The increase in purchase activity offset a decrease in refinancings. 

Over the past year, 30.9% of rental listing page views in Chicago came from out-of-towners.

The pace of home-price growth rose nationally but with significant regional differences.

Nationally, home sales in the 46 metro areas surveyed by REMAX rose 2.5% year over year and slipped 5.7% month over month. 

Active buyers are looking for more expensive homes, while price-constrained buyers are looking at fewer homes altogether.

Of the 50 metro areas surveyed by NAR, several stood out for year-over-year gains in contract signings. 

The move was an improvement over July, but sentiment still remained in negative territory. 

Looking ahead, Cotality expects the median price of a home to increase 1.5% through June 2027. 

Nationally, home-price growth topped 1% for the first time in 2026.

Single-family home sales were up 4.8% year over year, while attached home sales rose 1.8%. 

The same trends were seen in the city of Chicago and across Illinois. 

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of 628,000 homes topped Wall Street’s estimates. 

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.