Seller concessions hit a record August share

Plus: Foreclosure filings rise 13%

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1. Foreclosure filings rise 13%

Foreclosure filings hit 40,277 properties in August, up 13% year-over-year and 1% from July, according to ATTOM. Foreclosure starts rose 7% annually to 25,894, though they slipped 3% month-over-month — Florida led with 3,189 starts, followed by Texas at 3,126.

Lenders repossessed 5,794 properties, up 22% from July and 42% year-over-year, a pace well outstripping the rise in filings and starts.

Texas led REOs with 1,835, and Houston, Dallas and San Antonio topped the metro rankings with 448, 402 and 256 completed foreclosures, respectively.

“August’s data shows that foreclosure activity continues to trend above year-ago levels, particularly in completed foreclosures, which saw a notable annual increase,” said Rob Barber, ATTOM CEO. “While some homeowners are still facing financial challenges, overall foreclosure volumes remain well below historical norms and the broader housing market continues to demonstrate resilience.”

2. Seller concessions hit record August share

Seller concessions reached a record 44.7% of home sales in August, up from 42.6% a year earlier, according to a Redfin report.

In Texas, sellers offered concessions in 58.5% of Houston sales, 53.3% in Dallas, 54.2% in San Antonio, and 51.7% in Austin. Dallas saw one of the largest year-over-year increases, with its concession rate rising 6.5 percentage points.

Nationwide, 15.8% of homes that sold in August had a price drop in addition to a concession. That's up incrementally from 15.6% a year earlier, and the highest August share in Redfin's records.

Source: Redfin

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3. Catch up quick

🏆 NAR wins Meta’s 2026 award for best use of automation. (NAR)

🏠 Pending home sales dip to lowest level in nearly 3 years. (Redfin)

🤖 Waymo’s robotaxis are back in San Antonio. (Axios)

💸 San Antonio approves its first tax increase in more than 30 years. (SA.gov)

4. Single-family housing starts rebound in August

Single-family housing starts rose 7.6% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 918,000 units, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Single-family production remains 4.7% lower year to date.

Other key takeaways:

  • Overall housing starts fell 2.6% to a 1.275 million-unit pace. Multifamily construction starts fell 21.7% to an annualized 357,000 units, down 14.6% from August 2025.

  • Overall building permits declined 2.7% to a 1.39 million-unit rate but remain 3.5% above a year ago. Single-family permits fell 1.8% to 878,000 units, though they're still 1.3% above last year's pace.

  • Regionally, the South's housing starts are 2.4% lower year to date and permits are down 3.5%.

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5. Zillow Preview listings go live on Realtor.com

Zillow Preview listings are now live on both Zillow and Realtor.com, giving buyers the same early access to pre-market homes on the two most-visited real estate platforms, without a special login or brokerage relationship.

Zillow says Preview listings receive 18% more views, 9% more shares, and 7% more saves than comparable listings during their first 14 days on the market — giving agents an extra window to build buyer interest before a home officially hits the MLS.

More than 400 brokerage partners are enrolled, including Keller Williams, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Participating agents get enhanced placement on both platforms, free direct buyer connections, and potential revenue sharing on qualifying transactions, at no cost to sellers or agents through enrolled brokerages.

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