What Is Existing Home Sales (Annualized)?

4.02M sits in the lower portion of the recent historical range for Home Sales. The reading is depressed relative to recent norms; the open question is whether this is a near-term cyclical low or the start of a more persistent shift.

Home Sales has moved higher from 4.01M to 4.02M since the prior monthly release — a modest move of +0.0M. Pair this with the related indicators below before drawing strong conclusions; isolated moves on a single release often look larger than they really are.

Housing indicators describe the residential real-estate market — prices, volume, mortgage rates, new construction. Housing is a leading indicator for the broader economy because it is the largest single asset for most households and the most rate-sensitive sector.

Existing home sales measures the number of completed sales of previously owned homes, expressed as a seasonally adjusted annual rate. It accounts for approximately 85-90% of all home sales in the U.S.

At 4.26 million, existing home sales remain well below the 2021 peak of 6.1 million. The 'lock-in effect' — where homeowners refuse to give up sub-4% mortgages — continues to constrain inventory. For executives, this suppressed transaction volume affects real estate commissions, moving services, home improvement spending, and mortgage origination revenue across the industry.

The National Association of Realtors compiles data from Multiple Listing Services (MLS) across the country. A sale is counted at closing, not contract signing. Data is seasonally adjusted and includes single-family homes, condos, co-ops, and townhomes.

ExecBolt does not estimate, model, or interpolate this value — every reading on this page is pulled directly from National Association of Realtors (series EXHOSLUSM495S). For full sourcing standards and citation guidance, see the methodology page; for plain-language background on the underlying concept, see the learn library; for live cross-checks against related series, see the indicators dashboard.