WASHINGTON — US sales of existing single-family homes and condos rebounded by 3.7 percent in March to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.1 million, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday, offering mixed signals for the struggling sector.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected sales to rebound to five million units in March.

Sales fell a revised 8.9 percent in February to 4.92 million units, up from the initial estimate of a 9.6 percent drop to 4.8 million units.

The median price of homes sold was down 5.9 percent from last year at $159,600.

Inventories of existing homes for sale climbed to 3.55 million, representing an 8.4-month supply, down from a revised 8.5 months in February.

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