Homes Are Piling Up Without New Sellers: Inventory Rose 7.4% as New Listings Fell 7.5% in October
Key Takeaways: Active inventory rose 7.4% year over year to 1,183,500 homes in October 2026, according to Realtor.com, even though new listings fell 7.5% to 357,000, the steepest decline of 2026. Homes under contract fell 10.5%, the steepest annual drop since October 2023, while the median list price slipped 2.2% to $415,000. Inventory is not growing because sellers are flooding the market. It is growing because buyers are stepping back and homes are sitting longer. That split is the fresh insight in this report, and it changes how a buyer should negotiate. When supply rises because demand falls, the leverage sits with listings that have been waiting, not with sellers who just arrived. Supply Rose for the Wrong Reason: Buyers Left, Homes Stayed The Realtor.com October monthly housing report , released November 4, shows both sides cooling at once. Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said: "The market is cooling on both sides, but in different ways. Buyers are stepping ba...