Redfin Reports The Typical Home Is Taking Nearly 2 Months to Sell. That’s The Slowest Pace in 5 Years.

Rhea-AI Summary

Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN) reports that homes are selling at their slowest pace since the pandemic began, with properties taking 54 days to sell, up from 35 days in 2022. The market shows 5.2 months of supply, the highest since February 2019, indicating a buyer's market.

Pending home sales declined 9.4% year over year, the largest drop since September 2023. This slowdown is attributed to high housing costs, with mortgage rates near 7% and home prices up 4.8% year over year. The median monthly housing payment stands at $2,753, close to April's record high.

While extreme weather conditions are affecting buyer activity, the market may improve as mortgage rates slightly decrease from early January peaks and new listings increase by 2.2%. The median sale price reached $377,125, with active listings up 11.3% year over year.

Positive

• Home prices increased 4.8% year over year to $377,125
• New listings rose 2.2% year over year
• Active listings increased 11.3% year over year

Negative

• Pending home sales declined 9.4% year over year
• Days on market increased to 54 days from 35 days in 2022
• Median monthly housing payment remains elevated at $2,753
• Share of homes sold above list price decreased to 21% from 23% year over year

Insights

Real Estate Market Analyst

The housing market is experiencing a significant structural shift, evidenced by key metrics reaching multi-year extremes. The 54-day median time on market and 5.2 months of supply signal a decisive transition to a buyer's market, though this hasn't translated into price reductions, with median sale prices up 4.8% year-over-year to $377,125.

Regional disparities are particularly telling: Pittsburgh's 19.3% price increase versus San Francisco's 5.6% decline reflects an ongoing realignment in housing values between traditional and emerging markets. The surge in active listings (11.3% YoY) combined with falling pending sales (-9.4%) suggests a market correction rather than a crisis.

For Redfin specifically, this market environment presents both challenges and opportunities. The extended selling timelines and reduced transaction velocity will likely pressure commission revenues in the near term. However, the company's technology-first approach and market presence position it well to capture market share as traditional brokerages struggle with higher operating costs.

The divergence between new listings (up 2.2%) and pending sales (down 9.4%) indicates a growing inventory backlog that could eventually force price adjustments, particularly in markets showing weakness like Austin, Tampa and San Francisco. This trend, combined with persistently high mortgage rates, suggests the market rebalancing will likely continue through 2025, potentially creating opportunities for well-positioned buyers but challenging sellers and real estate platforms alike.

There are more than five months of supply on the market, the most since early 2019. Homes are taking a long time to sell largely because housing costs are so expensive–but for buyers who can afford it, there are a fair amount of homes to choose from.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ: RDFN) — Homes are selling at their slowest pace since the start of the pandemic as mortgage rates and home prices remain elevated, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage.

In addition to homes selling relatively slowly, fewer homes are turning over. This is according to Redfin data as of the four weeks ending January 26:

• The typical U.S. home listing that went under contract sat on the market for 54 days before the seller accepted an offer, the longest span since March 2020 and a week longer than this time last year. At this time in 2022, during the pandemic-driven homebuying boom, the typical home was selling in 35 days.
• There were 5.2 months of supply on the market, the most since February 2019 and up from 4.9 months a year earlier. Months of supply is the length of time it would take for the existing supply of homes to be bought up at the market’s current sales pace; a longer span means homes are sitting on the market longer and signals a buyer’s market.
• Pending home sales were down 9.4% year over year, the biggest decline since September 2023.

Sales are slow because it’s very expensive to buy a home, with mortgage rates sitting near 7% and home prices up 4.8% year over year. The median monthly housing payment is $2,753, just shy of April’s record high. Additionally, extreme weather—including snow and frigid cold in the Midwest, South and Northeast and wildfires in Southern California—are keeping would-be buyers at home.

The market may pick up in the coming weeks as mortgage rates fall—at least slightly—from their early January peak, and new listings tick up. Additionally, Redfin agents expect some buyers to step off the sidelines soon as they get tired of waiting for rates and prices to come down.

“Prospective buyers have been cautious because they’ve seen homes sitting on the market and they’ve heard interest rates and prices may drop. When the market isn’t competitive, some buyers think they should wait for costs to go down,” said Jordan Hammond, a Redfin Premier agent in Raleigh, N.C. “Now it’s pretty clear that sellers aren’t slashing asking prices and mortgage rates aren’t plummeting, so mindsets are shifting. People are starting to believe that if they want or need to move, and they can afford to, they should do it.”

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	7.06% (Jan. 29)	Down from 7.26% 2 weeks earlier	Up from 6.95%	Mortgage News Daily
Weekly average 30-year fixed mortgage rate	6.96% (week ending Jan. 23)	Down from 7.04% a week earlier, but still near highest level since May	Up from 6.69%	Freddie Mac
Mortgage-purchase applications (seasonally adjusted)		Essentially unchanged (down 0.4%) from a week earlier (as of week ending Jan. 24)	Down 7%	Mortgage Bankers Association
Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index (seasonally adjusted)		Lowest level since June (as of week ending Jan. 26)	Down 1%	Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index, a measure of tours and other homebuying services from Redfin agents
Touring activity		Up 7% from the start of the year (as of Jan. 26)	At this time last year, it was up 8% from the start of 2024	ShowingTime, a home touring technology company
Google searches for “home for sale”		Up 14% from a month earlier (as of Jan. 26)	Essentially unchanged	Google Trends

Key housing-market data
U.S. highlights: Four weeks ending Jan. 26, 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 Jan. 26, 2025	Year-over-year change	Notes
Median sale price	$377,125	4.8%
Median asking price	$407,225	5.2%
Median monthly mortgage payment	$2,753 at a 6.96% mortgage rate	8%	Highest level since April
Pending sales	59,044	-9.4%	Biggest decline since Sept. 2023
New listings	68,054	2.2%
Active listings	889,202	11.3%	Smallest increase in nearly a year
Months of supply	5.2	+0.3 pts. to longest span in nearly 6 years	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	25.7%	Down from 29%
Median days on market	54	+7 days to longest span in nearly 5 years
Share of homes sold above list price	21%	Down from 23%
Average sale-to-list price ratio	98%	Down from 98.1%

Metro-level highlights: Four weeks ending Jan. 26, 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	Pittsburgh (19.3%) Milwaukee (16.7%) Fort Lauderdale, FL (14.2%) Newark, NJ (13.4%) Cincinnati (11.7%)	San Francisco (-5.6%) Austin, TX (-2.6%) Tampa, FL (-1.5%)	Declined in 3 metros
Pending sales	Portland, OR (9.7%) Milwaukee (2.6%)	Miami (-24.9%) Detroit (-24.5%) Atlanta (-22.7%) San Diego (-20.1%) Houston (-19.8%)	Increased in 2 metros
New listings	San Jose, CA (23.4%) Phoenix (19.5%) Seattle (15.2%) Oakland, CA (14.5%) Sacramento, CA (14.2%)	San Antonio (-17.4%) Detroit (-16.6%) Newark, NJ (-14.4%) Atlanta (-12.9%) Warren, MI (-11.6%)	Declined in 18 metros

To view the full report, including charts, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-home-sales-slow-costs-high

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/20250130002576/en/

Contact Redfin

Redfin Journalist Services:

Tana Kelley

press@redfin.com

Source: Redfin

FAQ

How long is it taking for homes to sell according to Redfin (RDFN) in January 2024?

According to Redfin, homes are taking 54 days to sell, which is the longest span since March 2020 and a week longer than the same time last year.

What is the current months of supply in the housing market as reported by RDFN?

There are 5.2 months of supply on the market, the highest level since February 2019, up from 4.9 months a year earlier.

How much have pending home sales declined according to the latest Redfin report?

Pending home sales were down 9.4% year over year, marking the biggest decline since September 2023.

What is the current median monthly housing payment according to Redfin's latest data?

The median monthly housing payment is $2,753, which is just shy of April's record high.

How much have home prices increased year over year according to RDFN's latest report?

Home prices have increased 4.8% year over year, with the median sale price reaching $377,125.