It’s been a wild year for the real estate industry in the US.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) offered this update when comparing Q3 to the rest of 2026 so far:
In the third quarter, NAR helped deliver historic federal housing legislation and put new tools, research and resources in members' hands. The result is a stronger, safer and more transparent industry for the professionals who power it and the consumers they serve.
Following two years of sustained lobbying by NAR, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law, setting the stage for more housing supply and greater affordability in communities nationwide. The housing finance system moved closer to recognizing more qualified borrowers through credit score modernization, and bipartisan support grew for updating the home equity tax for the first time since 1997 to help unlock inventory.
NAR also brought clarity and stability to a marketplace navigating change. Through sustained engagement with MLS leaders, brokers, association executives and agents and new guidance on evolving marketing practices, NAR reinforced the MLS transparency and cooperation buyers and sellers depend on, while federal appeals courts upheld rulings supporting NAR’s MLS policies. At the same time, NAR took on one of the fastest-growing threats facing the industry—fraud—by helping practitioners and consumers spot warning signs earlier and making member accounts harder to compromise.
NAR also turned its industry reach into practical support for members—connecting directly with thousands of brokers to understand the challenges facing their firms and drawing on its ability to gather and analyze real estate data at scale. In Q3, that work put market intelligence and actionable insight at the fingertips of residential and commercial practitioners, strengthening the expertise and professionalism clients count on from REALTORS®.
Each achievement is part of a broader, connected effort to expand housing opportunity, ensure integrity in the market and throughout the transaction, and give members the insight and support to grow their business.
Windermere Economist Jeff Tucker