Real estate statistics 2026

of US home buyers were first-time buyers (July 2024 to June 2025), the lowest share since NAR began tracking in 1981

Sample: NAR mailed a 120-question survey to 173,250 recent buyers of a primary residence in July 2025; 6,103 responses, adjusted response rate 3.5%; +/- 1.25% at 95% confidence. Excludes investors and vacation homes.

years old was the median age of US first-time home buyers in the 2025 NAR Profile, a record high

Sample: NAR 2025 Profile, 6,103 primary-residence buyers.

of US home buyers bought their home through a real estate agent or broker

Sample: NAR 2025 Profile, 6,103 primary-residence buyers; +/- 1.25%.

of US home sellers used an agent, equal to the highest share on record

Sample: NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

of US home buyers found the home they bought online

Sample: NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 6,103 buyers.

of US home buyers used a mobile phone or tablet during their home search

Sample: NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

was the average US 30-year fixed mortgage rate in the week of 22 Oct 2026, up from 6.19% a year earlier

Sample: Average of rates on applications submitted to Freddie Mac's Loan Product Advisor, Thursday to Wednesday.

was the US median existing-home price in September 2026, up 1.3% from a year earlier

Sample: NAR Existing-Home Sales, closed sales reported through MLS data.

of US existing-home sales in September 2026 went to first-time buyers, in NAR's monthly agent survey

Sample: REALTORS Confidence Index: monthly survey of NAR members about their closed sales. Not the annual buyer survey.

of US real estate employer businesses used AI in the last two weeks, winter 2025-26, against 17.9% of all firms

Sample: BTOS AI supplement, pooled waves 17 Nov 2025 to 8 Feb 2026, US employer businesses in NAICS 53 (real estate, rental and leasing).

was the typical US homebuyer's monthly payment in the four weeks to 11 Oct 2026, Redfin's highest on record except the week before

Sample: Redfin analysis of its own and MLS data; median payment at a 7.4% mortgage rate, seasonally adjusted (vendor data).

of US home sellers with active listings cut their asking price, the highest share in Redfin's records

Sample: Redfin listings data (vendor).