04/07/2026
Central Texas housing market gains momentum as spring approaches
AUSTIN — According to the February 2026 Central Texas Housing Report released by Unlock MLS, the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA is showing renewed momentum heading into the home-buying season. Pending sales reached 2,690 transactions in February, up 13.9% year over year. At the same time, the close-to-list price ratio improved from 90.6% in December to 92.0% in February, signaling that buyers and sellers are more aligned.
Vaike O’Grady, market research advisor at Unlock MLS, noted that the recent data shows a clear shift in market activity from recent trends.
“The inventory count average was around 12,076 for the past two years, but in February, we saw active listings fall to 10,000 across the MSA, down 4.8% from a year ago. This tells us that sellers are returning to the market at roughly the same pace as last year, but buyers are coming back faster. These balanced market conditions have given buyers a chance to catch up. It’s a good sign that healthy momentum is fueling the market.”
John Crowe, 2026 Unlock MLS and ABoR president, said the latest market data is giving buyers and sellers a clearer picture of where conditions are heading.
“A lot of buyers have spent the past year watching and waiting, wondering if prices would keep falling or if they should hold out longer. What we’re seeing now is that market conditions are increasingly favorable for more buyers to act.”
