Midwestern and southern metros may dominate buyer interest in 2026, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Geographically, trends varied widely, with formerly hot areas like Florida and the Southeast posting the deepest declines and formerly cool areas, like the Midwest, showing healthy gains.

Dallas-area homes top the November ranking of the 10 most expensive new listings in Texas, claiming the three most expensive spots.

Spa-style amenities, customizable lighting options, integrated technology, storage solutions — and ample space for these features — all surfaced as top trends.

By region, sales rose in the Midwest, Northeast and South but fell in the West. 

Bold, geometric designs like chevrons, sunbursts, zigzags and stepped shapes are making a huge comeback as of late — and Houzz said that will continue into 2026.

The typical asking rent for an average rental unit was unchanged at $1,678, while the median household income outpaced this acceleration, growing 4% during the same time frame.

The chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS® also predicts home prices will climb 4% compared to 2025. 

Agents from Williams Trew Real Estate were responsible for listing three of the 10 most expensive homes sold in Fort Worth in October. Williams Trew agents also worked with the buyers on three of the top 10 sales.

At the top of the list? WaterSense fixtures — the plumbing solution, which claims to reduce water use by more than 20%, increased in popularity by 289.6%.

At the same time, the average age of the first-time buyer hit an all-time high of 40, according to the 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. 

Annually, households need $110,800 to maintain monthly payments, assuming they spend 30% of their income on housing costs.

Nationwide, the median price for a single-family home increased 1.7% year over year to $426,800. Prices increased by the same annual rate during the second quarter.

Given the rate of sales, the nation had a 4.6-month housing supply, up from 4.2 months a year prior.

Tapping into Realtor intel, Zillow analyzed its listing database for keywords that are increasing most in popularity heading into the new year.

The most expensive home sold in Fort Worth last month stayed on the market for 118 days before closing.