the buyer's quadrant, past the 6 o'clock peak-buyer position — in just twelve months. Oxnard, Calif., logged the biggest move of any metro, swinging five hours from 10 o'clock to 3 o'clock as it crossed the top of the clock from tightening territory, through seller's, and out onto the loosening side.

Biggest Movers of the Quarter

Six metros moved two full hours toward buyers since Q1 2026: Cape Coral, Fla. (5→7), Cleveland (1→3), North Port, Fla. (5→7), Portland, Maine (1→3), Providence, R.I. (1→3) and Syracuse, N.Y. (2→4). Three moved two hours the other way: Bridgeport, Conn. (10→8), El Paso, Texas (4→2) and Fresno, Calif. (4→2). Every other metro moved one hour or less. Notably, the two Florida moves from 5 to 7 o'clock carry those markets past peak-buyer conditions rather than deeper into them.

Biggest Movers Since Q1 2026

Metro	Region	Q1 2026 Clock Hour	Q2 2026 Clock Hour	Net move (hours)	Quadrant change
Cape Coral, FL	South	5	7	+2	—
Cleveland, OH	Midwest	1	3	+2	Seller's → Loosening
North Port, FL	South	5	7	+2	—
Portland, ME	Northeast	1	3	+2	Seller's → Loosening
Providence, RI	Northeast	1	3	+2	Seller's → Loosening
Syracuse, NY	Northeast	2	4	+2	—
Bridgeport, CT	Northeast	10	8	−2	—
El Paso, TX	South	4	2	−2	—
Fresno, CA	West	4	2	−2	—

Every other metro moved one hour or less since Q1.

Sellers Are Playing Ball

Buyer leverage only matters if sellers respond to it and this quarter, they are. In 60 of the top 100 metros, listing prices per square foot fell year over year, the most widespread spring price softening the Market Clock^® has recorded, up from 46 metros a year ago and just 3 metros in 2022. Nationally, the median list price is down roughly 2.5% from a year ago.

That pricing realism shows up most clearly where buyers already hold the leverage: in outright buyer's markets, the typical metro's listing price per square foot is down 2.5% year over year, and while price cuts remain elevated at roughly one in five listings, cut shares are falling — a sign sellers are pricing right from the start rather than correcting later. The pattern is sharpest in the South and West, where a majority of metros (57% and 55%, respectively) show both falling prices and falling cut shares, and faintest in the Midwest and Northeast, where prices per square foot are still inching upward.

"Pricing realism is what buyer leverage looks like in action," said Krimmel. "Sellers in the South and West are getting the message and pricing accordingly, and it's paying off — pending sales have now risen for seven straight months, which is the most active spring market we've seen in four years."

What to Watch This Summer

The Market Clock^® momentum readings point to a short watch list heading into the back half of the year. Memphis – along with San Antonio and Houston, among nine late-balanced metros – is on the cusp of crossing into buyer's territory. Also, a large and geographically diverse cluster of late-seller's markets at 1 is worth watching for the next wave of crossovers into balanced territory. The Gulf Coast's deepest buyer's markets, including Cape Coral and North Port in Florida, have begun ticking back from peak looseness — still firmly buyer-friendly, but past their trough — and whether they resume loosening or keep tightening will help shape the national buyer's share heading into the third quarter. Finally, the greater New York region — including Poughkeepsie, Albany and Bridgeport — remains the only corner of the country where sellers are regaining leverage.

Market Clock^® Readings - 2026Q2

Geography	Clock Hour	Definition
United States (national)	3	Balanced (loosening)
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	12	Peak Seller
Akron, OH	1	Late Seller
Albuquerque, NM	1	Late Seller
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	1	Late Seller
Boise City, ID	1	Late Seller
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	1	Late Seller
Columbus, OH	1	Late Seller
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	1	Late Seller
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	1	Late Seller
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	1	Late Seller
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	1	Late Seller
Kansas City, MO-KS	1	Late Seller
Madison, WI	1	Late Seller
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	1	Late Seller
Omaha, NE-IA	1	Late Seller
Richmond, VA	1	Late Seller
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	1	Late Seller
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	1	Late Seller
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	1	Late Seller
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	1	Late Seller
St. Louis, MO-IL	1	Late Seller
Toledo, OH	1	Late Seller
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	1	Late Seller
Wichita, KS	1	Late Seller
Worcester, MA	1	Late Seller
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
El Paso, TX	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Fresno, CA	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Greensboro-High Point, NC	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
New Haven, CT	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Raleigh-Cary, NC	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Stockton-Lodi, CA	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Tulsa, OK	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Winston-Salem, NC	2	Early Balanced (loosening)
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	3	Balanced (loosening)
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	3	Balanced (loosening)
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	3	Balanced (loosening)
Chattanooga, TN-GA	3	Balanced (loosening)
Cleveland, OH	3	Balanced (loosening)
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	3	Balanced (loosening)
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	3	Balanced (loosening)
Knoxville, TN	3	Balanced (loosening)
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	3	Balanced (loosening)
Oklahoma City, OK	3	Balanced (loosening)
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	3	Balanced (loosening)
Portland-South Portland, ME	3	Balanced (loosening)
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	3	Balanced (loosening)
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	3	Balanced (loosening)
Tucson, AZ	3	Balanced (loosening)
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
Birmingham, AL	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
Syracuse, NY	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
Urban Honolulu, HI	4	Late Balanced (loosening)
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	5	Early Buyer
Baton Rouge, LA	5	Early Buyer
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	5	Early Buyer
Jacksonville, FL	5	Early Buyer
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	5	Early Buyer
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	5	Early Buyer
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	7	Late Buyer
Colorado Springs, CO	7	Late Buyer
Columbia, SC	7	Late Buyer
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	7	Late Buyer
Jackson, MS	7	Late Buyer
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	7	Late Buyer
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	7	Late Buyer
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	7	Late Buyer
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	7	Late Buyer
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	7	Late Buyer
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	7	Late Buyer
Port St. Lucie, FL	7	Late Buyer
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	7	Late Buyer
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	8	Early Balanced (tightening)
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	8	Early Balanced (tightening)
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	8	Early Balanced (tightening)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	8	Early Balanced (tightening)
Pittsburgh, PA	9	Balanced (tightening)
Rochester, NY		No reading (excluded this quarter)

Methodology

This quarter's readings reflect a refined Market Clock^® methodology; historical readings shown here have been restated for consistency, so some past values may differ slightly from those published in the Q1 2026 report. Quarterly readings use April 2026, the latest month with complete transaction records at publication. Rochester, N.Y., is excluded this quarter due to a county-level data outage; tables cover 99 metros plus the national reading. The Realtor.com® Market Clock^® tool is built on Realtor.com® housing market data and analysis of deed records, synthesizing measures of market balance, pace and momentum, and pricing pressure into a single clock position for each metro. Data are updated monthly and the report is released quarterly.

About Realtor.com^®

For over 30 years, Realtor.com^® has connected buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 real estate site REALTOR® agents recommend, Realtor.com^®delivers consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.

Media Contact: Mallory Micetich, press@realtor.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realtorcom-market-clock-tool-expands-to-100-metros-reveals-the-most-buyer-friendly-spring-in-years-302829973.html

SOURCE Realtor.com

FAQ

What does the Realtor.com Market Clock Q2 2026 report reveal about U.S. housing conditions for NWS investors?

The Q2 2026 Market Clock shows the national housing market at 3 o’clock, a balanced but loosening phase. According to Realtor.com, 70% of the top 100 metros now favor buyers or are trending that way, indicating broad buyer-leaning momentum.

How many U.S. metros does the Realtor.com Market Clock cover in Q2 2026 for NWS?

The Market Clock now covers the 100 largest U.S. metros, double its original scope. According to Realtor.com, this expanded coverage highlights significant regional variation in buyer versus seller leverage that a single national reading cannot capture for NWS-focused investors.

Which regions show the strongest buyer’s markets in the Realtor.com Market Clock Q2 2026 data?

Buyer’s markets are concentrated in the South, which accounts for 18 of 19 such metros. According to Realtor.com, the West is largely balanced-loosening, the Midwest still tilts to sellers, and the Northeast holds all balanced-tightening markets in Q2 2026.

How are home prices changing in the Q2 2026 Realtor.com Market Clock report?

Home prices are softening across many metros, with listing prices per square foot down in 60 of 100 markets. According to Realtor.com, the national median list price is roughly 2.5% lower year over year, and buyer’s markets also show 2.5% price-per-square-foot declines.

What does the Q2 2026 Market Clock say about pending home sales and market activity?

Pending home sales have risen for seven consecutive months, marking the most active spring in four years. According to Realtor.com, this momentum coincides with increased pricing realism, especially in Southern and Western metros where prices and price-cut shares are declining together.

Which metros were the biggest movers toward buyer-friendly conditions in the Q2 2026 Market Clock?

Cape Coral, North Port, Cleveland, Portland (Maine), Providence and Syracuse each shifted two hours toward buyers since Q1 2026. According to Realtor.com, Colorado Springs now sits at 7 o’clock, and Oxnard made the largest longer-term swing from 10 to 3 o’clock.

How does the Realtor.com Market Clock methodology work in the 2026 Q2 release?

The Market Clock assigns each metro a position from 12 o’clock (peak seller) to 6 o’clock (peak buyer). According to Realtor.com, it combines listing data, deed records, market pace, balance, momentum and pricing pressure, using April 2026 transactions for this quarter’s readings.