Redfin Reports 9% Increase in Pending Home Sales is Slowest Growth Since June 2020

Rhea-AI Summary

Redfin reported a 9% increase in pending home sales, the slowest growth recorded since June 2020. Despite the growth, the actual number of pending sales fell to the lowest level since April 2021, indicating a softening demand. Home prices remain high, up 15% year-over-year to a median of $359,983. The report suggests that the market is becoming more favorable for buyers, as more sellers reduce their prices and homes are taking longer to sell. Key metrics include a 10% rise in asking prices and a 22% decline in active listings from 2020.

Positive

• Pending home sales increased by 9%, signaling potential market stability.
• Median home sale price rose 15% year over year, indicating strong price resilience.
• The Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index rose 21% year over year, suggesting increased buyer interest.

Negative

• Actual pending sales fell to the lowest level since April 2021.
• Homes took longer to sell, indicating potential buyer hesitation.
• Active listings decreased by 22% from 2020, suggesting reduced market supply.

SEATTLE, Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: RDFN) -- Pending home sales rose 9%, the slowest growth since June 2020, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage.

More home sellers have started slashing their prices—another sign of softening seasonal homebuyer demand. Still, prices remain elevated, up 15% from a year earlier. Additionally, the actual number of pending sales fell to the lowest level since April 2021.

"The housing market has clearly become slightly more favorable to buyers," said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. "Homes are taking longer to sell, which gives buyers more time to make thoughtful decisions about whether to make offers. Home prices have plateaued, so buyers shouldn't feel rushed to buy before prices rise further. And the fact that more sellers are dropping their list price is a sign that sellers have to be realistic about their price expectations."

Key housing market takeaways for 400+ U.S. metro areas:
Unless otherwise noted, this data covers the four-week period ending August 29. Redfin's housing market data goes back through 2012.

• The median home-sale price increased 15% year over year to $359,983.
• Asking prices of newly listed homes were up 10% from the same time a year ago to a median of $354,665, the lowest level since late April. This was down 1.8% from the all-time high set during the four-week period ending June 27.
• New listings of homes for sale were nearly flat (-0.1%) from a year earlier. The number of homes being listed is in a typical seasonal decline, down 10% from the 2021 peak reached during the four-week period ending June 27.
• Active listings (the number of homes listed for sale at any point during the period) fell 22% from 2020. Active listings were up 17% from their 2021 low set during the four-week period ending March 7, but have declined 1% from their 2021 peak hit during the four-week period ending August 8.
• 48% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within the first two weeks on the market, above the 44% rate of a year earlier, but down 8 percentage points from the 2021 peak set during the four-week period ending March 28.
• 35% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within one week of hitting the market, up from 32% during the same period a year earlier, but down 8 percentage points from the 2021 peak reached during the four-week period ending March 28.
• Homes that sold were on the market for a median of 18 days, up from the all-time low of 15 days seen in late June and July, and down from 33 days a year earlier.
• 51% of homes sold above list price, up from 32% a year earlier. This measure has been falling since the four-week period ending July 11, when it peaked at 55%.
• On average, 5.1% of homes for sale each week had a price drop, up 1 percentage point from the same time in 2020, and the highest level since the four-week period ending October 13, 2019.
• The average sale-to-list price ratio, which measures how close homes are selling to their asking prices, decreased to 101.5%. In other words, the average home sold for 1.5% above its asking price. This measure was down 0.7 percentage points from its peak hit during the four-week period ending July 11 and up 2.3 percentage points from a year earlier.

Other leading indicators of homebuying activity:

• Mortgage purchase applications increased 1% week over week (seasonally adjusted) during the week ending August 27. For the week ending August 26, 30-year mortgage rates increased slightly to 2.87%.
• From January 1 to August 29, home tours were up 11%, compared to a 37% increase over the same period last year according to home tour technology company ShowingTime.
• The Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index edged up slightly from the previous week to its highest point since the week ending April 11, and was up 21% from a year earlier during the week ending August 29. The seasonally adjusted Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index is a measure of requests for home tours and other services from Redfin agents.

To view the full report, including charts and methodology, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-pending-sales-up-9pct/

About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, instant home-buying (iBuying), rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovations services. We sell homes for more money and charge half the fee. We also run the country's #1 real-estate brokerage site. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home can take an instant cash offer from Redfin or have our renovations crew fix up their home to sell for top dollar. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1 billion in commissions. We serve more than 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 6,000 people.

For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@redfin.com. To view Redfin's press center, click here.

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SOURCE Redfin

FAQ

What was the increase in pending home sales reported by Redfin on September 1, 2021?

Redfin reported a 9% increase in pending home sales, the slowest growth since June 2020.

How much did home prices increase according to the Redfin report?

Home prices increased by 15% year over year, reaching a median of $359,983.

What does the Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index indicate?

The Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index rose by 21% year over year, reflecting increased buyer interest.

What is the status of active listings in the housing market as of August 2021?

Active listings fell by 22% compared to 2020, indicating reduced market supply.