08/19/2026
🏡 THE HOUSING MARKET IS SHIFTING — BUT NOT EVERYWHERE
Heading into fall 2026, we’re seeing an interesting shift in the housing market:
Inventory is still increasing nationally, but the pace of that growth has slowed way down.
📊 Here’s the national picture:
• 1.126 million active listings in July 2026
• Up 2.1% from this time last year
• But last year, inventory was growing by 24.7%
• Inventory is still about 9% below July 2019, before the pandemic
So yes, buyers have more options than they did a few years ago — but we’re not back to pre-pandemic inventory levels nationwide.
📍 And this is where it gets important… REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL.
🏘️ Midwest + Northeast:
Inventory is still tight, which means sellers can have more leverage and buyers may still face competition.
🏜️ Sunbelt + Mountain West:
Many markets have seen inventory return to — or even exceed — 2019 levels, giving buyers more choices and potentially more negotiating power.
📈 In fact, 16 states now have more inventory than they did before the pandemic, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Oregon.
⚠️ Florida is an interesting outlier.
Inventory is actually down about 14% year-over-year.
💡 So what does this mean for you?
For buyers, there may be more opportunities in higher-inventory markets.
For sellers, pricing and strategy are especially important — because not every market is experiencing the same level of demand.
And for both buyers and sellers, national headlines only tell part of the story.
Two neighborhoods just a few miles apart can have completely different market conditions.
🏡 Thinking about buying or selling?
Don’t just look at the national numbers. Look at what’s happening right here in your local market.
👇 Comment MARKET and I’ll break down what’s happening in your area.
Source: Realtor.com July 2026 Housing Inventory Report; NAR; comparison to 2019 housing supply levels.
