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The latest sales pace gives mortgage professionals another clean read on rate-sensitive buyer demand and a more inventory-heavy market.
Existing home sales August 2026 slowed to 3.98 million, Realtor.com Research reported on September 10, 2026, marking a new low for the year. Sales were down 2.0% from July and 1.2% from a year earlier, with high mortgage rates weighing on buyer activity.
For loan officers, the headline is not just slower closings. The combination of weaker sales and a 10-year high in months supply changes the tone of buyer and seller conversations, especially for clients who have been waiting for either rates or prices to make the first move.