US Existing Home Sales November 2026
November 12 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
US Existing Home Sales November 2026
Next US Existing Home Sales: Thursday, at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London). Covers October 2026 data.
- Consensus
- Not yet published
- Prior
- 4.05 million SAAR (July 2026)
- Actual
- Pending
Full schedule and background: US Existing Home Sales.
Updated
US Existing Home Sales for October 2026 is released on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London) by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The report covers resales of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops that closed during October 2026. Full schedule and background: US Existing Home Sales.
What is existing home sales?
Existing home sales measures the number of previously owned homes that changed hands in a given month, expressed as a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). That figure is not the actual number of homes sold in the month: it is what the annual total would be if the month’s pace were repeated for twelve months, adjusted to remove normal seasonal swings such as the usual summer buying rush.
The NAR compiles the data from closings recorded through Multiple Listing Services (MLS) across the country, then combines regional figures for the Northeast, Midwest, South and West into a national total. Because a sale closes weeks or months after a contract is signed, existing home sales lags the earlier Pending Home Sales Index, which tracks signed contracts rather than completed transactions.
Markets watch the series because housing is a large, interest-rate-sensitive part of the economy. Weak sales can signal that high mortgage rates are locking buyers out of the market, while a pickup can suggest affordability or rate relief is drawing buyers back in. Alongside the sales pace, the report also carries the median sale price and the months of housing inventory, both of which feed into judgements about supply, demand and price pressure in the property market.
When is the October existing home sales report released?
The NAR is scheduled to publish the October 2026 existing home sales report on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London time). The release is issued through the NAR newsroom and its research and statistics pages, alongside a short commentary from NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.
What is the consensus forecast?
A consensus forecast for the October 2026 reading has not yet been published. Surveys of economists, such as those compiled by Reuters or Bloomberg ahead of the release, typically appear only in the days immediately before the report, so a specific October figure is not yet available.
The most recent confirmed reading comes from the July 2026 report, which showed existing home sales falling 1.7% month over month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.05 million units, with the median sale price at $434,100, up around 2% from a year earlier, according to Trading Economics’ summary of NAR data. NAR’s own housing snapshot showed June 2026 sales at 4.09 million units with a median price of $440,600, according to the NAR Existing-Home Sales Housing Snapshot. August and September 2026 figures will already be public by the time this November release lands, so readers should check the official NAR release for the most current prior print before the October data arrives.
| Measure | Prior (July 2026) | Consensus (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Sales pace (SAAR) | 4.05 million | Not yet published |
| Median sale price | $434,100 | Not yet published |
What the result could mean
| Scenario | Likely market read | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Above consensus | Could be read as a sign that buyers are adjusting to prevailing mortgage rates, potentially easing pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut rates quickly | More people managed to buy homes than expected, which could point to a steadier housing market |
| In line with consensus | Likely to have limited market impact on its own | The housing market is behaving broadly as expected, neither improving nor worsening sharply |
| Below consensus | Could reinforce concerns that high borrowing costs are still squeezing affordability, which some analysts argue supports the case for rate cuts | Fewer homes sold than expected, suggesting buyers are still finding it hard to afford a purchase |
These are possible interpretations, not predictions. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun has previously noted that “home sales have been remarkably stable” even as mortgage rates stayed elevated through mid-2026, a comment made alongside the July report.
Why does this release matter right now?
Housing has been one of the more interest-rate-sensitive parts of the US economy through 2026, with the NAR reporting that sales activity swung between modest gains and declines from month to month as mortgage rates fluctuated. Inventory has also been a running theme: NAR data cited by Trading Economics showed total housing inventory at 1.54 million units in July 2026, down from earlier in the summer, which keeps upward pressure on prices even when sales volumes are soft.
The Federal Reserve does not target the housing market directly, but officials watch it as a signal of how tighter monetary policy is filtering through to households. A weak or weakening sales trend can be read as evidence that current interest rate levels are restraining activity, which factors into the broader debate over the pace of any future rate cuts. A steadier or improving trend, on the other hand, can support the case that the economy is coping reasonably well with existing borrowing costs.
What It Means for Your Money
- Mortgages and rates: A weak reading can add to expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates, which over time can feed through to lower mortgage rates for US buyers and refinancers. A strong reading can have the opposite effect.
- Savings: Interest rate expectations tied to housing data also affect savings account and certificate of deposit rates in the US, since banks adjust what they pay savers in line with the broader rate outlook.
- Jobs and wages: Real estate agents, mortgage brokers, home builders and related trades depend on transaction volumes, so a sustained slowdown in sales can eventually show up in employment figures for those sectors.
- Prices: Median sale price trends in this report offer a read on housing costs, which is one of the larger and stickier components of household budgets and of measures like core inflation.
- Investments, pensions and currencies: Housing data can move Treasury yields and, in turn, the dollar, as traders reassess the odds of Fed rate moves. A softer dollar can make US assets marginally cheaper for UK, European and Asian investors, while a stronger dollar has the reverse effect. Pension funds with exposure to US housing-linked bonds or real estate investment trusts also track this data as part of their broader positioning.
Related events
- Previous report: US Existing Home Sales, October 2026 preview
- Full series background and schedule: US Existing Home Sales hub page
- NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator that typically moves ahead of existing home sales by a month or two
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the October 2026 existing home sales report released?
The NAR publishes the report at 10:00 am ET, which is 3:00 pm in London, on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
How should I read the existing home sales figure?
Look at the seasonally adjusted annual rate in millions of units, and compare it with the prior month’s figure and with the median sale price to judge whether both volume and prices are rising, falling or holding steady.
Does this report affect Federal Reserve interest rate decisions?
It is one of several housing indicators the Fed monitors as part of its broader assessment of how higher borrowing costs are affecting households, though it does not on its own dictate a rate decision.
Where can I find the official release?
The NAR publishes the report and an accompanying commentary from its research team on its official newsroom and research and statistics pages.
When is the next existing home sales report after this one?
NAR issues existing home sales data monthly, on or around the twentieth of each month, so the following report covering November 2026 data is expected roughly one month after this release.