Existing Home Sales: Lawler vs. the Consensus

Housing economist Tom Lawler has been sending me his predictions of what the NAR will report for over 12 years. And he has graciously allowed me to share his predictions with the readers of this blog.

The table below shows the consensus for each month, Lawler’s predictions, and the NAR’s initially reported level of sales. Lawler hasn’t always been closer than the consensus, but usually when there has been a fairly large spread between Lawler’s estimate and the “consensus”, Lawler has been closer.

The NAR is scheduled to release Existing Home Sales for November on Wednesday at 10:00 AM, December 21st. The consensus is for 4.20 million SAAR in November. Tom Lawler estimates the NAR will report sales of 4.16 million SAAR.

Over the last 12+ years, the consensus average miss was 145 thousand, and Lawler’s average miss was 72 thousand.

So far in 2022, the consensus average miss was 107 thousand, and Lawler’s average miss was 62 thousand.

Existing Home Sales, Forecasts and NAR Report
millions, seasonally adjusted annual rate basis (SAAR)MonthConsensusLawlerNAR reported1May-106.205.835.66Jun-105.305.305.37Jul-104.663.953.83Aug-104.104.104.13Sep-104.304.504.53Oct-104.504.464.43Nov-104.854.614.68Dec-104.905.135.28Jan-115.205.175.36Feb-115.155.004.88Mar-115.005.085.10Apr-115.205.155.05May-114.754.804.81Jun-114.904.714.77Jul-114.924.694.67Aug-114.754.925.03Sep-114.934.834.91Oct-114.804.864.97Nov-115.084.404.42Dec-114.604.644.61Jan-124.694.664.57Feb-124.614.634.59Mar-124.624.594.48Apr-124.664.534.62May-124.574.664.55Jun-124.654.564.37Jul-124.504.474.47Aug-124.554.874.82Sep-124.754.704.75Oct-124.744.844.79Nov-124.905.105.04Dec-125.104.974.94Jan-134.904.944.92Feb-135.014.874.98Mar-135.034.894.92Apr-134.925.034.97May-135.005.205.18Jun-135.274.995.08Jul-135.135.335.39Aug-135.255.355.48Sep-135.305.265.29Oct-135.135.085.12Nov-135.024.984.90Dec-134.904.964.87Jan-144.704.674.62Feb-144.644.604.60Mar-144.564.644.59Apr-144.674.704.65May-144.754.814.89Jun-144.994.965.04Jul-145.005.095.15Aug-145.185.125.05Sep-145.095.145.17Oct-145.155.285.26Nov-145.204.904.93Dec-145.055.155.04Jan-155.004.904.82Feb-154.944.874.88Mar-155.045.185.19Apr-155.225.205.04May-155.255.295.35Jun-155.405.455.49Jul-155.415.645.59Aug-155.505.545.31Sep-155.355.565.55Oct-155.415.335.36Nov-155.324.974.76Dec-155.195.365.46Jan-165.325.365.47Feb-165.305.205.08Mar-165.275.275.33Apr-165.405.445.45May-165.645.555.53Jun-165.485.625.57Jul-165.525.415.39Aug-165.445.495.33Sep-165.355.555.47Oct-165.445.475.60Nov-165.545.605.61Dec-165.545.555.49Jan-175.555.605.69Feb-175.555.415.48Mar-175.615.745.71Apr-175.675.565.57May-175.555.655.62Jun-175.585.595.52Jul-175.575.385.44Aug-175.485.395.35Sep-175.305.385.39Oct-175.305.605.48Nov-175.525.775.81Dec-175.755.665.57Jan-185.655.485.38Feb-185.425.445.54Mar-185.285.515.60Apr-185.605.485.46May-185.565.475.43Jun-185.455.355.38Jul-185.435.405.34Aug-185.365.365.34Sep-185.305.205.15Oct-185.205.315.22Nov-185.195.235.32Dec-185.244.974.99Jan-195.054.924.94Feb-195.085.465.51Mar-195.305.405.21Apr-195.365.315.19May-195.295.405.34Jun-195.345.255.27Jul-195.395.405.42Aug-195.385.425.49Sep-195.455.365.38Oct-195.495.365.46Nov-195.455.435.35Dec-195.435.405.54Jan-205.455.425.46Feb-205.505.585.77Mar-205.305.255.27Apr-204.304.174.33May-204.383.803.91Jun-204.864.654.72 Jul-205.395.855.86Aug-206.005.926.00 Sep-206.256.386.54Oct-206.456.636.85 Nov-206.706.506.69Dec-206.556.626.76 Jan-216.606.486.69Feb-216.516.296.22 Mar-216.176.026.01Apr-216.095.965.85May-215.745.785.80 Jun-215.905.795.86 Jul-215.845.865.99Aug-215.885.905.88 Sep-216.066.206.29Oct-216.206.346.34 Nov-216.206.456.46Dec-216.456.336.18 Jan-226.126.366.50Feb-226.165.976.02 Mar-225.805.745.77Apr-225.625.575.61May-225.415.355.41 Jun-225.405.125.12 Jul-224.884.904.81Aug-224.704.84 4.80 Sep-224.694.824.71Oct-224.394.494.43 Nov-224.204.16NA 1NAR initially reported before revisions.