The U.S. housing market is increasingly defined by sharp geographic and performance divergence, with a narrow share of listings still selling within days and often above asking price, while a growing share of homes take significantly longer to transact, depending on local conditions, according to Zillow Research.
Nationally, homes spent a median of 19 days to pending in March 2026, while just 18.5% of listings sold within seven days. Of those fast-moving homes, 44.3% sold above list price, reinforcing the idea that pricing power is increasingly concentrated among the most competitively positioned listings rather than the broader market.
Several Midwest markets continue to post some of the fastest transaction timelines in the country, suggesting sustained depth in demand even outside traditionally high-cost coastal regions. Kansas City (5 days to pending), St. Louis (6 days), Cincinnati (6 days), and Columbus (6 days) all rank among the fastest-moving major metros. In these markets, more than 30% of homes sell within seven days, with a strong share of those transactions closing above asking price. For example, Kansas City and St. Louis both show elevated competitive pressure among fast sales, indicating that well-priced inventory continues to draw multiple-buyer interest quickly.
In higher-cost coastal metros, fewer homes move quickly, but those that do often generate significant bidding intensity. San Francisco and San Jose stand out on the pricing side, with more than 79% and 83% of fast sales, respectively, closing above list price. San Jose in particular shows the strongest pricing pressure in the dataset, with nearly 61% of all homes sold above asking, underscoring persistent competition for well-located, move-in-ready inventory despite broader market softness.
Boston, Seattle and San Diego also show elevated pricing strength in fast-moving listings, with roughly 58%–70% of homes selling within seven days in some cases closing above list price.
In contrast, several high-growth Sun Belt markets are exhibiting slower turnover and weaker early-stage competition, signaling a more pronounced normalization phase. Austin (40 days to pending), San Antonio (42 days), Jacksonville (46 days) and Houston (34 days) all show extended transaction timelines relative to the national average. In Austin, just 2.7% of homes sold within seven days, one of the lowest rates among major metros, while similar softness appears in San Antonio and Jacksonville, where sub-10% fast-sale shares indicate limited urgency among buyers. These markets reflect a shift away from pandemic-era intensity toward a more measured, rate-sensitive environment where buyers have regained negotiating leverage, according to Zillow.
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