Sales of previously owned homes rose 1.5% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 3.99 million, the National Association of REALTORS® reported.
Compared with September 2025, existing-home sales were 2.2% lower. Monthly sales gained in the South and West, held flat in the Midwest and fell in the Northeast, while all four regions trailed their year-earlier pace.
Total inventory grew 1.9% from August to 1.60 million units, 4.6% more than a year before. That equaled a 4.8-month supply, the same as in August and up from 4.5 months a year earlier.
The median existing-home price for all housing types reached $417,500, a 1.3% annual increase and the 39th straight month of year-over-year gains.
Single-family sales rose 2.0% to an annual rate of 3.64 million, while condominium and co-op sales slipped 2.8% to 350,000. Freddie Mac figures put the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.86% in September, compared with 6.67% in August and 6.35% one year earlier.
“Despite the small monthly gain on a seasonally adjusted basis, August and September marked the two slowest months for home sales this year,” said Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of REALTORS®. “Further increases in mortgage rates in recent weeks mean fewer buyers can qualify to purchase a home.”