Pending Home Sales Rose 0.3% in August—South Led; Texas Metros on Top Gainers

Pending sales edged up in August—South led the monthly gain

The National Association of REALTORS® August 2026 Pending Home Sales report (released Sept. 17) shows U.S. pending home sales up 0.3% month over month and down 4.7% year over year. Pending sales are contracts signed but not yet closed—an early read on closings in the following one to two months.

Regionally, the South rose 2.3% month over month (still −3.8% year over year). The West rose 3.0% MoM; the Northeast and Midwest fell. NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun noted buyers still entered contracts even as mortgage rates increased, but activity remains well below pre-pandemic norms.

Texas metros on the “gainers” list

Among the 50 largest metros, Realtor.com Economics data cited by NAR put San Antonio–New Braunfels at +6.6% year over year in pending sales and Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos at +4.2%—both among the top annual gainers nationally. That is metro contract activity, not a guarantee about your East Texas street or list price.

For East Texas sellers, the practical read is mixed: a slight national MoM rebound and a stronger South monthly print do not erase the YoY soft patch. Pricing, condition, and negotiation room still matter when inventory and rates keep pressure on buyers.

This post does not invent local days-on-market, sale prices, or agent results. If you are preparing to list, use pending-sales context as one input—then price and present the home for the market you actually have.

Takeaway: August pending sales ticked up nationally, with the South leading the monthly gain—useful context, not a reason to skip realistic pricing.

Talk with an East Texas listing specialist