Kyle Niemann

September contracts are pacing about 4% behind last year, but 2026 is still 5.5% ahead year to date. September has never been a big month, and this one is following the usual seasonal curve.

Kansas City sold fewer homes this summer, yet prices hit a record, unemployment fell and homes sold as fast as last year. What changed was the cost of money: the 30-year fixed rate bottomed just under 6% in February and crossed 7% this week, cutting roughly $30,000 from what the same monthly payment buys.

Kansas City's existing-home market slowed broadly in August. New listings, contracts written, and closings all finished below August 2025 — the first month this year that every volume measure moved lower. Prices did not follow: the median resale price reached $332,500, a new high and 7.6% above last August.

Kansas City's existing-home market stayed active in July, with closings posting the strongest year-over-year gain since early spring. The median resale price held near record levels while new listing activity pulled back slightly from last year. The notable shift this month: pending sales growth cooled sharply after June's surge, signaling that summer momentum may be leveling off.

A short summary for news lists and social previews.

National housing market data may not tell the right story for your home sale or purchase