10/19/2026
U.S. Active Listings Rise 5.6%
We're seeing a shift in the market: by late Q3 2026, active listings in the U.S. climbed about 6% year-over-year. That's the third month in a row of faster annual growth, giving buyers a bit more leverage than they've had in a while. This increase comes after a softer period; annual growth had slowed to just 2% in late Q2, a far cry from the 17% surge we saw a year ago. Even with this gain, national inventory—1.16 million active listings—remains just shy of pre-pandemic levels, still about 5% below the 2019 benchmark. Higher mortgage rates and long-term yields (now at two-year highs) have cooled demand, and with the slower season in full swing, buyers are finding a little more room to negotiate. If you want a sharper picture of your own area, compare today's active listings per 1,000 households to the 2018-2019 average to see how local supply stacks up. As someone who works with both residential and commercial real estate here in Leominster, I always keep an eye on these trends to help clients navigate their next move.