Redfin Reports Early Indicators of Relief From A Red-Hot Market May Be On The Way

Rhea-AI Summary

According to a report from Redfin (RDFN), the U.S. housing market shows early signs of cooling. For the four weeks ending May 30, pending home sales fell 3% from the previous month, and asking prices decreased by $2,500 to a median of $354,975. Despite this slowdown, the market retains heat, with the median home sale price reaching a record high of $355,558, up 24% year-over-year. Redfin's Chief Economist noted that consumer behavior may be shifting towards travel and leisure activities instead of housing.

Positive

• Record-high median home sale price of $355,558, up 24% year-over-year.
• 52% of homes sold above their list price, up from 26% a year earlier.
• Average sale-to-list price ratio reached 102.0%, indicating strong market demand.
• Homes sold in a record low of 16 days on the market, down from 37 days in 2020.

Negative

• Pending home sales decreased by 3% from the previous month.
• Asking prices fell by $2,500 during the reporting period.
• New listings down 8% compared to 2019.
• Active listings dropped by 37% from the same period in 2020.
• Mortgage purchase applications decreased by 3% week-over-week.

SEATTLE, June 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: RDFN) —The housing market's temperature may be starting to drop by a degree or two, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Both pending sales and asking prices began to decline or flatten in the four weeks ending May 30.

It's too soon to tell if these are early seasonal changes or the start of a post-pandemic cooldown. The period in question includes the beginning of Memorial Day weekend, which this year marked a return to "normal" life. It may also have marked the beginning of a return to a more "normal" housing market. It should become clearer as Redfin continues to track the latest data over the next few weeks.

"The housing market was going 100 miles per hour and now it's down to 80," said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. "This is not the bursting of a bubble. Rather, it's a sign that consumers might rather spend their time and money on other things besides housing now that travel, dining and entertainment are resuming in full force."

Below are other key housing market takeaways for more than 400 U.S. metro areas during the 4-week period ending May 30.

Early indicators that the housing market may be starting to soften:

• Pending home sales fell 3% from the four-week period ending May 2, compared to a 2% increase over the same period in 2019. Compared to 2020, they are up 38%.
• Asking prices fell $2,500 from the four-week period ending May 23 to a median of $354,975, up 11% from the same period in 2020.
• New listings of homes for sale were down 8% from the same period in 2019, and are down 5% from the 2021 high, which was set during the four-week period ending May 2. During the same period in 2019, new listings fell 2%.
• Active listings (the number of homes listed for sale at any point during the period) fell 37% from the same period in 2020.
• For the week ending May 28, mortgage purchase applications decreased 3% week over week (seasonally adjusted). For the week ending June 3, 30-year mortgage rates rose slightly to 2.99%.

"There are some signs that buyers may be pulling back," said Seattle Redfin real estate agent Alysan Long. "Homes are staying on the market past the date the sellers had planned to review offers and other homes are being listed without an offer review date, neither of which was happening earlier this spring. We're increasingly seeing homes only get one offer, and even homes that are still getting multiple offers are receiving fewer offers than they would have a few weeks ago."

Still, measures of home sales that closed during the four weeks ending May 30 set new records for the housing market heat wave.

Indicators of last month's history-making housing market:

Each of the metrics highlighted in the following list set a new housing record going back at least as far as 2012, when Redfin's data began:

• A record-high median home sale price of $355,558, up a record 24% year over year.
• A record high of 52% of homes sold for more than their list price, up from 26% the same period a year earlier.
• A record-high 102.0% average sale-to-list price ratio, which measures how close homes are selling to their asking prices. This means that the average home sold for 2.0% more than its asking price. A year ago, it sold for 1.5% below asking.
• A record low of 16 days on market for homes that sold during the period, down from 37 days from the same period in 2020.

The share of homes sold in one or two weeks were both just shy of their record high and have been relatively flat since the four-week period ending March 28.

• 56.8% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within the first two weeks on the market, just below the 57.1% record set during the four-week period ending March 28.
• 43.5% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within one week of hitting the market, down from the 43.9% record set during the four-week period ending May 9.

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

About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate broker, instant home-buyer (iBuyer), lender, title insurer, and renovations company. 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. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers nearly $1 billion in commissions. We serve more than 95 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,100 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 does the latest Redfin report say about the housing market's trends?

The report indicates that the housing market may be cooling, with a 3% decline in pending sales and a drop in asking prices.

How has the median home sale price changed according to Redfin's report?

The median home sale price reached a record high of $355,558, representing a 24% increase year-over-year.

What percentage of homes sold for more than their list price?

52% of homes sold for more than their list price, up from 26% a year earlier.

What factors may be influencing the housing market according to the report?

The report suggests that consumers may be shifting their spending towards travel and leisure, affecting housing demand.

What is the stock symbol for Redfin?

The stock symbol for Redfin is RDFN.