Residential Brokers & Property Managers NAICS 531311, 531210

Mar 23, 2026 - Homes Staying on the Market Longer

• A growing number of homeowners are struggling to sell properties as high prices and elevated mortgage rates continue to dampen buyer demand, according to MarketWatch. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that 2025 existing home sales fell to a 31-year low. In March, Google searches for “Can’t sell house” reached record highs, surpassing levels seen during the pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis. Homes are taking longer to sell, sitting an average of 8 days longer than a year ago, with well-priced homes going under contract in about 47 days and others lingering for up to 88 days, according to Redfin. Inventory is rising as new listings increased 4% in 2025, while buyers have not returned at the same pace, creating a 44% gap between sellers and buyers.
• A bipartisan Senate housing proposal aims to boost homeownership by requiring large single-family rental investors to sell newly built homes to individuals within seven years, a move that has drawn strong opposition from builders and investors, according to The Wall Street Journal. Industry groups warn that the provision could disrupt the build-to-rent model, reduce access to financing, and ultimately limit new housing construction, which analysts say could worsen affordability and push rents and home prices higher. Supporters argue the policy would increase homeownership opportunities and curb competition from institutional buyers, which accounted for more than 20% of home purchases in some markets during the pandemic. The measure is part of a broader housing package under consideration, though differences with a House version could delay passage. If enacted, the policy could significantly reshape investment strategies and housing supply across the residential market.

• Sales of existing US homes increased by 1.7% in February 2026 from January but were down 1.4% year-over-year, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said, "Housing affordability is improving, and consumers are responding. Still, there is a long way to go to return to pre-pandemic levels of transaction activity. There are more than 6 million more jobs than in 2019, yet home sales per year are down by one million. Despite the modest gain in home sales, actual housing demand remains muted relative to wage growth and job gains. Wage growth is now outpacing home price growth by almost four percentage points. Mortgage rates are also measurably lower compared to a year ago."
• Multifamily apartment sales activity declined in January 2025, with transaction volume falling 25% year over year to $8 billion, according to data from MSCI Real Assets reported by Multifamily Dive. Declines were seen across all property types, including a 39% drop in mid- and high-rise deals to $2.7 billion and a 15% decrease in garden-style transactions to $5.3 billion, while entity-level deals fell 64% to $0.6 billion. Despite lower deal volume, prices were relatively stable, slipping just 0.1% year over year, with recent monthly gains indicating improving momentum. Industry participants cited market volatility and cautious investor behavior as factors behind reduced activity. However, Multifamily Dive reported that institutional investors are becoming more active, and large pending transactions could help drive a rebound in sales volume later in 2026.