October housing inventory grows as buyer demand cools
“Buyers are stepping back as higher mortgage rates cut into their buying power, while sellers are listing less often without a broad increase in delistings or price cuts. We’re seeing a pause in new supply, but owners who already have homes on the market appear to be largely unphased.”
Mortgage rates have eased from recent highs, and Kristin O’Neil of Open Door Lending says buyers may have more financing options available than they realize, including seller concessions and rate buydowns. https://t.co/HCOntlhwqa
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) October 29, 2026
Sellers hold steady despite cooling demand
New listings fell 7.5% year over year, the steepest decline of 2026, with 357,000 homes entering the market in October.
Despite the lighter inflow, active inventory expanded as properties lingered longer.
The delisting rate held at 4.4%, versus 4.6% a year earlier, and the year-over-year active inventory gap with pre-pandemic supply narrowed to 6.7%, the closest it has been since before the pandemic.
“On the seller side, we see more of a pause than an exodus,” said Jake Krimmel, senior economist at Realtor.com in San Francisco.
