WASHINGTON, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Key Highlights
- Pending home sales in April dropped 6.3%.
- Compared to one month ago, pending home sales fell in all four U.S. regions.
- Year-over-year, contract signings ascended in the Midwest. Conversely, the Northeast, South and West reduced – with the biggest downswing in the West, followed by the South.
Pending home sales decreased 6.3% in April, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All four U.S. regions experienced month-over-month losses in transactions. Year-over-year, contract signings rose in the Midwest but descended in the Northeast, South and West – with the West suffering the greatest loss.
The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* – a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings – dove 6.3% to 71.3 in April. Year-over-year, pending transactions retracted by 2.5%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.
“At this critical stage of the housing market, it is all about mortgage rates,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Despite an increase in housing inventory, we are not seeing higher home sales. Lower mortgage rates are essential to bring home buyers back into the housing market.”
Pending Home Sales Regional Breakdown
The Northeast PHSI decreased 0.6% from last month to 62.1, down 3.0% from April 2024. The Midwest index condensed 5.0% to 73.5 in April, up 2.2% from the previous year.
The South PHSI sank 7.7% to 85.9 in April, down 3.0% from a year ago. The West index degraded 8.9% from the prior month to 53.3, down 6.5% from April 2024.
“Home buyers have a better chance to purchase homes in affordable regions such as the Midwest, where the typical home price is $313,000 – 25% below the national median home price,” added Yun. “Moreover, with housing inventory levels reaching five-year highs, home buyers in nearly every region of the country are in a better position to negotiate more favorable terms.”
About the National Association of Realtors®
As America’s largest trade association, the National Association of Realtors® is involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate. The term Realtor® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes – from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation – visit facts.realtor.
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*The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.
Pending contracts are good early indicators of upcoming sales closings. However, the amount of time between pending contracts and completed sales is not identical for all home sales. Variations in the length of the process from pending contract to closed sale can be caused by issues such as buyer difficulties with obtaining mortgage financing, home inspection problems, or appraisal issues.
The index is based on a sample that covers about 40% of multiple listing service data each month. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months.
An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined. By coincidence, the volume of existing-home sales in 2001 fell within the range of 5.0 to 5.5 million, which is considered normal for the current U.S. population.
NOTE: Existing-Home Sales for May will be reported on June 23. The next Pending Home Sales Index will be released on June 26. All release times are 10 a.m. Eastern. View the NAR Statistical News Release Schedule.
Information about NAR is available at nar.realtor. This and other news releases are posted in the newsroom at nar.realtor/newsroom. Statistical data in this release, as well as other tables and surveys, are posted in the “Research and Statistics” tab.
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Lauren Cozzi National Association of REALTORS® 202/383-1178 LCozzi@nar.realtor
