Home-price growth continues to depreciate across multiple reports as the latest data from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) saw improvements to affordability once again in Q1 2026. NAR’s Q1 Metropolitan Median Area Prices and Affordability data found that the national median home price was $404,300, observing only a 0.5% year-over-year increase, compared to 1.2%…
Compass remains in headlines this week as CEO Robert Reffkin addressed the industry’s “shifting stance on phased marketing” in the company’s recent Q1 2026 earnings call, as the brokerage touts new synergies and business growth from its recent acquisitions. Speaking to investors, Reffkin said that he and other Compass executives are “pleased to see several…
Editor’s note: Econ Review is a roundup of the month’s housing and economic market data reports. As spring progresses, the industry is awaiting data related to how the season shaped up ahead of another potential boom in activity over the upcoming summer. Here are some highlights from the housing and economic data that hit the…
The worry heading into the spring 2026 housing market was that “history would repeat itself” from 2025 and lead into another “cruel summer,” as described by Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. Last year, “tariff-driven uncertainty and recession fears” created headwinds for the market, preventing a spring bloom or summer heat-up from taking place. This year,…
Homebuilders appear to be showing some signs of measured optimism as new construction showed significant gains against the tide of market challenges and the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to the latest data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Census Bureau. The New Residential Construction report for March (which also…
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) have announced they have rescinded the mandate that all new homes be built with the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code as the minimum energy-efficient standards, or they would be ineligible for an FHA or USDA-backed mortgage loan. The Biden Administration-era policy…
As the conflict with Iran has loomed over the heads of consumers and over the economy, the two-week ceasefire in April contributed to some relief in consumer views, according to the latest data from The Conference Board. The Consumer Confidence Index® saw a 0.6 point increase to 92.8 in April (baseline of 100 is based…
After January’s “weakest start to a year for home prices since the early 2010s,” as noted by Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant, home-price growth has now effectively “stalled” in February, according to the latest data. The February S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index saw a 0.7% year-over-year gain in home prices, shrinking from the…
Consumer views on the economy continue to muddle for another month as the Iranian conflict looms over oil and gas prices, according to the latest Survey of Consumers from the University of Michigan. The index of Consumer Sentiment fell 6.6% month-over-month to 49.8 (from 53.3 in March), down 4.6% year-over-year and is “now comparable to…
An average of 7.6% of potential homebuyers searching on Zillow also shop for rentals, according to Zillow’s new report on “dual shoppers,” highlighting the continued affordability challenges faced across the U.S. as buyers weigh their options. Overall, in the U.S., Zillow found that it is typically $415 cheaper to rent than own (including mortgage payments,…
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