Buyers in the Chicagoland area continue to face a tight housing market, with active listings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro falling 7.8% year over year in June, according to Realtor.com. Fewer homes were also hitting the market each week, as

Curb appeal is important to today’s homeowners — that is, they want the exteriors of their homes to appeal to their own preferences and sensibilities rather than those of potential buyers.

The triennial survey of 2,000 American residents from the 50 largest metropolitan areas, the National Association of REALTORS® Community and Transportation Preference Survey, found buyers and residents prefer more housing options and communities designed for easy access.

Nationally, home sales in the 51 metro areas surveyed by REMAX showed measured growth of 8.9% month over month and 7.8% year over year, REMAX said. 

The annual and monthly declines of 0.3% and 5.4%, respectively, do not fully capture the geographic variability of market performance. 

The median sales price of a home hit an all-time high of $440,600. 

Looking ahead, Cotality expects home prices to rise 4.8% between May 2026 and May 2027. 

Nationally, the median list price slipped 2.4%, marking the eighth month in a row of declines. 

The uptick was driven by a slight dip in mortgage rates. 

S&P Dow Jones Indices noted that inflation outpaced national home-price appreciation for the 11th month in a row. 

Home sales in the 51 metro areas surveyed by REMAX rose 7.9% month over month and slid 0.5% year over year. 

New data from Mainstreet REALTORS® shows homes under contract increased year over year in May, with pending sales rising 4.7% for detached homes and 7.1% for attached homes.

At the same time, the Chicago market also saw a 10.5% increase in new listings, placing it among the metros with the strongest year-over-year growth in seller activity.

The increase was driven by refinancing activity as purchase applications dipped. 

Existing-home sales and the median home price are forecast to rise 4% this year, according to the National Association of REALTORS® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. 

Starter homes now cost $1 million or more in a record 242 cities, up from just 80 in 2020, according to a Zillow analysis.