US Pending Home Sales Climb 3.4% in March

On Thursday, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reported its Pending Homes Sales Index (PHSI) for March. The PHSI—based on signed real estate contracts, not actual closings, for existing single-family homes, condominiums, and co-ops—was 3.4% higher, rising to a reading of 78.2. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.

Year-over-year, pending homes sales were up 0.1%.

Three out of the four regions posted monthly gains, NAR reported.

  • The Northeast PHSI rose 2.7% to a reading of 65.1 but was 0.3% lower versus March 2023.
  • The Midwest PHSI fell 4.3% to a reading of 78.1 but was up 1.3% year-over-year.
  • The South PHSI moved 7.0% higher to a reading of 95.8 but was 1.5% below March 2023.
  • The West PHSI increased 6.8% to a reading of 61.0 and was up 3.6% year-over-year.

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