Redfin Reports U.S. Pending Home Sales, New Listings Show Flickers of Life to Start August
Redfin reports that for the four weeks ending August 9, 2026, U.S. pending home sales rose 0.4% week over week on a seasonally adjusted basis but were still 1.6% lower year over year, signaling only modest momentum in a subdued housing market.
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Rhea-AI Summary
Redfin reports that for the four weeks ending August 9, 2026, U.S. pending home sales rose 0.4% week over week on a seasonally adjusted basis but were still 1.6% lower year over year, signaling only modest momentum in a subdued housing market. Mortgage-purchase applications increased 3% week over week, while the weekly average 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 6.69%, its highest level in over a year, pushing the median monthly mortgage payment up 1.7% year over year to $2,626.
On the supply side, new listings climbed 1.7% week over week and 2.2% year over year, the largest weekly gain in five months, helping lift active listings by 0.7% week over week. The median sale price reached $403,706, up 2.2% year over year, with 3.7 months of supply, 27.2% of homes selling above list price, and an average sale-to-list ratio of 98.9%. Metro-level data showed the biggest price gains in Newark and West Palm Beach and declines in Seattle and San Jose.
Details
News Market Reaction – RKT
On Aug 13, the day this news came out, RKT closed 7.05% above the previous close. Argus tracked a peak move of +4.2% during that session. Our momentum scanner recorded 52 alerts for this stock that day. Relative volume reached 1.8x the daily average during tracking.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Aug 13 session.
Key Figures
- Pending sales weekly change
- 0.4%
- Four weeks ending Aug. 9, 2026; seasonally adjusted
- Mortgage-purchase applications
- 3%
- Week-over-week change
- Pending sales year-over-year change
- -1.6%
- Four weeks ending Aug. 9, 2026
- Weekly mortgage rate
- 6.69%
- 30-year fixed rate; week ending Aug. 9
- Median monthly housing payment
- $2,626
- At a 6.69% mortgage rate; up 1.7% year over year
- New listings weekly change
- 1.7%
- Four weeks ending Aug. 9, 2026; seasonally adjusted
- Active listings weekly change
- 0.7%
- Four weeks ending Aug. 9, 2026; seasonally adjusted
- Median sale price
- $403,706
- Four weeks ending Aug. 9, 2026; up 2.2% year over year
Historical Context
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July home sales fell 4.1%, while pending sales reached their lowest level since December.
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Q2 revenue reached $2.78 billion, with adjusted EBITDA of $766 million.
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Pending sales fell 3.7% as mortgage rates climbed to a five-month low.
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Starter-home affordability improved for eight consecutive months.
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The income gap narrowed as housing affordability improved slightly.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
mortgage-purchase applications financial
seasonally adjusted technical
months of supply financial
sale-to-list price ratio financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
The housing market is gaining slight momentum as the summer winds down, but demand remains subdued overall
Pending sales are still at their second-lowest level since March, and the latest weekly uptick may reflect normal week-to-week changes rather than a meaningful shift in momentum. On a year-over-year basis, pending sales are down
Many would-be homebuyers are still on the sidelines, largely because mortgage rates are high: The weekly average mortgage rate is
The selling side gained a bit more steam, with new listings jumping
"Buyers should know that this isn't 2021 and 2022; the sellers' list price is a starting point for negotiations," said Sheryl Wingate, a Redfin Premier agent in the greater
Wingate also noted that even in a slow market, some homes are competitive. Clean, turnkey, relatively affordable homes tend to sell quickly, and luxury homes are attracting buyers who are less sensitive to mortgage rates and economic conditions.
For Redfin economists' takes on the housing market, please visit Redfin's "From Our Economists" page.
Leading indicators
Indicators of homebuying demand and activity | ||||
Value (if applicable) | Recent change | Year-over-year change | Source | |
Daily average 30-year | Down from | Up from | Mortgage News Daily | |
Weekly average 30-year |
| Highest level in over | Up from | Freddie Mac |
Mortgage-purchase | Up | Down | Mortgage Bankers | |
Google searches of | Unchanged from a | Down | Google Trends | |
Touring activity | Up | At this time last year, it | ShowingTime | |
Key housing-market data
Redfin's national metrics include data from 900+ | ||||
Four weeks ending | Year-over-year | Week-over-week | Notes | |
Median sale price | 2.2 % | |||
Median asking price | 1.2 % | |||
Median monthly mortgage |
| 1.7 % | ||
Pending sales (seasonally | 314,136 | -1.6 % | 0.4 % | Lowest level since March, |
New listings (seasonally | 360,843 | 2.2 % | 1.7 % | Biggest weekly increase |
Active listings (seasonally | 1,480,356 | 0.5 % | 0.7 % | |
Months of supply | 3.7 | Unchanged | 4 to 5 months of supply | |
Share of homes off market | 31.9 % | Unchanged | ||
Median days on market | 42 | Unchanged | ||
Share of home listings with | 21 % | Unchanged | ||
Share of homes sold above | 27.2 % | Up from about | ||
Average sale-to-list price | 98.9 % | Up from | ||
Metro-level highlights: Four weeks ending Aug. 9, 2026 Redfin's metro-level data includes the 50 most populous | |||
Metros with biggest year-over- | Metros with biggest year- | Notes | |
Median sale price |
| ||
Pending sales |
| ||
New listings |
| ||
To view the full report, including charts, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-flicker-of-life-august
About Redfin
Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin's clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent.
You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at https://www.redfin.com/news. For more information about Rocket Companies, visit https://www.rocketcompanies.com.
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SOURCE Redfin
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