U.S. Pending Home Sales Hit a Record Low—Chicago Multifamily Owner Perspective

NAR's September 2026 seasonally adjusted Pending Home Sales Index reached 66.0, down 7.3% from August and 11.3% from a year earlier. This measures signed existing-home purchase contracts, not apartment sale prices. Illinois REALTORS reported 7,326 Chicago metro residential closings in September, down 3.5% annually, while the median residential sale price rose 6.9% to $385,000. Chicago-area apartment owners should separately assess renter retention, local rent evidence, normalized NOI and buyer financing. Read Randolph Taylor's original analysis and source links: https://creconsult.net/pending-home-sales-record-low-chicago-multifamily-2026/

Randolph Taylor, MBA, CCIM, MiCP | Vice President, eXp Commercial | National Multifamily Division

A reassessment notice is not the same thing as a property-tax bill. For apartment owners preparing a sale, the practical issue is how actual taxes, current assessment information, appeal status and supported forward assumptions affect NOI and buyer underwriting.This week's owner guide explains the records to reconcile before pricing or marketing a Cook County multifamily property, including why township deadlines must be verified for the specific PIN and property class.Read the full Cook County multifamily owner guide.Randolph Taylor, MBA, CCIM, MiCPVice President | Multifamily Investment Sales BrokereXp Commercial | National Multifamily Division