San Antonio tops apartment vacancy rates

🚀 Rocketing into Easter! Today's newsletter is 533 words — a 2.5-minute read.

1. Google searches for ‘can’t sell house’ hit an alarming high

An Inman analysis of Google Trends shows that searches for “can’t sell house” surged to their highest level in a decade on March 1, 2026, highlighting growing seller distress.

The spike comes as the market increasingly favors buyers, with sellers now outnumbering active purchasers.

Rising search interest signals a widening disconnect in today’s housing market, where frustrated sellers are facing longer listing times, higher mortgage rates, and a growing gap between expectations and reality.

2. San Antonio tops apartment vacancy rates

San Antonio now has the highest apartment vacancy rate among the nation’s major markets, according to a report from CoStar.

The city took the top spot from Austin, which fell to No. 3 in the ranking of the 50 largest multifamily markets in the U.S., after holding the title for several quarters.

San Antonio’s multifamily vacancy rate stands at 15.7%, compared with 14% in Austin. Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth follow at No. 4 and No. 6, with rates of 12.7% and 12.4%, respectively.

In the early 2020s, both San Antonio and Austin saw a surge in new apartment developments that outpaced demand. Construction has since slowed, helping stabilize rent prices and occupancy rates.

3. Catch up quick

🏡 Are tiny homes the cure for America’s housing woes? (Semafor)

😱 Texas homeowners leaving $2B in property tax savings. (Ownwell)

🚀 Airbnbs are topping $6,000 a night in World Cup housing frenzy. (Fortune)

👔 Keller Williams names Jason Abrams Chief Industry and Strategy Officer. (KW)

👨‍🚀 NASA launches Artemis Dva sending 1st Moon crew since 1972. (NASA)

4. Fort Worth is a top city for young homeowners

According to a study by FilterBuy, Fort Worth has one of the highest shares of young homeowners in the country. About 15.9% of homeowners are under age 35—the fifth-highest percentage among large U.S. cities.

While Fort Worth ranks near the top nationally, Dallas comes in at No. 37, with just 10.9% of homeowners under 35. Austin ranks second among Texas metros but only 21st nationwide, with 12.7% in that age group.

Among smaller cities, Texas dominates the list, with four of the top six boasting the highest share of homeowners under 35: Pearland (20.5%), Midland (20.1%), Odessa (18.4%), and College Station (18.2%).

5. Large investors sell more homes while buying less

According to a BatchData report, real estate investors bought over 32% of all single-family homes sold in Q4 2025, slightly down from 34% in Q3—but still the third consecutive quarter above 30%.

In total, investors purchased 1.32 million homes in 2025, down 4.5% from 1.39 million in 2024.

The largest investors—those owning 1,000 or more homes—continued shedding properties, selling 5,970 in Q4 while buying only 4,336. This marks the eighth straight quarter they were net sellers.

For the year, these large investors sold 20% more homes than they purchased. Overall, investors now own roughly 18% of the country’s 86 million single-family homes.

☀️ Thank you for starting your day with us!

If you like this newsletter, your friends may too. Forward it to a friend, and let them know they can subscribe here.

Interested in advertising to 35k+ Texas Realtors? Email [email protected]