What August Data Says About Buying, Selling, and Leasing in DFW

The Dallas-Fort Worth residential market closed August 2026 with the summer breather starting to reverse. Volume stayed soft across all three segments, but the inventory story flipped: after building through the spring and early summer, active listings pulled back month-over-month in new construction and resale, while lease supply barely moved.

New listings dried up everywhere. Prices firmed in resale, held steady in new construction as builders trimmed their list ambitions, and rents ticked higher. Mortgage rates held at 6.41% — still 16 basis points below last year, which remains material relief for qualifying buyers.

🏠 New Construction: Builders Pull Back on List Price, Volume Keeps Sliding

New construction reversed its earlier-summer script. Builders eased list prices lower month-over-month after two months of climbing, sold prices held roughly flat, and both new and closed volume kept sliding. Active inventory edged down while sitting well below last year, leaving the segment at a 4.52-month supply.

Key New Construction Market Trends:

• Active Listings: 8,653, down 1.9% from July and down 11.6% year-over-year.

  
  

• Average List Price: $541.25K, down 4.7% MoM but up 1.7% YoY.

  
  

• Average Sold Price: $453.8K, down 0.2% MoM and up 0.3% YoY.

  
  

• New Listings: 2,488, down 14.5% MoM and 20.3% YoY.

  
  

• Closed Sales: 1,793, down 6.1% MoM and 13.4% YoY.

The gap between what builders are asking and what homes actually close at still runs close to $90K. Pair that with 94.1% of original list and 79 days on market, and new construction remains the deepest pocket of buyer leverage in the metroplex. If anything, the pulled-back list price is a tell about builder confidence, not about what the market is paying. The sold number is still the one that matters at the negotiating table.

🏘️ Resale: Volume Cools Further While Prices Firm

Resale kept cooling on volume but firmed on price. Closed sales and new listings both dropped sharply month-over-month, yet list and sold prices moved up and the annual gains widened to better than 5%. Active inventory fell month-over-month and slipped back under six months, nudging the segment from balanced toward the seller's side of the line.

Key Resale Market Trends:

• Active Listings: 27,212, down 4.1% MoM and 7.2% YoY.

  
  

• Average List Price: $530.62K, up 1.0% MoM and 5.3% YoY.

  
  

• Average Sold Price: $480.4K, up 0.4% MoM and 5.4% YoY.

  
  

• New Listings: 8,677, down 19.5% MoM and 6.9% YoY.

  
  

• Closed Sales: 5,618, down 16.6% MoM and 9.0% YoY.

At 5.85 months of supply, resale has edged just inside the balanced line, and the firming price data says sellers have regained a little footing. The lever this month was supply discipline — far fewer new listings came to market, so the inventory that piled up earlier in the summer is finally being drawn down. Sellers are holding 94.5% of original list at 58 days on market, so pricing power is intact. It just still rewards sharper positioning than it did in the spring.

🔑 Lease: Rents Strengthen as the Shortage Holds

Lease stayed the tightest corner of the report. Active inventory barely moved month-over-month and is still running nearly 19% below last August. Rents strengthened: closed rents rose month-over-month and are now up more than 4% year-over-year, reversing the flat reading from July. The segment kept the strongest pricing power in the market.

Key Rental Market Trends:

• Active Listings: 10,443, up 0.5% MoM and down 19.5% YoY.

  
  

• Average List Price: $2.47K, down 0.3% MoM.

  
  

• Average Sold Price: $2.4K, up 1.2% MoM and 4.2% YoY.

  
  

• New Listings: 6,263, down 7.3% MoM and 7.8% YoY.

  
  

• Closed Leases: 4,158, down 13.9% MoM and 10.4% YoY.

Properties are leasing at 97.7% of original list in 41 days — the fastest, most price-resilient segment in the report by a wide margin. Closed volume is cooling, but with supply at just 2.36 months and a year-over-year shortage that refuses to resolve, landlords still set the terms.

📈 Market Outlook

August reframes the summer story. July looked like a breather with inventory building everywhere. August shows that buildup reversing: new listings pulled back hard across all three segments, active inventory fell in new construction and resale, and the supply that accumulated earlier in the summer started drawing down. Volume stayed soft, but that softness is now on the supply side as much as the demand side — and that is what firmed prices in resale and rents in lease.

• Mortgage Rate: 6.41%, flat month-over-month and 16 basis points below last year — steady, and still material relief for qualifying buyers.

  
  

• Negotiation Window: Buyers hold the widest leverage in new construction (94.1% of original), moderate leverage in resale (94.5%), and almost none in lease (97.7%).

  
  

• Inventory Profile: New construction at 4.52 months sits balanced, resale at 5.85 months has edged back just inside the seller's side, and lease stays firmly landlord-favorable at 2.36 months.

  
  

• Coming Soon: 472 new-construction and 472 resale listings in the pipeline, plus 158 lease — a lighter lease bench than last month heading into September.

  
  

Important Note:

This analysis is based on data from NTREIS (North Texas Real Estate Information Systems) as of August 31, 2026.  Market conditions can change rapidly, and this report is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a guarantee of future market performance.