Existing home sales in the United States rose by 1.5% from the two-year low in the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 3.99 million units in September of 2026, not too far from market expectations of 3.95 million. Total housing inventory reached 1.6 million units with the increase, 1.9% higher than the previous month to represent 4.8 months of supply under the latest sales rate. “Despite the small monthly gain on a seasonally adjusted basis, August and September marked the two slowest months for home sales this year,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Further increases in mortgage rates in recent weeks mean fewer buyers can qualify to purchase a home.”