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Most large U.S. Housing markets are shifting in buyers' favor. Friday, April 10th, 2026 Just over 60% of the nation's largest housing markets have tilted into balanced or buyer-friendly territory, while only 26% remain seller's markets, according to a new analysis from Realtor.com(R). The findings come alongside the debut of the Realtor.com(R) Market Clock, a new tool designed to cut through the noise of housing data and give buyers, sellers and market watchers a clearer picture of where local markets stand and where they may be headed. The Realtor.com(R) Market Clock places the national housing market at 3 o'clock - a "Balanced-Loosening" phase, heading toward buyer-friendly conditions, though not necessarily approaching them quickly. But that national reading masks striking variation across the country's 50 largest metros, which currently span nearly the full face of the clock. Of the top 50 metros, 13 (26%) remain seller's markets, 23 (46%) are in balanced-loosening phases, 8 (16%) are buyer's markets, and 6 (12%) are in balanced-tightening territory - meaning a small but notable group of markets are actually trending back toward seller advantage. "A national picture is useful, but when making a real estate decision, the local details are what really matter," said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com(R). "Right now, a homebuyer in Houston or San Antonio is navigating a very different market than someone in Hartford or Milwaukee. The Realtor.com(R) Market Clock was built to make those differences visible at a glance." A Buyer-Friendly South and West, With Pockets of Seller Strength in the Midwest and Northeast The regional picture is varied, with all 8 buyer's markets located in the South (7) or West (1). and most of the 13 seller's markets coming from the Midwest (7) and Northeast (3). Of the metros currently classified as buyer's markets, 5 of 8 are in either Florida or Texas - including Austin, Texas; Tampa, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla; Orlando, Fla.; and Miami. All 8 buyer's market metros currently sit in what the framework calls 'Early Buyer' conditions - meaning inventory is growing, price cuts are common, buyers are starting to hold the upper hand, and their negotiating leverage is likely to get even stronger in the coming months. By contrast, most seller's markets are concentrated in the Midwest and Northeast. Four markets among the top 50, including Hartford, Connecticut, hold the "Peak Seller" position, while six, including Milwaukee, San Francisco, and Providence, RI, are exhibiting "Early Seller" conditions, meaning the conditions are already hot and getting hotter. Three metros, including Boston and San Jose, remain in late seller phases - still competitive, though seller advantage is beginning to soften in those markets. A further 8 of the top 50 markets sit at 4 o'clock, or in the Late Balanced phase of the Market Clock. While these metros - which include Charlotte, NC; Washington, DC; Phoenix, and Las Vegas-are still balanced, homes are sitting longer, prices are softening, and buyers are likely to hold the upper hand outright in the coming months. The New Realtor.com(R) Market Clock The Realtor.com(R) Market Clock is a new tool based on key market signals like market balance, market pressure and market pace with the goal of helping people understand their local markets. The market clock is organized as a 12-hour clockface. Seller-leaning conditions occupy the top of the clock (the 11, 12, and 1 o'clock positions), buyer-leaning conditions fall toward the bottom (5, 6, and 7 o'clock), and balanced phases occupy the space in between - with one set loosening toward buyers (2, 3, 4 o'clock) and the other tightening back toward sellers (8, 9, 10 o'clock). At 12 o'clock, conditions favor sellers most: homes sell quickly, competition is fierce, and buyers have limited leverage. At 6 o'clock, the market favors buyers: there's more inventory, less urgency, and more room to negotiate. The framework is built on metro-level housing data tracking supply and inventory balance, market pace and competition, and pricing pressure and adjustment. Grounded in data, the Realtor.com(R) Market Clock is built using consistent, metro-level housing market information that tracks conditions over time, allowing markets to be compared both across geographies and across different points in the cycle. Critically, the clock captures not just where a market stands, but how fast and in which direction it is moving - a distinction that matters significantly in markets currently in transition. "Consumers and professionals are exposed to more information than ever before, but more data hasn't always meant more clarity for people trying to make one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives," said Hale. "The Market Clock is our attempt to change that - to take the full range of signals we track and translate them into something that reflects what the market actually feels like on the ground." The Realtor.com(R) Market Clock is designed to describe current conditions and track shifts in leverage over time - not to forecast home prices, sales volumes, or mortgage rates. A market moving into buyer-friendly territory does not guarantee price declines, just as a seller's market does not ensure continued price appreciation. A Framework Validated by the Last Cycle The Market Clock's track record from 2019 through 2025 reflects the housing cycle that consumers and industry professionals have lived through. In December 2019, conditions were already tight: 72% of the top 50 metros were in seller-leaning phases and 26% were in balanced-tightening territory - underscoring just how primed the market was for the pandemic-era boom that followed. By December 2021, the compression was dramatic. Ninety-eight percent of the top 50 metros had reached seller-market territory - one of the most compressed and competitive environments in modern housing history, with only one metro outside seller territory. The rate shock of 2022 began to shift conditions, and by December 2023, 62% of large metros remained in seller phases, even as the lock-in effect kept inventory constrained and markets from fully cooling. By December 2025, the landscape had opened considerably: seller markets had shrunk to 26% of large metros, buyer's markets had grown to 16%, and balanced-loosening conditions had become the dominant category at 46% - reflecting a housing market defined less by uniformity than by geographic dispersion. How Buyers and Sellers Can Use the Market Clock For anyone interested in buying and selling now or in the future, the Market Clock is designed to help set expectations. Buyers can use their metro's position to gauge how competitive local conditions are, how quickly they may need to act, and how much negotiating room it is realistic to expect. Sellers can use it to help calibrate pricing strategy and understand whether patience or flexibility is likely to be rewarded in their market. "Whether you're a first-time buyer trying to figure out how aggressive your offer needs to be, or a seller wondering whether to hold firm on price, the Realtor.com market clock is a much needed solution for today's buyers and sellers," said Jake Krimmel, senior economist, Realtor.com. "It's a professional grade tool that's meant to be simple enough to give non-experts a clear takeaway. And it's best when paired with the advice and guidance of a skilled Realtor(R) agent when you're ready to move." The Realtor.com(R) Market Clock is available as part of Realtor.com(R) Economics housing market research portal and the report will be updated on a quarterly basis.

Realtor.com seeks to redefine the digital home search experience with Realtor.com+. The new Realtor.com+ platform integrates MLS data, agent branding, and live collaboration to modernize the home search process Realtor.com has announced the launch of Realtor.com+ (pronounced "plus"), a next-gen collaborative home search platform designed to reshape the digital real estate experience for consumers, real estate professionals, and multiple listing services (MLSs). The new platform is now live for subscribers of Canopy MLS in Charlotte, North Carolina, with 16 additional MLS markets scheduled to go live in the coming months. Realtor.com+ integrates MLS data directly into a mobile-first collaboration environment that supports both agent and client workflows. It emphasizes transparency, real-time interaction, and professional branding, positioning MLSs and agents at the core of the home search and transaction process. Key features of Realtor.com+ include seamless integration with existing MLS systems, intuitive search capabilities with MLS-level filters, direct agent-client chat functionality, automated tour route planning, and deep client preference visibility. The platform also reinforces brand continuity by maintaining agent and brokerage identity throughout the search process without competing lead forms, thereby strengthening consumer trust and professional visibility. "Realtor.com was born from the partnership between the National Association of Realtors and MLSs, and for three decades we've championed an open marketplace that delivers transparency and meaningful value to consumers and professionals," said Damian Eales, CEO of Realtor.com. "Realtor.com+ modernizes that legacy by putting more powerful tools into more agents' hands than any product in our history, keeping professionals at the center of the transaction, and giving MLSs the valuable AI-driven capabilities and member tools they need to lead the industry forward. But this isn't just another tool - it's a step forward in strengthening the marketplace, empowering MLSs and agents, and enhancing the search experience for consumers." Realtor.com+ incorporates advanced tools and insights powered by technology acquired from Zenlist, a real estate software provider known for enhancing collaborative search and productivity. This strategic acquisition has enabled Realtor.com to accelerate the development of features that support active collaboration throughout the search and transaction lifecycle. The launch includes partnerships with leading MLS organizations nationwide and integrations with major technology providers such as Realtors Property Resource, Docusign, and Hover. These integrations are intended to streamline workflows, improve access to property information, and reduce administrative friction for agents and clients. "Realtor.com+ is arriving at exactly the right moment for our industry," said Anne Marie DeCatsye, CEO of Canopy Realtor Association and Canopy MLS. "As other players move toward closed ecosystems that don't always serve the best interests of agents, brokerages, or MLSs, Realtor.com has taken a different path - one that champions openness, collaboration, and professional empowerment. They're the only portal that doesn't operate as a brokerage, and that matters. By integrating directly into the MLS and delivering tools designed for our subscribers - not in competition with them - Realtor.com+ strengthens our members, supports their clients, and reinforces the value of the MLS. We're proud to join forces with a company that truly shares our commitment to an open, transparent marketplace." Realtor.com+ is accessible via desktop and mobile applications through participating MLS subscriptions.