Existing Home Sales (EHS) measures closed resale transactions in the United States. Its MoM (month-over-month) figure is the one-month percent change of the national SAAR (seasonally adjusted annual rate, monthly pace projected over 12 months). NAR (National Association of Realtors, a US real estate trade association) publishes it monthly from 210 Boards or MLSs (Multiple Listing Services, local sales databases). Over 500 local groups take part.
It covers single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, and excludes newly built homes, newly signed contracts and constant-quality price trackers (same-home price measures).
MLSs submit forms by the 15th, and NAR releases results mid-month 2 to 4 weeks after the reference month ends at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Each release reports national and regional SAARs, home-type sales, prices, inventory, months' supply, selling time, buyer shares, rate context and commentary. The newest month is preliminary, the prior month is revised, seasonal factors cover 3 past years each February, and sample weights reset every 10 years. Markets read the SAAR level with MoM and YoY (year-over-year) changes, treat months' supply as bargaining power, and use no fixed threshold.
Four regions and two home types move the national SAAR, while price, supply and buyer gauges explain each release.
In the August 2024 release published September 19, 2024, sales fell 2.5% from July to a 3.86M SAAR, down 4.2% from 4.03M one year earlier. Months' supply was 4.2 months. 3 of 4 regions posted declines while the Midwest held at 920,000, showing regional paths can differ from the headline.
| Date | Actual | Forecast | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2026 | -2.00 | -0.20 | -1.80 |
| Aug 11, 2026 | -1.70 | -0.70 | -1.00 |
| Jul 9, 2026 | -1.40 | 0.70 | -2.10 |
| Jun 9, 2026 | 3.70 | 0.50 | +3.20 |
| May 11, 2026 | 0.70 | 2.10 | -1.40 |
| Apr 13, 2026 | -2.90 | -2.00 | -0.90 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | 1.70 | -0.80 | +2.50 |
| Feb 12, 2026 | -8.40 | -3.40 | -5.00 |
| Jan 14, 2026 | 5.10 | -1.60 | +6.70 |
| Dec 19, 2025 | 0.50 | -4.80 | +5.30 |
| Nov 20, 2025 | 1.20 | 0.90 | +0.30 |
| Oct 23, 2025 | 1.50 | -2.00 | +3.50 |
| Sep 25, 2025 | -0.20 | -0.20 | 0.00 |
| Aug 21, 2025 | 2.00 | -0.20 | +2.20 |
| Jul 23, 2025 | -2.70 | -0.70 | -2.00 |
| Jun 23, 2025 | 0.80 | -1.30 | +2.10 |
| May 22, 2025 | -0.50 | 0.70 | -1.20 |
| Apr 24, 2025 | -5.90 | -3.00 | -2.90 |
| Mar 20, 2025 | 4.20 | -0.70 | +4.90 |
| Feb 21, 2025 | -4.90 | -1.70 | -3.20 |
| Jan 24, 2025 | 2.20 | 0.30 | +1.90 |
| Dec 19, 2024 | 4.80 | 1.00 | +3.80 |
| Nov 21, 2024 | 3.40 | 0.80 | +2.60 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | -1.00 | -1.60 | +0.60 |
| Sep 19, 2024 | -2.50 | 0.90 | -3.40 |
| Aug 22, 2024 | 1.30 | 1.30 | 0.00 |
| Jul 23, 2024 | -5.40 | 3.00 | -8.40 |
| Jun 21, 2024 | -0.70 | -0.30 | -0.40 |
| May 22, 2024 | -1.90 | 0.50 | -2.40 |
| Apr 18, 2024 | -4.30 | -2.20 | -2.10 |
| Mar 21, 2024 | 9.50 | -2.50 | +12.00 |
| Feb 22, 2024 | 3.10 | 3.00 | +0.10 |
| Jan 19, 2024 | -1.00 | 0.30 | -1.30 |
| Dec 20, 2023 | 0.80 | -0.50 | +1.30 |
| Nov 21, 2023 | -4.10 | -1.30 | -2.80 |
| Oct 19, 2023 | -2.00 | -3.50 | +1.50 |
| Sep 21, 2023 | -0.70 | 1.50 | -2.20 |
| Aug 22, 2023 | -2.20 | -0.50 | -1.70 |
| Jul 20, 2023 | -3.30 | -1.20 | -2.10 |
| Jun 22, 2023 | 0.20 | -0.50 | +0.70 |
| May 18, 2023 | -3.40 | -1.00 | -2.40 |
| Apr 20, 2023 | -2.40 | -4.20 | +1.80 |
| Mar 21, 2023 | 14.50 | 5.00 | +9.50 |
| Feb 21, 2023 | -0.70 | 2.00 | -2.70 |
| Jan 20, 2023 | -1.50 | -2.00 | +0.50 |
| Dec 21, 2022 | -7.70 | -5.40 | -2.30 |
| Nov 18, 2022 | -5.90 | -8.00 | +2.10 |
| Oct 20, 2022 | -1.50 | -0.80 | -0.70 |
| Sep 21, 2022 | -0.40 | -2.30 | +1.90 |
| Aug 18, 2022 | -5.90 | -4.00 | -1.90 |
| Date | First print | Current | Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2026 | -2.40 | -1.40 | +1 ↑ |
| Jun 9, 2026 | 3.20 | 3.70 | +0.50 ↑ |
| May 11, 2026 | 0.20 | 0.70 | +0.50 ↑ |
| Apr 13, 2026 | -3.60 | -2.90 | +0.70 ↑ |
All 4 regions posted price increases, with the national median at $416,700, up 3.1% from $404,200, so falling transactions coexisted with rising medians. Inventory was 1.35M units with 26 days to sell, and first-time, cash, investor and distressed (forced-sale) shares of 26%, 26%, 19% and 1%.
Key point: A sale counts at closing, not signing, so each reading lags buyer decisions by 1 to 2 months. New-home sales lead by a month or 2, and NAR's Pending Home Sales Index tracks signed contracts instead. These are NAR data, not BLS or Census data.
