Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

Primary market sales rose faster than inventory

By Tom Miller
Real estate, Primary market

The one fact that changes what you should do: locally, sales grew nearly three times faster than inventory. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted homes sold in the Primary market up 7.7% for the three months ending August 31, 2026, while homes for sale rose only 2.6%. That gap means demand is still soaking up supply here.

Nationally, the picture looks different. The National Association of Realtors reported inventory reached 1.60 million homes in September 2026. Sellers outnumbered buyers by 62.6% across the U.S., according to Redfin. Here, buyers kept pace with sellers.

Primary market at a glance, three months ending August 31, 2026
Homes sold
up 7.7% from a year before
Homes for sale
up 2.6% from a year before
New listings
up 9.2% from a year before
Pending sales
up 1.6% from a year before
Source: Real Estate Data Aggregator, the three months ending August 31, 2026

Rates add pressure, but local demand held

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. That is a three-year high, and it pushed the typical U.S. buyer's monthly payment to $2,777, the highest on record except for the week before, according to Redfin. Higher rates slow buyers nationally. Yet here, pending sales still rose 1.6% year over year, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator.

30-year fixed mortgage rate, October 15, 2026 (Freddie Mac)
Source: Freddie Mac, read Oct 17, 2026

Speed varies a lot by ZIP code

Not every home sold fast. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows median days on market ranging from 15 days in ZIP 50265 to 83 days in ZIP 50263 for the same period. That is a wide spread inside one market.

Median days on market by ZIP, three months ending August 31, 2026
  1. 15026515 days
  2. 25032218 days
  3. 35002323 days
  4. 45013125 days
  5. 55026629 days
  6. 65022630 days
  7. 75032531 days
  8. 85032347 days
  9. 95002156 days
  10. 105026383 days
Real Estate Data Aggregator, three months ending August 31, 2026. Lower is faster.

Prices mostly held, with one ZIP standing out

Most ZIP codes saw prices hold or rise. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows ZIP 50325 with a median sale price of $530,500, up 32.6% from a year before. ZIP 50023 dipped 5.4% to $350,000. Prices do not move in one direction across the whole market.

How quickly are homes going under contract?

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows that in ZIP 50322, nearly half of all homes, 48.7%, went under contract within two weeks of listing. ZIP 50263 was the slowest at 23.1%. That difference matters when you are setting a price or a timeline.

Months of supply: still lean overall

Months of supply below four is generally considered a seller's market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows most ZIP codes in the Primary market sitting well below that. ZIP 50226 had only 1.7 months of supply. ZIP 50263 had the most at 4 months, meaning buyers there have a bit more room.

In short
  1. For the three months ending August 31, 2026, the Primary market saw sales rise 7.7% while inventory rose only 2.6%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator.
  2. Nationally, sellers outnumbered buyers by 62.6% and rates hit 7.40%, according to Redfin and Freddie Mac.
  3. Locally, demand still absorbed new supply.
  4. But one street can read very differently from the whole ZIP code.
  5. The numbers above are a starting point, not the final word on your home.

Your next step

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Where these numbers came from