April 2026 Austin Real Estate Market Update

April is here, and the Austin real estate market is moving, but not in a straight line. My colleague Lee Abraham and I are back with our monthly market report, and this one is full of crosscurrents. Rates moved against us, inventory is finally coming back online, and the data is telling the story of a market that is gaining momentum even as the headlines try to scare it.

If you’ve been following along with us, you’ve heard us say it: real estate is hyper-local. Citywide numbers are useful, but the real action is happening neighborhood-by-neighborhood, and sometimes street-by-street. We just had an East Side listing go under contract its first weekend on the market. Other listings, sometimes only a few blocks away, are sitting longer. That is the market we are in.

Watch Now

Watch our video report below for all of the current statistics and our forecast for the Austin Real Estate Market. Or click here to watch it on YouTube.

Mortgage Rates Tick Back Above 6%

Last month, we celebrated the first 5-handle on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in a long time. That party didn’t last.

Rates have jumped roughly half a point over the past six weeks, putting us back near 6.5% on a 30-year fixed for a primary residence. The biggest driver was geopolitical: conflict in the Middle East rattled the bond market and pulled mortgage rates up with it. Investor loans and short-term rental product are running higher still.

Here is the key thing to remember: rates can move quickly in either direction. If you are sitting on the sidelines waiting for the perfect rate, my suggestion is to talk to a lender now and get pre-qualified. We are happy to introduce you to a few. That way, when the right rate or the right house shows up, you are not scrambling. You are ready.

A Tale of Multiple Markets

One of the most interesting things about Austin right now is how different things look depending on where you are standing.

Some neighborhoods are flat-out hot. Well-priced homes in desirable pockets are getting multiple offers and going under contract within days. Other parts of town, and even other parts of those same East Side or South Austin zip codes, are taking longer to move. Citywide averages can hide all of that.

The bigger picture is also full of crosscurrents. Oracle just announced 30,000 layoffs, and one of their largest offices is right here in Austin. Block announced cuts last month. Oil and gas prices have ticked up. None of this guarantees a recession, but it’s the kind of mix that keeps the Fed’s hand on the rate lever, which means real estate remains the primary tool the government has to stimulate the economy when it needs to. That cuts both ways, and it is why we keep saying: zoom out on the macro, but zoom in on your neighborhood.

The April 2026 Numbers at a Glance

Sales Velocity & Inventory

Active listings have climbed back to just over 2,700, up sharply from the ~2,100 floor we hit a couple of months ago. That is exactly the seasonal rise we have been forecasting, and it is good news for buyers who haven’t found the right home yet.

Demand is keeping up:

• 30-Day Pending Inventory: 3.09 months (893 pending sales)
• 1-Month Closed Inventory: 3.7 months (741 closed sales)

That puts us in the three-to-four-month range. That is a fairly active market in a climate where the headlines keep telling you otherwise.

Sales Per Month

Closings ticked up year-over-year and month-over-month. We are well in line with the last four years, but still meaningfully below the 2021–2022 peak. That gap is one of the reasons we’ve been calling the last several years a “real estate recession” even when prices held up. The volume of transactions is far below what a healthy market should generate.

• 741 Closed Sales
• Up year-over-year

Average Sale Price

After a couple of months below trend, prices snapped back into line with our forecast.

• $815,000 Average Price
• Roughly 6% below the May 2022 peak of ~$864K

If you bought any time before early 2022, you very likely have equity today. And if prices climb another 4–5% over the rest of the year, which is on the table given the spring momentum, we will be retesting that previous high-water mark.

Days to Sell

Homes are moving faster as we shake off winter, and they are dropping faster than they did at the same point last year. It’s a quiet but meaningful sign that this spring is stronger than the last one.

• Days on market: down year-over-year and month-over-month

New Listings

This is the stat to watch. New listings were up sharply month-over-month but actually down year-over-year. If new inventory keeps lagging over the next couple of months, expect days-on-market to fall, sale-to-list-price ratios to rise, and average prices to follow. Buyers are out there. The question is whether sellers show up in enough volume to meet them.

Anecdotally: there are not a lot of great-quality listings on the market right now. Buyers tell us they’re looking, but they’re being picky, and given the leverage they have today, that’s a fair call when the timeline allows it.

Sale Price to List Price Ratio

This ratio doesn’t lie. It has been a quietly consistent indicator all year, and it just nudged up both year-over-year and month-over-month. Translation: the gap between what sellers are asking and what they’re getting is tightening. The market is gaining momentum even when the headlines are mixed.

Lee’s real-time barometer, which tracks new listings against pending sales week by week, is also pointing in the right direction. We’d like to see it continue building over the next month or two; that would set up a much healthier rest of the year for both buyers and sellers.

My Advice for Spring 2026

If you are Selling:
If you are in a pocket with limited high-quality inventory, you may be in a stronger position than you realize. Buyers are out there, and they are frustrated by how few good options exist. If you can prep your home properly (cleaning, minor fixes, smart staging), that effort can directly impact your sale price. We just sold an East Side listing in its first weekend on the market, and a big part of that was a seller who took prep seriously. If you don’t want to manage that yourself, we can plug you into trusted contractors and handymen.

If you are Buying:
You don’t need to chase. We are not heading back to a crazy sellers’ market over the next 12 months. That’s our read. Inventory is rising, your leverage is real, and if your timeline allows, holding out for the right home is a perfectly reasonable strategy. Just make sure “right” includes the rate environment. Talk to a lender now so you know exactly where you stand the moment the right home shows up.

Want to know what’s happening in your specific neighborhood?
Austin is a tale of multiple markets, and the only way to know what is true on your block is to look at your block. Reach out to me directly. I’d love to pull a custom report for you and help you plan your next move.