NAR Existing Home Sales March 2026: Drop to 3.98M is Worst Spring Start Since 2009

# NAR Existing Home Sales March 2026: Drop to 3.98M is Worst Spring Start Since 2009

> **Quick answer:** The National Association of Realtors reported existing home sales fell 3.6% in March 2026 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million — the slowest March since the 2009 financial crisis. NAR slashed its full-year forecast from a projected 14% growth to just 4%. Despite the volume collapse, home prices rose for the 33rd straight month, hitting a record $408,800 median for March. The data paints a market stuck in contradiction: prices keep climbing even as fewer people can or will buy. What you do next depends entirely on which side of that dynamic you are on.

The spring homebuying season was supposed to be 2026's housing recovery moment. The NAR existing home sales March 2026 data says otherwise. Sales just posted their worst March performance since the global financial meltdown of 2009, and the nation's largest real estate trade group has now dramatically downgraded its outlook — from a forecasted 14% annual growth to a much humbler 4%. If you are a buyer, seller, or investor watching this market, here is every number that matters and what it actually means for your next move.

## The NAR March 2026 Report: Every Number That Matters

The official NAR release, published April 13, 2026, shows existing home sales fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of **3.98 million units** in March — a 3.6% drop from February's pace and a 1.0% decline versus March 2025. That figure came in below the economist consensus forecast of roughly 4.06 million units.

This is the **lowest monthly pace in nine months** and the **worst March in 17 years**.