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April 26, 2026
Today: National pending sales hit a multiyear high despite the Iran conflict, homeowners insurance is increasingly blocking deals at closing, and Zillow's battle with MRED over private listings signals coming MLS policy changes.
Weekly pending sales nationally reached 80,258 last week, up 18% year-over-year and hitting a multiyear high for this calendar week. Purchase application data jumped 10% week-over-week with 12% annual growth, driven by mortgage rates falling from a recent high of 6.64% to 6.29%. HousingWire
For Columbia agents: this demand spike likely translates to increased showing activity in the next 2-4 weeks. If you have listings priced competitively in the $250K-350K range (Columbia's median band), expect more buyer traffic. Mortgage rates are still above the 6.25% sweet spot, but the recent dip is creating a window for buyers who were waiting on the sidelines.
New listings nationally reached 83,395 last week, up 19% year-over-year and finally breaking above the 80,000 threshold that signals normal market conditions. Inventory is growing but at a slower pace than last year. This combination of rising inventory and strong pending sales indicates a balanced market, neither overheated nor stalled. In Richland County terms: expect more competition from new listings, but also more qualified buyers ready to move. HousingWire
Consumer sentiment dropped 6.6% month-over-month to 49.8, matching the June 2022 trough, driven entirely by Iran conflict anxiety and gas prices. Year-ahead inflation expectations jumped from 3.8% to 4.7%, the largest one-month increase since April 2025. Long-run inflation expectations climbed to 3.5%, the highest since October 2025. RISMedia
Columbia impact: consumer anxiety hasn't killed demand yet, but it's creating hesitation. Buyers are more price-sensitive and watching affordability closely. If you're representing sellers, price aggressively and highlight energy-efficient features that offset gas cost concerns. For buyers, frame current rates as temporary and emphasize the opportunity to negotiate before spring inventory peaks.
Homeowners insurance is now a material transaction risk. Premiums rose 8.5% in 2025 after an 18% jump in 2024, and buyers are discovering insurability issues days before closing. Some homes cannot be insured at all. Rising insurance costs are pushing borrowers out of qualification by inflating debt-to-income ratios (DTI). HousingWire
Action for Columbia agents: pre-qualify insurance during the listing consultation, not at the offer stage. South Carolina's coastal storm exposure makes this especially critical for properties in flood zones or near the Congaree River. For buyers, add insurance verification to your pre-approval checklist. Work with local insurance agents who can pre-underwrite properties before an offer is made. Waiting until after inspection is too late.
Zillow is escalating its fight with Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) over private listings, demanding that listings marketed privately cannot later appear on Zillow unless they meet narrow privacy exceptions (safety, medical confidentiality). MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen sent a 1,400-word defense of private listing networks, arguing that widowers and cancer patients deserve discretion. Zillow claims private listings create "an uneven playing field" and function as bait-and-switch leverage. RISMedia
Columbia context: South Carolina MLS systems don't have MRED's scale of private listing networks, but watch this closely. If Zillow wins this battle, expect similar pressure on all MLS platforms to eliminate "coming soon" or pocket listing tools. For agents relying on off-market exclusives to build buyer lists, start preparing for a future where everything goes public immediately or doesn't syndicate to portals at all. This is a coming-soon funeral march.
HomeServices of America launched OnePoint, an integrated transaction platform combining brokerage, mortgage, title, and insurance under one team. CEO Chris Kelly positioned it as a competitive advantage over brokerages offering fragmented services. RISMedia
Relevance for Columbia: this is vertical integration warfare. If you're an independent agent or small brokerage, the pitch against you will be "seamless experience" and "one team." Your counter: local expertise, personalized service, and not being locked into a single affiliated lender or title company. Emphasize that your clients get choice, not a corporate bundle. Build your own referral network of trusted local partners so you can offer coordination without forcing clients into a single vendor relationship.
FBS launched a Flexmls MCP Server that connects AI tools directly to MLS data using natural language queries. Access is authenticated at the subscriber level, and MLS organizations control activation. The tool lets agents ask questions in plain language and get responses grounded in comprehensive, standardized listing data instead of incomplete internet sources. RISMedia
Columbia opportunity: if your MLS uses Flexmls (check with the Columbia Board of Realtors or your MLS provider), this tool could streamline market analysis and CMA prep. Instead of manually pulling comps, you could query "show me all 3BR/2BA sales in Forest Acres in the last 90 days with DOM under 30." This is a workflow efficiency play, not a replacement for expertise. Adopt it early to free up time for client conversations, not data wrangling.
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