According to recent Redfin data, the median U.S. home sale price increased 2.4% year-over-year—the largest gain since March 2025—as buyers stepped off the sidelines amid an improving labor market.
Stronger-than-expected hiring was reported in the April jobs report, lowering the likelihood of a recession. This probably contributed to an increase in demand for dwellings. Last month, pending home sales reached their highest point since February 2023, up 2% from the previous month—the biggest gain since March 2025.
Median sale prices increased most from a year earlier in:
- San Francisco (10.7%)
- Detroit (10.1%)
- Providence, RI (9%)
They decreased most in:
- Dallas (-3.8%)
- Seattle, WA (-3.3%)
- San Jose, CA (-3.2%)
Pending sales increased most in:
- West Palm Beach, FL (39.8%)
- San Francisco (20.8%)
- San Jose (19.1%)
They fell most in:
- Houston (-7%)
- Seattle (-4.6%)
- Warren, MI (-4.5%)
Sales of existing homes reached their highest level since February 2023, with a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.33 million. Note that all of the report’s numbers—aside from the mortgage rate and median sale price data—are seasonally adjusted.
“Homebuyer demand increased significantly at the end of March following a relatively quiet period in January and February,” said Dawn Kane, a Redfin Premier real estate. “This is the first time post pandemic I’ve felt the frenzy and comeback of a true spring market. Still, sellers must maintain realistic pricing strategies. Market data and buyer activity indicate that overpriced homes remain on the market longer, while competitively priced properties sell more quickly and efficiently, often receiving multiple offers.”
April 2026 Housing Market Highlights — National
| Metric | April 2026 | Month-over-month change | Year-over-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $396,173 | 1.6% | 2.4% |
| Existing-home sales (seasonally adjusted annual rate) | 4,333,388 | 1.1% | 2.8% |
| Pending home sales | 350,521 | 2.0% | 5.6% |
| Homes sold | 294,846 | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| New listings | 398,694 | 2.7% | 0.7% |
| Total homes for sale (active listings) | 1,482,156 | 1.3% | 1.6% |
Note: April marks the first release under Redfin’s updated monthly housing data methodology.
Home Sellers Stepping Up as Properties Sell Quicker
Last month, active listings of U.S. houses for sale reached their highest level since March 2020, increasing 1.3% from the previous month—the biggest gain in a year. New postings reached their highest level since July 2022, at 2.7% month over month.
In April, the average house went under contract in 49 days, which was one day quicker than a month earlier. For the second consecutive month, properties sold more quickly than they did the month before. July 2024 was the last month that the rate of home sales increased month over month.
It’s important to remember that even while the housing market has been improving, it is still slower than it was in previous years. Although sales and listings are still below pre-pandemic levels, homes are still taking longer to sell than they were a year ago, despite a monthly increase in selling speed. Further, in April, about three out of five (60.5%) homes sold for less than what they were originally listed for. And according to the data, for the past six months, this share has been falling.
Due to the buyer’s market and the fact that they are greatly outnumbered by sellers, buyers have been able to negotiate significant reductions in recent years. However, there are probably two reasons why these reductions are becoming more difficult to find:
- The demand for homes is rising.
- Sellers are pricing their properties more competitively, which lessens the need for discounts.
Moreover, in April, the median new list price increased by just 0.9% year-over-year, which was less than half the increase in the median sale price. Because list prices show how sellers are thinking about pricing now rather than how they were thinking about pricing a few months ago, they are more of a leading indicator than sale prices.
New listings rose most in:
- Montgomery County, PA (20.7%)
- New Brunswick, NJ (18%)
- Pittsburgh (17.8%)
They fell most in:
- Riverside, CA (-24.2%)
- Anaheim, CA (-18.1%)
- Los Angeles (-14.9%)
Among the metro areas examined, San Antonio saw the largest increase, with the average home going under contract in 88 days, 16 days longer than a year before. Following that trend were Houston (+14 days) and Nashville, TN (+13 days). Five metros saw decreases: Newark, NJ (-6 days); West Palm Beach, FL (-2 days); Riverside, CA (-1 day); Jacksonville, FL (-1 day); and St. Louis (-1 day).
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