Typical Home-Flipping Returns Rise to 25.4% in Q1 2026
by ATTOM Team
ATTOM, the leading provider of property data, AI-powered intelligence, and real estate analytics solutions, released its Q1 2026 U.S. Home Flipping Report showing that 64,348 single-family homes and condominiums were flipped in the first quarter, accounting for 8% of home sales from January through March.
The flipping rate, as a percentage of total sales nationwide, was up from 7.2% the previous quarter but down from 8.2% at the same time last year. The overall number of flips was also down from 69,711 in the fourth quarter of 2025 and from 70,579 in the first quarter of 2025.
The typical profit margin for a flipped home crept up to 25.4% in the first quarter from 24.7% in the previous quarter, which had been its lowest point since mid-2008. That was still below profit margins at the same time last year, however, when the typical flipped home generated 29.6% returns.
Gross profits, the difference between what flippers purchased and sold homes for, were also up — from $64,300 last quarter to $66,000 in the first quarter of 2026. Although that, too, was below the typical gross profit of $74,172 recorded in the first quarter of 2025.
“The first increase in flipping returns in nearly two years is a welcome sign for investors,” said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. “The market remains far more competitive than it was during the peak profit years, but this quarter’s gains suggest that conditions may be stabilizing. Success still depends heavily on local market dynamics, with some metros producing strong returns while others remain difficult places to flip profitably.”
Flipping rises quarter-over-quarter in most metros
The rate of flips, as a share of overall home sales, rose quarter-over-quarter in 77% (134) of the 174 metropolitan statistical areas with sufficient data to analyze. Year-over-year, however, flipping rates were down in 56.3% (98) of the metros.
The metro areas with the highest flipping rates in the first quarter of 2026 were:
» Columbus, GA (15.2%)
» Atlanta, GA (12.3%)
» Canton, OH (12.3%)
» York, PA (12.2%)
» Spartanburg, SC (12.1%)
Flipping barely profitable in major Texas cities
Profit margins from home flipping rose quarter-over-quarter in 55.2% (96) of the 174 metro areas analyzed.
Among metros with populations over 1 million, the largest typical profit margins were in:
» Pittsburgh, PA (85.9%)
» Buffalo, NY (84%)
» Virginia Beach, VA (74.9%)
» Baltimore, MD (65.9%)
» Philadelphia, PA (62%)
Among those largest markets, the smallest typical profit margins were in:
» Austin, TX (2%)
» Dallas, TX (4.3%)
» San Antonio, TX (5.1%)
» Houston, TX (7.2%)
» Salt Lake City, UT (9.5%)
