Redfin Reports Home-Price Growth Slows as Mortgage Rates Dip to Lowest Level in Over 2 Months

Rhea-AI Summary

Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN) reports a significant slowdown in U.S. home-price growth, with median prices rising just 3.5% year-over-year during the four weeks ending February 23, marking the smallest increase since September.

The housing market is showing favorable conditions for buyers as mortgage rates have decreased to their lowest level in over two months, dropping from 7.13% to 6.78%. Market indicators show 4.6 months of supply, up from 4 months last year, with homes typically selling for about 2% below asking price.

While Redfin's Homebuyer Demand Index has reached its highest level since the year's start and Google searches for homes have peaked since September, pending home sales remain down 6.2% year-over-year. The typical monthly housing payment remains near its all-time high, just $32 below the peak.

Positive

• Mortgage rates decreased from 7.13% to 6.78%
• Homebuyer Demand Index at highest level since year start
• Google searches for 'homes for sale' at highest since September
• Buyers have more negotiating power with increased supply

Negative

• Home-sale price growth slowed to just 3.5% YoY
• Pending home sales down 6.2% YoY
• Monthly housing payment near all-time high
• New listings up only 2.4% YoY, smallest gain in a month

Insights

Financial Analyst

Redfin's latest housing market report signals potential shifts in the company's transaction volume outlook for 2025. The 3.5% year-over-year home price growth - the smallest increase since September - combined with mortgage rates dropping from 7.13% to 6.78% in just two weeks creates a mixed scenario for RDFN's revenue prospects.

The early-stage demand metrics show promising signs: Redfin's Homebuyer Demand Index has reached its highest level this year, and Google searches for "homes for sale" have peaked since September. However, these leading indicators haven't yet translated to sales, with pending transactions still down 6.2% year-over-year.

For RDFN investors, this environment presents a transitional period with conflicting signals. The company's transaction-based revenue model benefits from increased market activity, but faces headwinds from slower price appreciation, which affects commission values. The 4.6 months of housing supply (up from 4 months last year) suggests improving inventory conditions that could eventually support transaction growth.

Particularly noteworthy is the market segmentation emerging in Redfin's data: entry-level homes under $400,000 and premium renovated properties continue seeing competitive bidding, while mid-market properties offer negotiation opportunities. This bifurcation could impact Redfin's transaction mix and average commission values.

The cautionary advice from Redfin agents about acting before potential rate increases suggests the company is positioning for a potential spring surge in activity. However, the modest 2.4% year-over-year increase in new listings - the smallest gain in a month - indicates persistent inventory constraints that could limit transaction volume growth even as buyer interest improves.

Some Redfin agents are advising prospective buyers to get serious now as mortgage rates decline and the housing market tilts in buyers’ favor

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ: RDFN) — The median U.S. home-sale price rose just 3.5% year over year during the four weeks ending February 23, the smallest increase since September. That’s according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Mortgage rates have declined to their lowest level in more than two months, dipping from 7.13% to 6.78% in the last two weeks alone and upping buyers’ purchasing power by thousands of dollars. Mortgage rates are coming down due to signals that the U.S. economy is slowing, and heightened recession fears.

In addition to a bit of cost relief, another factor is working in buyers’ favor. House hunters have a bit more power to negotiate on sale price and terms as supply piles up in some parts of the country. There are 4.6 months of supply on the market, up from 4 months at this time last year, and the typical home is selling for roughly 2% less than its asking price.

There are signs that slowing price growth, declining rates and more favorable conditions are bringing some house hunters back to the market. Redfin’s Homebuyer Demand Index—a seasonally adjusted measure of tours and other buying services from Redfin agents—has jumped to its highest level since the start of the year, and Google searches of “homes for sale” nationwide have hit their highest level since September.

But home sales have yet to improve. Pending home sales are down 6.2% from a year earlier, in line with decreases Redfin has seen since the start of the year. Even though mortgage rates have declined a bit, the typical monthly housing payment is just $32 shy of its all-time high. Sales could pick up in the coming weeks if the increase in home tours turns into more offers and/or mortgage rates continue coming down slightly.

Redfin agents in some parts of the U.S. are advising prospective buyers to jump in while they can because with today’s economic and political uncertainty, mortgage rates could rise above 7% again soon. And the pileup of supply could soon be depleted: New listings of homes for sale are up just 2.4% year over year this week, the smallest gain in a month.

“My advice to buyers: If you’re thinking of purchasing a home in the next six months, don’t wait until the flowers start blooming,” said Alison Williams, a Redfin Premier agent in Sacramento, CA. “The market will heat up as we get closer to spring. Now is the time to potentially negotiate down the price of a home, save money on closing costs or get the sellers to cover issues uncovered in the inspection. There are bidding wars for relatively affordable homes, under $400,000 or so, and for upscale, fully renovated homes in popular neighborhoods. But for everything in between, buyers are looking online and touring, but not jumping on them. The buyers who are jumping are getting deals.”

For Redfin economists’ takes on the housing market, please visit Redfin’s “From Our Economists” page.

Leading indicators

Indicators of homebuying demand and activity
	Value (if applicable)	Recent change	Year-over-year change	Source
Daily average 30-year fixed mortgage rate	6.78% (Feb. 26)	Lowest level since Dec. 10	Down from 7.13%	Mortgage News Daily
Weekly average 30-year fixed mortgage rate	6.85% (week ending Feb. 20)	Lowest level in 2 months	Down from 6.9%	Freddie Mac
Mortgage-purchase applications (seasonally adjusted)		Unchanged from a week earlier (as of week ending Feb. 21)	Up 3%	Mortgage Bankers Association
Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index (seasonally adjusted)		Up 5% from a month earlier (as of week ending Feb. 23)	Down 4%	Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index, a measure of tours and other homebuying services from Redfin agents
Touring activity		Up 19% from the start of the year (as of Feb. 24)	At this time last year, it was up 23% from the start of 2024	ShowingTime, a home touring technology company
Google searches for “home for sale”		Up over 20% from a month earlier (as of Feb. 24)	Up 10%	Google Trends

Key housing-market data

U.S. highlights: Four weeks ending Feb. 23, 2025 Redfin’s national metrics include data from 400+ U.S. metro areas, and are based on homes listed and/or sold during the period. Weekly housing-market data goes back through 2015. Subject to revision.
	Four weeks ending Feb. 23, 2025	Year-over-year change	Notes
Median sale price	$377,250	3.5%	Smallest increase since September
Median asking price	$412,253	5.8%
Median monthly mortgage payment	$2,762 at a 6.85% mortgage rate	5.1%	$32 shy of all-time high
Pending sales	73,415	-6.2%
New listings	81,553	2.4%
Active listings	907,659	9.7%	Smallest increase in nearly a year
Months of supply	4.6	+0.7 pts.	4 to 5 months of supply is considered balanced, with a lower number indicating seller’s market conditions
Share of homes off market in two weeks	32.8%	Down from 36%
Median days on market	56	+6 days; near longest span since March 2020
Share of homes sold above list price	21.7%	Down from 24%
Average sale-to-list price ratio	98.1%	Down from 98.3%

Metro-level highlights: Four weeks ending Feb. 23, 2025 Redfin’s metro-level data includes the 50 most populous U.S. metros. Select metros may be excluded from time to time to ensure data accuracy.
	Metros with biggest year-over-year increases	Metros with biggest year-over-year decreases	Notes
Median sale price	Cleveland (13.1%) San Jose, CA (12.6%) Nassau County, NY (12%) Detroit (10.8%) Milwaukee (10.5%)	Austin, TX (-5%) Jacksonville, FL (-2.8%) Tampa, FL (-2.1%) Atlanta (-0.3%)	Declined in 4 metros
Pending sales	San Francisco (26.9%) Los Angeles (12.2%) Anaheim, CA (10.4%) Riverside, CA (3.5%) Columbus, OH (1.6%) Phoenix (0.3%)	Houston (-17%) Miami (-16.6%) Minneapolis (-16.1%) Jacksonville, FL (-16.1%) Washington, D.C. (-15.5%)	Increased in 6 metros
New listings	Phoenix (23%) Los Angeles (22.2%) Sacramento, CA (19.4%) Denver (16.6%) Anaheim, CA (16.2%)	Detroit (-21.4%) Warren, MI (-13.1%) Montgomery County, PA (-10.5%) Newark, NJ (-8.3%) Fort Worth, TX (-8.2%)	Increased in 19 metros

To view the full report, including charts, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-early-stage-demand-improves-rates-fall

About Redfin

Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, rentals, lending, and title insurance services. We run the country's #1 real estate brokerage site. Our customers can save thousands in fees while working with a top agent. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1.6 billion in commissions. We serve approximately 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,000 people.

Redfin’s subsidiaries and affiliated brands include: Bay Equity Home Loans®, Rent.™, Apartment Guide®, Title Forward® and WalkScore®.

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250227416279/en/

Contact Redfin

Redfin Journalist Services:

Tana Kelley

press@redfin.com

Source: Redfin

FAQ

What is the current year-over-year home price growth rate according to Redfin (RDFN)?

Redfin reports a 3.5% year-over-year increase in median U.S. home-sale prices during the four weeks ending February 23, the smallest increase since September.

How much have mortgage rates decreased in the last two weeks according to RDFN?

Mortgage rates have dropped from 7.13% to 6.78% in the last two weeks, reaching their lowest level in over two months.

What is the current months of housing supply in the market according to Redfin's report?

There are 4.6 months of supply on the market, an increase from 4 months at the same time last year.

How are pending home sales performing according to RDFN's latest data?

Pending home sales are down 6.2% from a year earlier, consistent with the decreases seen since the start of the year.

What is the typical selling price of homes compared to asking price according to Redfin?

The typical home is selling for approximately 2% less than its asking price.