Pending home sales edged up in August 2026, but the modest monthly gain did not erase the broader slowdown. Contract signings rose 0.3% from July and fell 4.7% from a year earlier, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
August market snapshot
The South and West posted monthly gains, while the Northeast and Midwest saw declines. Compared with August 2025, pending sales were down in every major U.S. region.
| Region | Change from July | Change from August 2025 |
| Northeast | −4.2% | −3.9% |
| Midwest | −1.6% | −4.9% |
| South | +2.3% | −3.8% |
| West | +3.0% | −6.7% |
The regional figures above are from the report text you provided.
NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said buyers continued to sign contracts in August despite rising mortgage rates. Even so, higher borrowing costs continued to weigh on activity, offsetting some of the purchasing power gained from job and income growth. He also pointed to faster home-price growth in the Northeast and Midwest as one reason those regions experienced the sharpest monthly drops in contract signings. Nationally, he said, signings remain roughly 30% below pre-pandemic levels.
For buyers and sellers, the takeaway is a market that is still moving—but not at the pace seen in recent years. Pending sales track signed contracts, making them an early indicator of future completed sales.