January Existing-Home Sales Record Biggest Drop in Nearly 4 Years

The National Association of Realtors said adverse weather in January made it harder to determine the cause of the decline and whether it was temporary.

A home for sale in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

U.S. existing-home sales fell 8.4 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.91 million, according to a Feb. 12 report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). It marked the largest monthly decline since February 2022 and the lowest level since December 2023.

The report shows the median sales price for all housing types at $396,800, a slight uptick of 0.9 percent from January 2025. However, the sales continued a declining trend with a 4.4 percent year-over-year decrease in existing-home sales.