After years of post-pandemic highs, the era of outsized down payments is beginning to unwind AUSTIN, Texas, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The typical down payment fell to $23,400 in the first quarter of 2026, the lowest level since 2021, according to the latest Realtor.com ®  Down Payment Report. That represents a 19% decline year-over-year and the fourth consecutive quarterly drop, as rising inventory and moderating prices give buyers more negotiating room and reduce the pressure to lead with an outsized down payment.

New England leads the country in new construction savings; in 16 metros, a decade of lower bills and repair costs more than covers the new construction price premium AUSTIN, Texas, May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Realtor.com® today released new research showing that buyers of newly built homes save an average of $25,335 over the first ten years of ownership compared to buyers of 20-year-old homes. The savings are driven by lower energy bills and fewer major repairs.

The Northeast is showing the strongest construction momentum, while the West is falling behind its own historical norms AUSTIN, Texas, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. rental market continues to favor renters, and a new wave of supply may keep it that way. According to the Realtor.com ®  April Rental Report, the national median asking monthly rent across the 50 largest metropolitan areas fell to $1,673 in April 2026, down $29, or 1.7%, year-over-year, marking the 33rd consecutive month of annual declines for 0-2 bedroom properties.

Urban new builds account for just 11% of listings but carry a 78% price premium AUSTIN, Texas, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Realtor.com® today released its first quarter 2026 New Construction Insights Report, revealing a tale of two housing markets: an urban new construction market defined by scarcity and steep premiums, and a suburban one marked by stability and competitive pricing. The report finds that while new construction has shown remarkable resilience overall, where new homes are being built is shaping who can afford them  and how much they will pay.

In Realtor.com ® 's inaugural Los Angeles County rental report, a cooling market and landmark rent reform are converging, raising questions about affordability and mobility AUSTIN, Texas, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles County renters are seeing rents fall to their lowest point in four years, but for many, the relief only goes so far. The median asking rent dropped to $2,520 in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Q1 2026 Los Angeles County Rental Report from Realtor.com ® , Realtor.com®'s first quarterly rental analysis dedicated to the nation's second-largest metro.

With a rent freeze looming for nearly one million stabilized households, a widening rent gap is turning residential mobility from a matter of preference into a financial impossibility AUSTIN, Texas, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City renters are facing a market defined by rising costs and shrinking options, as the median asking rent climbed to $3,616 in the first quarter of 2026, a 6.2% year-over-year increase, while the rent gap between what current tenants pay and what the market demands has surpassed $1,750 per month, according to the Q1 2026 NYC Rental Report from Realtor.com ® . The report underscores a city where switching apartments has become financially out of reach for most renters.

Realtor.com ® Introduces the Realtor.com ® Market Clock , a New Tool That Distills Local Housing Conditions Into a Measure of Whether It's a Buyer, Seller or Balanced Market and Where It's Headed AUSTIN, Texas, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Just over 60% of the nation's largest housing markets have tilted into balanced or buyer-friendly territory, while only 26% remain seller's markets, according to a new analysis from Realtor.com ® . The findings come alongside the debut of the Realtor.com ® Market Clock, a new tool designed to cut through the noise of housing data and give buyers, sellers and market watchers a clearer picture of where local markets stand and where they may be headed.