Redfin Reports Homes Are Selling Faster Than Ever as Buyers Rush to Grab Low Rates

Rhea-AI Summary

The housing market remains robust, with three out of five homes under contract finding buyers within two weeks as of March 6, according to Redfin. This surge coincides with historically low supply levels. Recent sellers experienced significant price gains, with homes selling 1.1% above list prices, while the median sale price increased by 16% year-over-year to $369,125. Amid rising mortgage rates, which currently stand at 3.85%, buyer demand persists, although risks from economic volatility loom. Active listings dropped 24% year over year, leading to a competitive buying environment.

Positive

• Median home sale price increased by 16% year over year to $369,125.
• 58% of homes under contract received accepted offers within two weeks, an all-time high.
• 45% of homes under contract had accepted offers within one week, also an all-time high.
• Active listings dropped 24% year over year, indicating strong demand with limited supply.

Negative

• Rising mortgage rates could dampen buyer enthusiasm in the future as the Fed considers further rate hikes.
• New listings decreased by 1.4% compared to the previous year, potentially leading to continued supply constraints.

The housing market is worked into a frenzy, unfazed by war in Ukraine, a faltering stock market, and fast-rising gas prices

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ: RDFN) —Three out of five homes that went under contract during the four week period ending March 6 found a buyer within two weeks, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. That’s an all-time high and comes at the same time as supply shrank to a new low.

Recent home sellers also enjoyed the biggest price premiums ever seen this time of year, with the typical home selling for 1.1% above list price. Last year at this time, the typical home sold for 0.3% below list price. The median home sale price shot up 16% year over year to a new high of $369,125.

“Homebuyers are in a frenzy,” said Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor Marr. “Buyers are reacting to changes in mortgage rates but are so far unfazed by the war in Ukraine, stock market volatility and rising oil prices. However, these risks are reaching levels that could be dangerous for the economy, and the Fed is on the cusp of raising rates further to cool inflation. The silver lining for housing is that the spike in mortgage rates has paused for now.”

Key housing market takeaways for 400+ U.S. metro areas:

Unless otherwise noted, this data covers the four-week period ending March 6. Redfin’s housing market data goes back through 2012.

• The median home sale price was up 16% year over year to a record high of $369,125, and up 34% from the same time in 2020.
• The median asking price of newly listed homes increased 14% year over year to an all-time high of $393,250, and rose 27% from the same time in 2020.
• The monthly mortgage payment on the median asking price home rose slightly to a record high of $2,048 at the current 3.85% mortgage rate. This was up 22% from a year earlier, when mortgage rates were 3.05%, and up 33% from the same period in 2020, when rates were 3.36%.
• Pending home sales were up 3.4% year over year and up 32% from the same period in 2020, just prior to the start of the pandemic.
• New listings of homes for sale were down 1.4% from a year earlier. Compared to 2020, new listings were down 11%.
• Active listings (the number of homes listed for sale at any point during the period) fell 24% year over year, dropping to an all-time low of 456,000. Listings were down 50% from the same period in 2020.
• 58% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within the first two weeks on the market, an all-time high. This was up from the 52% rate of a year earlier and 44% in 2020.
• 45% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within one week of hitting the market, an all-time high. This was up from 39% during the same period a year earlier and 31% in 2020.
• Homes that sold were on the market for a median of 25 days, down from 34 days a year earlier and 53 days in 2020.
• 46% of homes sold above list price, up from 36% a year earlier and 22% in 2020.
• On average, 2.7% of homes for sale each week had a price drop, up 0.6 percentage points from the same time in 2021, but down 0.6 percentage points from 2020.
• The average sale-to-list price ratio, which measures how close homes are selling to their asking prices, rose to 101.1%. In other words, the average home sold for 1.1% above its asking price. This was up from 99.7% in 2021 and 98.1% in 2020.

Other leading indicators of homebuying activity:

• Mortgage purchase applications increased 9% week over week (seasonally adjusted) during the week ending March 4.
• For the week ending March 10, 30-year mortgage rates rose to 3.85% from 3.76% the prior week.
• Touring activity from the first week of January through March 6 was 10 percentage points behind the same period in 2021 and 4 points behind the same period in 2020, according to home tour technology company ShowingTime.
• The Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index rose less than 0.1% from the previous week during the seven-day period ending March 6 and was up 10% from a year earlier.

To view the full report, including charts and methodology, please visit:

https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-homebuying-spike/

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220310005853/en/

Contact Redfin

Redfin Journalist Services:

Kenneth Applewhaite, 206-588-6863

press@redfin.com

Source: Redfin

FAQ

What is the current state of the housing market according to Redfin?

Redfin reports a robust housing market with significant buyer demand and record high sale prices.

How much did the median home sale price increase according to the latest Redfin report?

The median home sale price increased by 16% year over year to $369,125.

What percentage of homes went under contract within two weeks as reported by Redfin?

58% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within the first two weeks.

How are mortgage rates affecting homebuying activity?

Despite rising mortgage rates, buyer demand remains strong, but future increases could pose risks.

What are the trends in new listings and active listings in the housing market?

New listings decreased by 1.4% year over year, while active listings fell 24%, indicating tight supply.