Austin | Single-Family Homes Market Snapshot — August 2026
Market Update
A data-driven look at how Austin's single-family market shifted from June to July 2026 — pricing, pace, inventory, and what it means for the road ahead.
Authored by
Lauren A. Petty, REALTOR®
Brokered by eXp Realty
Closed Median
$620,500
▼ -2.0%
Months of Inventory
3.81
▼ -6.7%
Absorption Rate
26.2%
▲ +1.7 pts
Avg DOM (Active)
96.6 days
▲ +17.3%
Market Status
Balanced
▼ Buyer leverage persists
Executive Summary
Austin’s single-family housing market remained Balanced in August 2026, with an estimated 26.2% absorption rate and 3.81 months of inventory. Inventory tightened materially from July, with active listings falling 13.4%, which pushed the absorption rate higher and months of inventory lower.
That tightening did not translate into stronger overall buyer activity. Closed sales declined 7.3%, pending listings declined 12.1%, and homes under contract fell 24.2% month over month. At the same time, both closed and active days on market increased substantially, while expired listings rose 20.2%.
Pricing signals were mixed. The closed median price declined approximately 2.0% to $620,500, while the closed average price increased about 1.9% to $845,825, suggesting higher-priced transactions influenced the average. Sellers received an average of approximately 97.1% of list price, slightly below July.
Overall, August reflects a market with less available inventory but also softer transaction velocity. Buyers continue to have negotiating leverage, particularly on homes accumulating market time, even though declining inventory has kept Austin from shifting into a more buyer-favorable market classification.
At a Glance
- Closed Sales729
- Active Listings2,780
- Pending356
- Median Close$620,500
- Market StatusBalanced
Market Activity Snapshot
August 2026 Market Activity — July vs August
Counts by transaction stage
Month-over-Month
Closed
729
July: 786
Expired
143
July: 119
Withdrawn
318
July: 310
Active
2,780
July: 3,211
Pending
356
July: 405
Under Contract
403
July: 532
Inventory & Affordability
1,354
Active listings without an HOA
July: 1,523 · ↓ 11.1% · ≈48.7% of active inventory
154
Active listings priced below $300k
July: 159 · ↓ 3.1%
5.5%
Share of active inventory below $301,000
July: approximately 5.0%
“Homes priced below $300k” follows the requested calculation of active listings with a list price below $301,000.
Pricing Trends
Closed Median
$620,500
July: $632,900
▼ -2.0%
Closed Average
$845,825
July: $829,689
▲ +1.9%
$ / Sq Ft (Closed)
$340.85
July: $336.19
▲ +1.4%
Seller-Paid Concessions
$5,369
July: $6,094
▼ -11.9%
Close-to-List Ratio
97.1%
July: 97.5%
▼ -0.4 percentage points (approx.)
Active Median
$597,995
July: $619,000
▼ -3.4%
Active Average
$989,274
July: $995,602
▼ -0.6%
Pending Median
$549,995
July: $555,000
▼ -0.9%
Pending Average
$767,592
July: $758,563
▲ +1.2%
Pricing Comparison — July vs August
Median prices softened while closed and pending averages increased
Closed Listings: The combination of a lower median sale price but higher average sale price indicates that August’s closed-sale mix was likely influenced by relatively more expensive transactions at the upper end of the market. Meanwhile, the decline in the median and the slight deterioration in sale-to-list ratio indicate continued price sensitivity among typical buyers.
Active Listing Pricing
Active sellers adjusted pricing downward during August, with the median asking price dropping by more than $21,000 from July. The larger decline in the median compared with the average suggests the adjustment was more pronounced in the middle portions of Austin’s inventory than at the luxury end.
Pending Listing Pricing
Pending pricing shows a similar split to closed sales: the median softened while the average increased. This indicates that higher-priced transactions are still occurring, but the broader market remains sensitive to affordability and pricing.
Fastest Moving Subdivisions
Top 3 by Avg Days on Market
Based on the lowest average closed-listing DOM in the August dataset. Each of these subdivisions had one closed transaction represented in the August dataset, so the zero-day averages should be interpreted cautiously rather than as broad subdivision-level trends.
Allandale Oaks
Fastest movers
0
Avg DOM
Courtyard At Preserve Condo T
Fastest movers
0
Avg DOM
Parten Ranch Ph 6 & 7
Fastest movers
0
Avg DOM
Days on Market
DOM Trend
Closed Avg DOM
51.9 days
▲ 19.1% from 43.5 days in July
Active Avg DOM
96.6 days
▲ 17.3% from 82.3 days in July
Market time increased meaningfully in August. Active homes were approaching an average of 100 days on market, while sold homes required approximately eight additional days to secure a buyer compared with July.
This is one of the clearest indications that Austin remains a selective market. Buyers are taking longer to commit, and homes that are not positioned competitively on price, condition, or location face greater risk of extended marketing periods.
Inventory & Absorption
Absorption Rate
26.2%
August 2026
▲ 1.7 percentage points from 24.5% in July
Months of Inventory
3.81
▼ 6.7% from 4.09 months in July
Market Classification
Buyer's
< 20%
Balanced
20 – 32%
◆ August
Seller's
> 32%
Under the specified classification rules, a Balanced Market has an absorption rate of 20%–32% and 3.1–5.0 months of inventory. August’s 26.2% absorption rate and 3.81 months of inventory both fall squarely within the Balanced Market range.
July was also classified as a Balanced Market, at approximately 24.5% absorption and 4.09 months of inventory. The August market therefore remained balanced, although the decline in available inventory moved conditions modestly in the seller’s direction from an inventory standpoint.
For consistency, absorption is calculated as monthly closed sales divided by active inventory, and months of inventory as active inventory divided by monthly closed sales.
Significant Market Trends
Active inventory contracted
A key August development was the 431-listing decline in active inventory, from 3,211 to 2,780 listings. That 13.4% contraction was considerably larger than the 7.3% decline in closings, causing months of inventory to fall despite weaker sales volume.
Forward-looking demand weakened
Pending listings fell 12.1%, while listings under contract declined 24.2%. This suggests the apparent tightening in inventory should not automatically be interpreted as accelerating buyer demand.
Expired listings and withdrawals rose
Failed or discontinued marketing activity increased. Expired listings rose 20.2%, and withdrawals increased 2.6%. Together with substantially longer days on market, those figures suggest a growing divide between appropriately positioned listings and homes that are priced above what current buyers are willing to accept.
Affordability remains constrained
Only 154 active homes, or approximately 5.5% of Austin’s active inventory, were priced below the requested $301,000 threshold. That share was modestly higher than July’s approximately 5.0%, despite the absolute number of affordable listings declining.
Homes without a mandatory HOA
Homes without a mandatory HOA represented approximately 48.7% of August active inventory, compared with about 47.4% in July.
Forecast
Based solely on the July and August datasets, Austin is likely to remain a Balanced Market during the next month, but with continued evidence of slower transaction velocity.
The most important forward indicator is the contraction in the sales pipeline: pending listings fell 12.1%, while homes under contract fell 24.2%. Unless new contract activity rebounds substantially, this suggests the number of closed transactions could decline again in the next reporting period.
Pricing is likely to remain competitive rather than accelerate upward. The decline in both the active and closed median prices, combined with longer market times and a slightly lower closed-price-to-list-price ratio, indicates that buyers continue to resist aggressive pricing. Sellers with well-positioned homes should still be able to transact, but sellers entering above market value may experience longer marketing periods or require price reductions.
Inventory levels will be especially important. If active inventory continues falling faster than closed sales, months of inventory could remain near or slightly below August’s 3.81 months. If closings decline sharply because of the smaller pending and under-contract pipeline, months of inventory could stabilize or move back above 4 months.
Forecast direction for September 2026: Balanced conditions, potentially fewer closed transactions, continued elevated days on market, restrained median pricing, and persistent buyer negotiating leverage despite a smaller active inventory pool.
Leading Indicators
- Pending listings down 12.1%; under-contract listings down 24.2%
- Active inventory down 13.4% to 2,780 listings
- Months of inventory at 3.81; absorption at 26.2%
- Active listings averaging 96.6 days on market
- Lower median prices and a 97.1% close-to-list ratio
September 2026 Forecast
Balanced, with slower transaction velocity.
▲ Persistent buyer leverage
▼ Contract velocity
≈ Restrained median pricing
My predictions are bar any unforeseen events causing outliers and it's possible my crystal ball may not be functioning properly.
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Lauren A. Petty, REALTOR®
Brokered by eXp Realty
A professional analyst and project manager turned REALTOR® — serving information without the sales talk. That's exactly how I support buyers and sellers: strategy and calm so you can make clear decisions.
How I Work
- Deep knowledge of Austin-area neighborhoods, schools, and market trends grounded in data-driven analysis
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